MRCPsych Courses (UK)

Cognition for CASC

London

‘Cognitions for CASC’ is a full-day intensive training course in London for doctors working in psychiatry. It aims to enable delegates to acquire, develop and master a range of advanced communication skills that are tested in the CASC component of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Membership examination.

The course will help delegates develop a toolbox of skills that can be applied to a range of different clinical scenarios. By focusing on these individual skills, we believe delegates will be able to enhance their performance in any ‘station’.

In order to maximise the benefits for delegates and ensure an effective learning environment, we will be booking only 8 delegates per course day.

Early bird fee (4 weeks before course) and group booking (3 or more) is £260.

PassAppraisaL Course

London

Nearly 40% of MRCPsych Paper 3 tests statistics and critical appraisal skills. This is the topic that most candidates want someone to teach personally.

We are conducting a small group one-to-one teaching weekend for MRCPsych statistics and critical appraisal.

You will receive uniquely prepared handouts to make revision easy and success almost guaranteed. You will also receive free access to nearly 300 MCQs and EMIs at our website.

The sessions will be led by Lena Palaniyappan, Clinical Lecturer in Psychiatry, University of Nottingham. He has been teaching statistics/ critical appraisal for MRCPsych students since 2007.

For more details visit our website at: www.passappraisal.com/moodle.

The places are strictly limited to 25 on first come first serve – Booking required.

Preference will be given to candidates who had an unsuccessful attempt at Paper 3 exam and candidates who are enrolled for SPMM Paper 3 revision March 2012.

SPMM Course

London

• Improved and expanded question banks including over 8000 questions - the largest and most detailed of its kind in the UK
• Weekend courses, online courses, mock exams for MRCPsych paper 1, 2 and 3
• The SPMM Lecture Notes are fully revised and converted to bite-sized pdf files that can be printed by all online users.
• 5 unique mock tests for each paper exam (200x5=1000 questions), Instant Mock exam feedback for online courses
• CASC weekend courses, mock exam and CASC training videos (210 minutes- covering 21 stations) 
• Course options available individually to allow candidates more control
• An exciting new user friendly design for easy navigation with a prgress tracker tool
• New course subscription management system

Liverpool Psych Course

Liverpool

"We are proud to announce the launch of the CASC (Clinical Assessment of Skills and Competencies) course at Merseyside at Liverpool. Over the years we have analysed CASC exams, and the pass rate. We have worked on various candidates’ strength and weaknesses resulting in guiding them towards the MRCPsych.

We understand that candidates may wish to go to as many courses as possible and hence we are working towards providing the best course at affordable costs. We have hence incorporated the MOCK CASC within the course with no extra charge for the Mock CASC.

We hire professional simulators and expert examiners to provide you with excellent and valid feedback. We have excellent track record from CASC courses conducted. Please look into our testimonial section for detail feedback

We are running the course for 2 days, the first day will be the course with training and the second day will be the Mock CASC and workshops. 
On day 1, each candidate will get an opportunity to practice 4 stations (2 single and 2 linked) and observe 12 other stations. Immediate feedback will be given by the Examiners. The candidates will be given the opportunity to reflect on their own performance."

Royal College of Psychiatrists South West Division CASC Course

Bristol

Drawing on the success of their CASC Exam Practice Course (previously known as the Bristol CASC Course) Dr Sabarigirivasan Muthukrishnan and Dr Suchitra Sabarigirivasan have joined forces with the Royal College of Psychiatrists South West Division to continue running this course under SWDT (South West Division Training).  This course has been timed prior to sitting your exams to identify and work on your areas of concern, taking the skills from the course and putting them into practice.

On day one candidates will move in small groups, perform 4-5 stations each and observe 12-15 stations being done by other candidates.  The candidates will cover CASC topics in General Adult Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Old Age Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Learning Disability Psychiatry having tutorials in each sub specialty.  In addition there will be an extensive tutorial in Forensic Psychiatry.

Day two, follows the model of the CASC exams (in terms of layout and timings) with the candidate working through 16 stations.  There will also be tutorials on interview skills and physical examination.

For all the exam practice the time allowed will be as in the real exam.  For the linked station there will be 2 minutes preparation and 10 minutes station time.  For individual stations there will be 1 minute preparation and 7 minutes station time.

The course will use professional actors and candidates will be assessed by experienced assessors.

We can accommodate only 16 candidates. This is to ensure good quality feedback to candidates and give individual attention to each candidate. Candidates will be able to have individual sessions with the examiners to discuss their strengths and areas of improvement.

Places are strictly on a first come first served basis.

We will provide telephone and email support after the course until the day before the candidate's Royal College CASC Exam.

The course is held at Coombe Lodge, Blagdon, North Somerset.

