Robin Proctor (editor) - Final FRCR Part A Modules 4-6 Single Best Answer MCQS: The SRT Collection of 600 Questions with Explanatory Answers (MasterPass)

Edited by

ROBIN PROCTOR

MA (Cantab) FRCR MRCP MRCGP Specialist Registrar in Clinical Radiology Southampton General Hospital President, Society of Radiologists in Training

Foreword by

JOANNA FAIRHURST

Head of Training Wessex Radiology Training Scheme Consultant Paediatric Radiologist Southampton University Hospitals Trust

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It is never easy to decide how best to prepare for an examination: should one concentrate on reading detailed textbooks in the hope that a sufficient proportion of the facts are retained? Are books written as examination aides enough? Should a candidate peruse the recent literature in case `hot topics' are covered in the questions? Or in this age of increasing reliance on electronic information, should the candidate place their hopes in electronic teaching files? Whatever their personal preference, it is likely that most candidates will turn to examples of examination questions in order to help gauge their preparedness for a test and assess their progress in acquiring the necessary knowledge. The number of publications available to radiologists in training to help them prepare for the Part 2A examination for the FRCR is an indication of how popular these books are as an examination aide. Over the years these texts have been able to draw on the recollections of questions encountered by past candidates and on the expertise acquired by question-setters from a variety of backgrounds. Neither of these resources is available to the candidate about to sit the new single best answer format that the Royal College of Radiologists has adopted for the newstyle 2A examination modules. This style of question has been used successfully in the medical world for a number of years, but is novel and unexplored in the context of the FRCR.

Thankfully the authors of this book have responded to the challenge of producing a volume that can provide candidates with experience of attempting to answer questions in this new format. They have collaborated to develop a large number of questions in the new style and have organised these into papers along the lines of the six 2A modules, to give readers the best chance of reproducing the feel of the new examination before sitting the real thing. This has indeed been a significant challenge: not only have the authors had to develop their own question-writing skills along new lines, but they have also had to judge how the full core curriculum will be assessed in this new format and how to therefore organise the papers to reflect likely examination topics. As a past Examiner I can testify to the difficulty in preparing questions that are sufficiently rigorous in their factual content, unambiguous in their interpretation and pertinent to the curriculum to be accepted for inclusion in the FRCR 2A exam. The authors have done an admirable job in drawing together a large number of high-quality questions that satisfy these criteria.

I have no doubt that candidates sitting the 2A exam will find this book a vital tool in their preparation. It provides a unique collection of questions, which will help familiarise candidates with the new format and demonstrate how their knowledge will need to be applied to maximise their chance of success when attempting single best answer papers. The authors are well placed to use their up-to-date knowledge of the Fellowship exam to guide future exam hopefuls through the pitfalls of the new format, and this publication should find its way onto many radiologists' bookshelves in the near future.

Joanna Fairhurst Head of Training Wessex Radiology Training Scheme Consultant Paediatric Radiologist Southampton University Hospitals Trust June 2009

This book has been written by a large number of current trainees in Clinical Radiology and has been coordinated through The Society of Radiologists in Training (SRT). The SRT is the only national organisation of Radiology Trainees in the UK and is run by an elected committee to promote radiology training and education. The SRT organises an annual meeting for trainees and hosts an active website: www.thesrt.org.uk

This book is of particular relevance to higher trainees within radiology who are working towards the Final FRCR examination of the Royal College of Radiologists in the UK. This examination is in the process of being revised and single best answer (SBA) type questions will be introduced in Part A for the first time at the Autumn 2009 sitting. This type of question is well established in other professional examinations, but there are currently no published texts of such questions in Clinical Radiology so this book will meet a real need and aid candidates in their preparation. Candidates for other professional exams in Radiology will also find the text useful and those from other specialties will be able to explore the radiological aspects of their syllabus in greater depth.

More than 20 contributing authors, who all have very recent memory of sitting the Part A component of the Final FRCR examination, have written over 1250 single best answer questions and explanations covering the whole breadth of Clinical Radiology. As in the actual examination, readers will find that important topics have deliberately been covered by more than one author in more than one style and we hope, in addition to the factual information presented, that this will illustrate our interpretation of the various ways in which this style of question may be phrased.

The questions are grouped by topic and split into three papers of 70 questions each. This is very similar to the Royal College format of 75 questions per paper. The explanations have been separated into separate chapters so that readers may either attempt a whole mock exam paper or browse through question by question. This book is intended as a bridge between a pure revision aid and a reference text and we include a bibliography of useful references for further information. There are also references to a small number of particularly relevant journal articles within the explanations.

We thank the many colleagues who have given their time and experience in helping write the questions and thank Clinks Ihezue for his help with the genito-urinary questions. We wish every candidate success and would always be grateful for feedback, which can be submitted via the Society Website or email: president@thesrt.or.uuk