MRCP clinical exam in Malta

Abstract

The Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom (MRCP UK) is awarded to trainees in Medicine near the end of their Basic Specialist training, following a rigorous exam. This is a major stepping-stone to Higher Specialist training which is remembered by most internal medicine physicians practicing in Malta, and indeed elsewhere around the world since the MRCP diploma is considered very prestigious and carries significant weight towards advancing ones medical career. All these physicians also remember the trials and tribulations both financial and psychological, that they experienced until they finally completed this milestone. This difficult exam is compounded by the fact that one also had to travel to one of various UK centres in the past, making this endeavor even more arduous. Since 2008, to the great benefit of local candidates, the written parts of this exam have been carried out biennially at the Malta Medical School since this was just a matter of organizing a venue, invigilation and secure delivery of papers to and from the UK. Organising the clinical part of the exam, the Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills (PACES) was a completely different and much more challenging task, but one which I set myself as a major goal since becoming the Academic Head of the Department of Medicine in October 2012. PACES is the largest international postgraduate clinical skills assessment in the world with almost 5000 candidates sitting the exam per year.