Full information and an application form can be obtained from:  http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/rollofhonour/divisions/southwest/casccourse.aspx

Examdoctor

Online

Examdoctor is an online revision resource for medical students and trainee doctors containing revision material for 20 different courses and over 35,000 expert-authored questions.

Courses include MRCPsych Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Prices are dependent on duration of access and range from £30-35 for 30 days to £45-50 for 120 days. The courses claim over 1000 MCQs and EMIQs for the Part 1; 400 for the Part 2; and 400 for the Part 3.

A free 7-day trial period is available for courses.

You can get a 20% discount on courses by using the discount code 'TRICKCYCLISTS' at the checkout.

CASC Exam Practice

Bristol

"CASC EXAM PRACTICE COURSE is an intensive weekend course held in Bristol . On Day 1, the candidates will have extensive tutorials and discussion on all the possible scenarios of the CASC exam. They can also bring complex stations to discuss with the examiners. There will be a separate tutorial for Forensic Psychiatry and a 'CRACK the CASC' lecture.

On Day 2, the candidates will do a mock CASC exam. Each candidate will perform 16 stations in two circuits of linked and individual stations under exam conditions. They will get 5 minutes individual written and verbal feedback from experienced examiners and the professional actors in each station. The candidates will also attend an interview skills workshop and a physical examination workshop.We have included new 'Power Thinking' workshops which were very popular among candidates in the last diet of the exams.

Each candidate will perform 21 to 24 linked and individual stations and will observe other candidates perform an equal number of stations. The candidates will also observe an examiner performing difficult and complex stations. 
The previous CASC stations from the 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 diets will be included. The candidates will get course materials which include comprehensive information and useful exam tips for 100 linked and individual stations.

We can accommodate only 16 candidates to ensure good quality feedback to candidates and give individual attention to each candidate. Candidates will be able to have individual sessions with the examiners to discuss their strengths and areas of improvement. We will provide telephone and email support after the course until the day before the candidate's CASC Exam."

To book a place in Bristol weekend course, Email: cascexampracticecourse@yahoo.co.uk or visit www.cascexampracticecourse.co.uk.

The course organisers of CASCEXAMPRACTICECOURSE are pleased to inform that they are again organising the CASC course for the fourth time for the Royal College of Psychiatrists South West Division in the Bristol area. You can contact  pmcphee@southwestdiv.rcpsych.ac.uk or phone 01761 463979 to book a place on the Bristol weekdays CASC Course".

The London CASC

London

The London CASC is a course that aims to give the candidate real personal attention with a maximum of just 4 people allowed per group per day. Our ethos is that small is better. We naturally as students find studying in small groups better than large groups and hence the small numbers per day. Each day will give intense one to one tuition as we work through CASC stations. There are no lectures at this course, instead we aim to provide all the lecture information within the scenarios, giving more time for practice and making the theory information more applicable by example.

The course is based at West Middlesex University Hospital in West London and is split into two days:

Day 1: Saturday Will be based on going through single stations.
Day 2: Sunday Will be based on going through linked stations.

You can choose to attend the whole weekend or concentrate on just one aspect of the exam by attending a single day. We aim to do around 50+ scenarios over a weekend and are happy for you to bring your own CASC scenarios to practice with us. We are also happy to give follow up support after the course and will be sending out pre course tasks for you to go through in order to prepare you for the day and exam.

If you wish to attend the course with your own study group, e.g. if 4 of you and your colleagues are already studying in a group and wish to attend together, then please contact us and we will be able to advise of any completely free dates.

Psych Evidence – Online Course

Online

Psych Evidence Online brings an exciting, interactive and visually engaging course straight to your home or office, with the opportunity to study and practice in your own time. Designed by psychiatrists with firsthand experience of the MRCPsych exams and extensive experience in teaching critical appraisal; it is the definitive and comprehensive learning centre for evidence based psychiatry and critical appraisal of research. You can revise as many times as you want until you ‘pass the exam quiz’ with flying colours. Psych Evidence is your ideal guide to pass the MRCPsych exam, covering material comparable to two whole days of teaching and training. It is divided into two main components, Tutorial and Quiz, totaling to approx. 12 hours of study.

Tutorial: The tutorial component consists of stimulating lecture slides, with a competent lecturer guiding you through each aspect of Critical Appraisal and summarising the important things to remember. The slides are supplemented with notes. All concepts are reinforced by worked examples that take you through the process in a step-by-step manner. What’s more; all used examples are real life research examples.

Quiz: After completing the tutorial component, you can apply all that you have learnt and test your knowledge with an interactive quiz that consists of five separate sections covering 300 questions (Best of 5 MCQ and Matching question format). Examples from journal papers, real exam questions; all supplemented with diagrams, tables and graphs, ensure that you understand the concepts in the best possible way. An explanation is given with each answer, referenced from over 25 renowned sources.

