In the first episode of our 'Demystifying PACES' series, Dr Kat Ralston and Dr Hannah Preston interview Dr Rod Harvey, RCPE Dean of Examinations (at time of recording), and discuss the new PACES exam.

They discuss the rationale and process behind the update to the MRCP(UK) PACES exam and explore the changes to the exam in detail for candidates sitting PACES. Dr Rod Harvey discusses the seven skills that are assessed over the five stations, as well as sharing some useful tips on what examiners are looking for, and advice on preparing for the exam.

Dr Rod Harvey is a Consultant Acute Physician and Endocrinologist, working in Inverness. He was also the Dean of Examinations at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (at the time of recording).

Dr Kat Ralston is a Geriatric Medicine Registrar and member of the Trainees and Members’ Committee, currently working in Edinburgh.

Dr Hannah Preston is a Renal Registrar and Co-Chair of the Trainees and Members’ Committee, also working in Edinburgh.

-- Links --

MRCP(UK) PACES webpage: https://www.mrcpuk.org/PACES

MRCP(UK) Webinar (Introduction to PACES23): https://www.mrcpuk.org/PACES23Webinar

MRCP(UK) PACES Scenario Videos:
https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/paces/sample-scenarios-0

RCPE webpage on PACES: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/exams/paces23

-- Choose RCPE as your College of Entry for PACES --
We encourage you to sit PACES with our College. We have a friendly and experienced examinations team who expertly support candidates, and we deliver PACES at centres across the UK. Select RCPE as your College of Entry when applying online through your My MRCP(UK) online account.

Disclaimer: Please always refer to the MRCP(UK) PACES website for up-to-date information on the PACES exam, as what is discussed in this episode may change. See: https://www.mrcpuk.org/PACES

Recording date: 5 June 2023

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Career Conversations

PACES23 - Introduction (02 Aug 2023)

Demystifying PACES - Introduction (02 Aug 2023)

Dr Hannah Preston discusses the PACES Consultation Stations with Dr Matt King.

Dr King gives an overview and shares top tips and common pitfalls. The two Consultation Stations aim to assess how candidates approach a clinical problem in an integrated manner, using history-taking, examination, and communication with a patient or surrogate.

Dr Matt King is an acute medicine physician in Edinburgh, an experienced PACES examiner, and involved in standards-setting for PACES.

Dr Hannah Preston is a Renal Registrar in Edinburgh and RCPE Trainees and Members' Committee (T&MC) Co-Chair.

-- Link --
https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/paces

-- Choose RCPE as your College of Entry for PACES --
We encourage you to sit PACES with our College. We have a friendly and experienced examinations team who expertly support candidates, and we deliver PACES at centres across the UK. Select RCPE as your College of Entry when applying online through your My MRCP(UK) online account.

Recording date: 4 December 2023

Disclaimer: Please always refer to the MRCP website for up-to-date information on the PACES exam. See: https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/paces

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Feedback: cme@rcpe.ac.uk

Demystifying PACES - Consultation [Stations 2 & 5] (21 Dec 2023)

Dr Kirsty Crowe discusses the PACES communication encounters with Dr Nicola Zammitt.

Dr Zammitt gives an overview of the communication encounters, undertaken in Stations 1 and 4, and shares top tips and common pitfalls. The communication encounters assess: Clinical Communication, Clinical Judgement, Managing Patients' Concerns, and Maintaining Patient Welfare. This includes explaining clinical information; applying clinical knowledge, including knowledge of ethics, to the management of the case or situation; providing emotional support; and treating the patient with dignity and respect.

Nicola Zammitt is a consultant endocrinologist at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.  She has been a PACES examiner for around 10 years, has examined in the UK and abroad and is the current Lothian PACES coordinator.  With colleagues, she set and led the Edinburgh PACES course at the Clinical Skills Centre in WGH between 2011 and 2019 and she has also taught on PACES courses overseas.  She has previously served on the PACES Clinical Examining Board and currently sits on the PACES Scenario Editorial Committee.

Kirsty Crowe is a specialty registrar in renal and internal medicine based in the West of Scotland. She is passionate about effective medical education which overcomes barriers to patients interacting with healthcare and undertook a Clinical Teaching Fellowship prior to starting her higher specialty training. She is interested in supporting the inclusivity and wellbeing of trainees and explored this during her Scottish Clinical Leadership Fellowship with the NHS Lothian Medical Education Directorate and the General Medical Council. Additionally she is involved with networks aimed at supporting renal trainees in engaging with quality improvement and research activity.

-- Links --
https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/paces
https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/paces/sample-scenarios-0

-- Choose RCPE as your College of Entry for PACES --

We encourage you to sit PACES with our College. We have a friendly and experienced examinations team who expertly support candidates, and we deliver PACES at centres across the UK. Select RCPE as your College of Entry when applying online through your My MRCP(UK) online account.

Recording date: 1 December 2023

Disclaimer: Please always refer to the MRCP(UK) website for up-to-date information on the PACES exam. See: https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/paces

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Feedback: cme@rcpe.ac.uk

Demystifying PACES - Communication [Stations 1 & 4] (19 Dec 2023)

In this episode of 'Demystifying PACES', Dr Kat Ralston chats to Dr Matt Thomas to draw back the curtain and give you a 'behind the scenes' insight into how the PACES exams are organised. We cover the application process, how patients are selected, who the examiners are, how calibration works and what happens on the exam day and beyond. We include practical tips to help you in your preparation for and experience of MRCP(UK) PACES. 

