Why should you choose MRCPCH?

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MRCPCH:

The Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health is a recognized professional body that takes the obligation for the Pediatric specialty throughout the UK. It rigorously monitors and supervises the educational curriculum and quality of training offered to those interested in and pursuing the specialization. The MRCPCH examinations consist of four comprehensive exams, three theoretical and one clinical studies.

MRCPCH exams:

Choosing to do a fellowship in pediatrics after md puts you on the easier path of clearing the MRCPCH exams. The training offered is at par with the GMC requisitions, which means you can seamlessly clear the exams without facing many difficulties. The exams are:

• Foundation of Practice – FOP – covers essential child health
• Theory and Science – TAS – the basics of psychological, pharmacological, and scientific clinical practice concepts.
• Applied Knowledge in Practice – AKP – clinical decision-making, management, knowledge evaluation/synthesis
• MRCPCH clinical examination – Multi-station OCSE

The three theory exams mentioned can be studied and attempted in any order preferred by the student. Overseas doctors looking for a career in the UK choose to do this fellowship in pediatrics in India as it offers complete GMC registration. It is a guaranteed method of securing a dream job that is rewarding and recognized worldwide.

Eligibility Criteria:

• To succeed in the theory exams, one must complete the primary medical qualification accepted and approved by the GMC for registration.
• To be able to appear for the MRCPCH clinical examination, the completion of the three theory examinations holds prime importance. 
• Aspiring doctors who take up the clinical examination must be sponsored by two people indicating that they hold the required knowledge in the field of pediatrics and are capable of appearing for the exam.
• One must have completed at least 2.5 years of pediatric training to pursue Pediatric fellowship courses.
• At least one year of clinical practice in attending and handling emergency pediatric cases.
• Must hold six months of experience as a house pediatrician after your graduation. If the former is not fulfilled, one must have at least six months of experience in any post that involves the nurturing and care of emergency pediatric patients.

Exam Overview:

The candidates will have to attend three theoretical examinations and one clinical examination. Each of the exams is conducted a year and for an allocated time of 2 hours and 30 minutes each thrice. The theory exams are administered through a computer, and Candidates can attempt the three exams in any order.

Foundation of Practice (FOP)This theory exam checks and evaluates the candidate’s take on understanding, handling, and clinical decision-making skills. It assesses if the candidature is at par with a person attending core training (equivalent to ST1). The test comprises 10 EMQs (Extended Matching Questions) and 70 SBAs (Single Best Answer Questions). EMQs usually have ten options that can be closely associated with the question, out of which only one is entirely correct.

• Theory And Science Examination (TAS)

While the question formats remain the same as the FOP exams, the TAS exam assesses the basic concepts of physiological, pharmacological, and scientific principles of clinical practice and evidence. 

• Applied Knowledge in Practice (AKP)

Candidates appearing for this examination are tested if they possess the potential knowledge compared to a person attending core specialist training or ST1 equivalent. The exam includes concepts that assess your clinical decision-making skills, knowledge, and understanding of concepts. The exam format is as such that a question can comprise one or more suitable answers that are equally important and relevant. The scoring pattern depends on the question and appropriate options for each question. It is advised to read each question and its options carefully and weigh the marks for each question to answer accordingly.

• Clinical Examination

One must have completed the first three theory exams to attend this exam. The clinical exam stands as the final exam of the MRCPCH recognition. The test is usually conducted in a hospital environment and involves different test scenarios. OSCE tests are generally known through medical training, and the assessing trainers score your performances for the suggested techniques. The prime motive of this exam is to analyze if the student has gained enough knowledge and training experience to handle the clinical skill expectations.

They must be at par with the UK’s new joiners of ST4 professionals. The examination checks how well you can teach the educational concepts while maintaining the clinical examination standards. Listed below are the grounds for clinical examination assessment:

1. Communication skills
2. Clinical judgment
3. Management planning and taking a medical history
4. Physical examination
5. Identifying any acute illness 
6. Clinical assessment of child development
7. The spontaneity of action and thoughts
8. Ethical practices
9. Professional behavior
10. Expected knowledge in pediatric and child health

Clinical Exam Assessment

This exam is subdivided into ten objective assessments to qualify for a fellowship in pediatrics in India after MD. A different examiner conducts it at each dedicated station. This is to ensure that the student performance on one station does not affect the other stations of the MRCPCH clinical examination. The different stations are listed below:

Station 1: Clinical assessment of child development

Stations 2 and 5: Test the communicative skills of the candidate

Station 3: Taking a medical history and conducting proficiency in management planning

Station 4: Scenarios based on clinical videos

Station 6 to 10: Core clinical examination

Career options after a fellowship in pediatrics in India

The career options after completing the fellowship are not just limited to becoming a pediatrician. One can choose among the varied career options, like becoming a neonatology doctor, lecturer, consultant, etc. The stream also has further specializations in that one can choose to excel. They include being a pediatric surgeon, pediatric cardiologist, pediatric endocrinologist, developmental-behavioral pediatrician, and pediatric orthopedics. Career options are abundant for those who showcase excellence in the subject matter and the urge to achieve more. 

Advancements in the field of pediatric and child health

No industry succeeds in society without inculcating within itself various technological advancements. The same applies to this division as well. The upcoming trends in the study of fellowship in pediatrics in India include Smart Pill, advanced imaging and modeling techniques, 3D printing in pediatric cardiology, double hand transplant, thermometer based on cloud technology, graphene patch, etc.

Conclusion:

Pediatric fellowship courses are gaining absolute recognition and demand worldwide, and it holds importance from a renowned institution like the Texila American University in association with the University of Central Nicaragua (TAU-UCN). The procedure involves combining proper training in child healthcare and medical concepts. Apart from this, the aspirants must show empathy, patience, and politeness toward children. This makes the child feel safe and protected while undergoing treatment or having a consultation. The fellowship from TAU-UCN is a three-year course that blends pediatric academic and practical activities followed by an internship. The MRCPCH course is considered a successful and rewarding career choice for all.