The Manchester Course

Manchester

Papers 1, 2 & 3: "The courses provides a comprehensive review of knowledge required for the exam. Teaching for the multiple choice question/ extended matching item paper is based on college questions collected by the course organisers over the last several years, subdivided into clinical specialities. Detailed explanatory handouts accompany the lectures. A mock exam completes your written paper preparation."

PsychInterview

Online

The interview skills component (knows how) consists of 46 video interviews by a Consultant Psychiatrist with firsthand experience of MRCPsych and FRANZCP exams. All stations are developed from previous CASC and OSCE exams with varying degrees of complexity, helping you not only to pass the exam but also to excel in clinical practice. Over 500 minutes of video material shows you how to approach each case; be it history taking, consultancy type questions, explanation of a condition, or managing a difficult condition.

The knowledge component (knows) is imparted through buzzwords and downloadable evidence based lecture notes that supplement each scenario, providing clear and easy to follow guidance.

The third component is practice (shows how and does). Psych Interview offers you the ability to view the videos as many times as you want and rehearse the techniques in your own time. You can even revise on the go on your iPhone or iPad.

Psych Interview keeps evolving through the feedback and comments from subscribers. Following the requests from CASC and OSCE Candidates, you can now get even better value out of Psych Interview with the addition of 15 new videos on the website. Current subscribers get these videos for free, and non-members have until 30th November to make a subscription with current rates. Thereafter, subscription packages will have a new pricing structure that reflects the great added value for access to a total of 46 interview videos!
Visit the Scenario Page of the website to view descriptions of all videos."

Neuroanatomy for Psychiatry

London

Anatomy Building, University College London, WC1
Course director: Dr Paul Johns, BSc BM MSc FRCPath   

- one-day advanced functional brain anatomy course.
- covers the neuroanatomy of memory, cognition and emotion.
- detailed discussion of cerebral cortex, basal ganglia and limbic system.
- includes diffuse neurotransmitter systems.
 
- excellent refresher course for consultants.
- ideal MRCPsych revision course for trainees.
 
Mean feedback score (Feb 2010): 4.8/5.0
Price includes two-course lunch and refreshments.

COMPASS PsyCare: Weekend Interview Skills Course for the MRCPsych CASC

London

"This course is not a weekend assembly line OSCE practice. There are many courses out there that will let you do that. You can practice with your friends and family free of charge, but without being totally comfortable in the basics of interview, you may be practising the wrong skills. Remember how never to learn driving by mimicking your dad? You only pick up what is bad! This course is not all about practising OSCEs although you will get plenty opportunity to do exactly that under examination conditions. All the actors have experience in doing role-play for CASC and GMC performance review OSCEs.

"At the end of day one, you will feel more confident in approaching the CASC component of the MRCPsych exam. At the end of day 2, you will definitely be more confident of the real CASC exam. You will also leave with a complimentary copy of a leading book on psychiatric assessment, and a DVD of your performance in each of the 16 stations will be in post. You will receive oral feedback on general matters on the day, and will receive detailed written feedback (with suggestions for improvement) within the week. You will also receive web links (secure) to access further training videos for those last moment practice."

Newcastle Course

Newcastle

"The Newcastle Course is designed to assist candidates in preparation for the CASC paper of the MRCPsych exam. This intensive course has been developed with the aim of providing candidates with a mock exam experience as well as exposure to 32 different single and paired stations.
The course is run in a purpose built exam centre; uses professional actors; and experienced assessors. We focus on providing high quality feedback to candidates from a variety of sources including college examiners."

"There is also available an optional second day providing intensive feedback and additional coaching in small groups. This optional second day is limited in numbers to maintain the low numbers of candidates per tutor."

eMRCPsych

Leicester

A two-day course "providing training for the CASC in the exam format by experienced examiners and actors." Day one focuses on 'generic' single and linked stations, and day two focuses on 'specialty' single and linked stations. "Highlights include: Consultant led, including Royal College Examiners; Detailed written feedback for every station; Revised and updated stations; Small groups (not more than 4); and a full mock exam."

Maximum 24 places.

Early Bird Discount: Course fee £350 before 15/8/09.

The Oxford OSCE/ MRCPsych Course

Oxford

"Oxford Psych course is an exam oriented intense weekend revision course conducted in Oxford. The pass rate for our candidates who appeared in the Autumn ’07 MRCPsych part 1 OSCE is 96% & MRCPsych part II Clinicals is 98%. Candidates from Hongkong, Singapore, UK, and Ireland who attended the recent CASC Course have given excellent feedback about our course after attending their exams. We are continuing to help candidates pass their Royal College exams. Our Paper I, Paper II, Paper III and the CASC courses are specially designed for the new format of MRCPsych exams conducted by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

The Oxfordpsych Paper 3 weekend course has been redesigned and examiners who actually were involved in setting up the Royal College Paper 3 critical appraisal questions would be teaching on the first day of the Paper 3 Course. We shall cover the individual specialities on Day2 of the Paper3 course. Our course material and questions are based on the recently held/past Royal college exams.