Dr Matt Thomas has recently taken over as Dean of Examinations at RCPE having nearly 20 years of experience of examining, locally, nationally and internationally. He has previously been Programme Director for Geriatric Training in Wessex and Medical Director for Poole Hospital where he has worked since last century as a Consultant Geriatrician. He enjoys examining and seeing keen clinicians at the start of their specialist career. In his spare time he and his wife keep busy as the Lifeboat Operations Managers for the local RNLI Lifeboat Station.

Dr Kat Ralston is a Geriatric Medicine Registrar and member of the RCPE Trainees and Members’ Committee, currently working in Edinburgh.

-- Link --
https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/paces

-- Choose RCPE as your College of Entry for PACES --
We encourage you to sit PACES with our College. We have a friendly and experienced examinations team who expertly support candidates, and we deliver PACES at centres across the UK. Select RCPE as your College of Entry when applying online through your My MRCP(UK) online account.

Recording date: 9 November 2023

Disclaimer: Please always refer to the MRCP(UK) website for up-to-date information on the PACES exam. See: https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/paces

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Feedback: cme@rcpe.ac.uk

Demystifying PACES - How the exam is organised (15 Dec 2023)

In this episode, Dr Kat Ralston chats with Dr Kathleen White about the PACES neurological examination encounter (Station 3), sharing top tips and common pitfalls. 

They discuss the neurological station in depth, including calibration, skills tested and common conditions encountered. They explore an approach to identifying signs, localising the lesion and navigating presenting the case and examiner questions. 

Dr White is a Consultant Neurologist in NHS Tayside and Honorary Senior Clinical teacher at the University of Dundee. Dr White has been a PACES examiner since 2018. 

Dr Kat Ralston is a Geriatric Medicine Registrar and member of the RCPE Trainees and Members’ Committee, currently working in Edinburgh.

-- Link --
https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/paces

-- Choose RCPE as your College of Entry for PACES --
We encourage you to sit PACES with our College. We have a friendly and experienced examinations team who expertly support candidates, and we deliver PACES at centres across the UK. Select RCPE as your College of Entry when applying online through your My MRCP(UK) online account.

Recording date: 22 December 2023

Disclaimer: Please always refer to the MRCP website for up-to-date information on the PACES exam. See: https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/paces

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Feedback: cme@rcpe.ac.uk

Demystifying PACES - Neurological [Station 3]

Demystifying PACES - Neurological [Station 3] (02 Feb 2024)

In this episode, Dr Marilena Giannoudi interviews Dr Mudher Al-Khairalla about the PACES respiratory system examination encounter (Station 1). Dr Al-Khairalla gives an overview of the encounter including examiner calibration and skills tested, and shares top tips and common pitfalls.

Dr Al-Khairalla is a Consultant & Honorary Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine,
University of Dundee and GIM Clinical Lead at Perth Royal Infirmary, NHS Tayside. Dr Al-Khairalla has been hosting the MRCP UK PACES exam since 2011 and chair of examiners both in the UK and internationally. 

Dr Marilena Giannoudi is a cardiology registrar based in Leeds. She is a member of the Trainees and Members’ Committee, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and is currently undertaking a PhD.

-- Links --
https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/paces
https://ryder-mrcp.org.uk/ - Please note, RCPE does not endorse any external materials

-- Choose RCPE as your College of Entry for PACES --
We encourage you to sit PACES with our College. We have a friendly and experienced examinations team who expertly support candidates, and we deliver PACES at centres across the UK. Select RCPE as your College of Entry when applying online through your My MRCP(UK) online account.

Recording date: 20 December 2023

Disclaimer: Please always refer to the MRCP website for up-to-date information on the PACES exam. See: https://www.mrcpuk.org/mrcpuk-examinations/paces

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Demystifying PACES - Respiratory [Station 1]

Demystifying PACES - Respiratory [Station 1] (31 Jan 2024)

Dr Emma Spencer speaks with Drs Aparna Potluru, Yasmin Nikookam and Olugbenga Alabi about their recent experiences sitting PACES23. They discuss preparing for the exam and provide some advice for exam day and the emotions of results day. 

Dr Olugbenga Alabi is an aspiring Neurologist, currently IMT 2 in Belfast Trust. Hailing from Nigeria, he obtained his medical degree from Olabisi Onabanjo University. He is a Collegiate member of the RCPEdin and a member of RCPE's Trainees & Members' Committee (T&MC).

Dr Aparna Potluru is an IMT1 doctor with an interest in dermatology and a member of RCPE's Trainees & Members' Committee (T&MC). She graduated from the University of Edinburgh then completed Foundation training in Glasgow. She is associate editor at the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dermatology and is currently pursuing a PGCert in Medical Education. 

Dr Yasmin Nikookam is an IMT1 doctor in London interested in pursuing Dermatology and a member of the RCPE’s Trainees and Members’ Committee (T&MC). She graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2021 and intercalated in Barts and London during her medical degree before completing Foundation training in London. She is an associate editor at the Skin Health and Disease Journal and is involved with the British Society of Dermatological Surgery social media team as a digital communications member.

Dr Emma Spencer is an IMT3 doctor in the South East of Scotland and a member of the RCPE's Trainees & Members' Committee (T&MC). 

Recording date: 27 May 2024

Disclaimers: Please always refer to the MRCP website for up-to-date information on the PACES exam. See: https://www.thefederation.uk/examinations/paces.
Please note RCPE has not quality checked external courses or resources and does not endorse any mentioned in this episode.

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Demystifying PACES - Candidate Perspective (17 Jul 2024)

RCPE's Podcast Series 'Career Conversations' by the Trainees & Members' Committee (T&MC).

New tracks tagged #PACES23