Final FRCA SOE final month plan
The final FRCA SOE examination is just over a month away, so how can you optimise your use of the remaining time to gain as many marks as possible on the big day?
Read on.
- We'll start by going through a structured four week game plan to optimise your use of the next 28 days
- Then we'll go through all the other ways you can pick up extra marks without knowing any more information
- Then we'll add in all of our other SOE top tips
- Finally we'll describe our exam answer scaffolds for each type of question
Hopefully it'll provide some reassurance and guidance, and a little motivation as well.
The baseline assumptions for this to work
- You have been practising clinically on a fairly regular basis for the last year
- You can spare an average around 1.5 to 2 hours per day between now and the exam
- You have been doing a moderate amount of revision, in whatever format, up until this point, and aren't starting completely fresh having not done any studying since passing the written examination
The game plan
This is our suggestion on how to maximise your use of the following four weeks. We are not saying it is the only way to do it, nor are we 100% sure it's the best.
It also won't make up for not having done any work up until this point.
However if you stick to it, it'll almost certainly win you some extra marks.
You're going to attack the next four weeks with the vigour of a five year old on a bouncy castle after his third slice of cake at a birthday party.
Week 1
We're building up structures, focusing on core frameworks and making those responses automatic.
Focus on headlines first then details second.
Monday
- Airway
- ICU and theatre crises
- DAS safety language
Tuesday
- Obstetrics
- Eclampsia
- Massive haemorrhage
- GA for LSCS
Wednesday
- Cardiac
- Aortic stenosis
- Atrial fibrillation
- Anticoagulation
Thursday
- Neuro
- Head injury
- ICP control
Friday
- 10 diagrams of your choosing - graphs, equipment, physiology
- Draw them repeatedly until they're automatic
- Explain the clinical relevance
Saturday
- 2 full mock exams
- Either with a friend or to your camera
- Record yourself either way to track your progress
Sunday
- Choose the weakest part of the previous week's work
- Talk it through
- Draw the ten diagrams again