The OxfordPsych CASC Course is a weekend course designed primarily on the new CASC format using Royal college Examiners &professional role play actors who take part in the actual exams. We would be covering both individual and paired stations in our CASC Course to be held in Oct.

NEW! We have started streaming videos online showing single and paired stations. The stations were recorded in the Oxfordpsych CASC course May’08 and involve professional role players who actually took part in the CASC exam. Access to the videos is FREE!"

Courses are also available in Hong Kong:

The Cambridge Course

Cambridge

Although the course itself runs over 2 semesters, they offer a number of crash courses in the run up to the exam, spread over 1-2 days. Prices are reduced for local candidates (see website for details).

The lecture notes used on the course are also available on the website at no charge.

Contact details (for all the Cambridge MRCPsych courses) are:

Sarah Devereux (sarah.devereux@cpft.nhs.uk).
Tel: 01223 884 208 (Tuesdays & Thursdays)

Cambridge Statistics and Research Methods Crash Course

Cambridge

"This course will thoroughly prepare candidates for the Statistics and Research Methodology components of the MRCPsych Papers 2 and 3.  The course will teach General Research Methodology and all specific research types e.g. RCTs, health economics, aetiology, qualitative research etc.  After each mini topic there will be MCQ/ EMQ practice and discussion.  The course will cover all statistical tests that are likely to come up in the exam, e.g. Mann-Whitney, multiple regression, and discuss how to interpret them and answer questions on them.  The statistics will be scattered through the day, presented together with the relevant study design, to keep it in small doses!  Teaching will include essential calculations, e.g. NNT, sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio.  Candidates will have plenty of opportunities to practise them.  The course will conclude with MCQs and EMIQs that test knowledge across study designs, e.g. Which is the best statistical test to use in a specific situation?  What type of bias would occur in this situation?  Which is the most appropriate study design?

We will discuss more than 250 questions including MCQs and EMQs from the 2008 exams, the pilot exams, EMQs from previous exams, questions adapted from the old-style exam and questions written by the Cambridge team.  Full paper handouts will be given of questions; answers and explanations; and slides used to teach theoretical material.  Questions will be e-mailed to candidates before the course, so they can try them in advance if they so wish.

Sarah Devereux (sarah.devereux@cpft.nhs.uk).
Tel: 01223 884 208.

SPMM WPBA Course

London

"It is a one-day teaching course focusing on different work place based assessments (ACEs, mini-ACEs, Case-Based Discussion, Case presentation, Journal Club Presentation and Direct Observation of Procedural Skills) in psychiatry for trainees from ST1-3 level.

The course features input from experienced assessors and role players involved in Royal College Pilot assessments, with clear demonstration of different WPBAs.The course also features clinical assessment of cases, formulating case history, planning management options for common psychiatric cases and it aims to help the candidates perform WPBAs confidently in a wide variety of clinical settings.

Separate sessions for journal club presentation covering research methodology, basic statistics and application of EBM (evidence based medicine) will be covered in detail. Detailed course materials will be provided for all WPBAs."

Contact Details: (07816) 908158; drsreeprathap@hotmail.com.

The Birmingham Course Online

Online

The Birmingham Course stopped offering classroom-based courses in July 2009 and currently offer online courses only. They also provide online mock exams.

Cost is largely dependent on duration of subscription, and typical prices range from £69.99 (1 month) - £179.99 (6 months). Paper 3 mock exams (4 in total) are £39.

Superego-Cafe CASC Course

Manchester

"One day is spent practising OSCE stations (standalone and linked) in small groups with examiners and simulated patients. Each delegate will perform 4 standalone and one pair of linked stations, and will observe other delegates performing 16 standalone stations and 4 pairs of linked stations. Delegates receive constructive feedback on their performance in oral and written forms after every station."

"On the other day delegates participate in an interactive workshop on interview skills techniques and management plans for the linked stations. This will take the form of several standalone mini OSCE stations to illustrate the key points."

Superego Cafe will be running MRCPsych courses from May 2008 for Papers 1 and 2 and from July 2008 for Paper 3. Details for the written courses will be given below in due course.

Superego-Cafe Critical Appraisal Course

See Website

"We teach you everything you need to evaluate medical evidence. Critical appraisal is taught from first principles. We assume you have no prior knowledge. We use plain English to explain the meaning of research jargon."

The classroom course comes with a copy of 'The Doctor's Guide to Critical Appraisal' book, and online access to course materials for 2 months.

The course also comes in an online version and courses run in Hong Kong and Australia (early 2009 onwards).