24 November 2010
Junior doctors from across the country faced one of the hardest exams of their career at an assessment held at Epsom Hospital recently.
The Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) exam, which is usually taken by junior doctors in their second foundation year, is one of the Royal College's (the professional body that represents more than 25,000 doctors in Britain) most renowned examinations.
One of the Trust's consultants for general and emergency medicine, Dr Mashkur Khan, was the chief examiner during the event. He said: "We were honoured to be able the host the MRCP exams, and feel very proud that Epsom Hospital was chosen as an examination site.
"Hosting the exam here is not only good news for the trainee doctors, but also for local residents and the Trust, as we can make sure we have some of the very best doctors working for us.
"This examination is very difficult and requires serious commitment from those who undertake it. It is an extremely important exam for junior doctors, and is an essential step along the way for the consultants of the future.”
More than 30 doctors from across the UK and overseas took the exam, which is comprised of both a written and practical assessment. For the practical aspects, 55 real patients from the hospital – all of whom have complex medical histories and conditions – volunteered their time to be examined by the candidates, who were then assessed on their medical and clinical knowledge.
Dr Khan added: "We would like to thank the staff, patients and volunteers who have worked tirelessly over the past few months to make this examination a success. The patients who volunteered their time to come back into the hospital were absolutely fantastic during the exam, and we owe them a huge thank you."
The examiners also extended a special thanks to Aramark catering services for kindly providing the breakfast and refreshments, and to G4S Patient Transport, for their help in ensuring that the patients were collected from their homes and delivered to the exam on time.
Dr Khan added: "The MRCP is an examination of international reputation, recognised all over the world and allows trainees to progress to being a consultant. It maintains a very high standard and we are privileged to be part of this."
