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RCSI MEMBERSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP .................................................................... 3

MRCS EXAM STRUCTURE ......................................................................................... 4

MRCS EXAM VENUES ................................................................................................. 6

MRCS PART A EXAM DATES 2016 ............................................................................. 7

MRCS PART B (OSCE) EXAM DATES 2016 ............................................................... 8

MRCS PART B (OSCE) PREPARATION COURSE ..................................................... 9

MRCS ENT - DOHNS EXAM ........................................................................................ 10

FRCS EXAM ................................................................................................................. 12

CONTACT INFORMATION ........................................................................................... 13

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Dear Colleague,

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

(RCSI) is one of Ireland’s longest established

and most respected academic institutions.

For more than two centuries, the College has

provided education and training of the

highest calibre to students and healthcare

professionals from Ireland and more than 78

other countries.

The opportunity to become a Fellow or

Member of RCSI is a privilege that is only

earned through hard work and an absolute

dedication to excellence. The hard work and

dedication doesn’t stop the day a surgeon

qualifies. In fact, qualifying as a surgeon is

the start of a lifelong journey of learning and

professional development.

Membership of the Royal College of

Surgeons in Ireland (MRCSI) is awarded on

successful completion of the Intercollegiate

MRCS examination. Fellowship of the Royal

College of Surgeons in Ireland (FRCSI) is

normally awarded on successful completion

of the Intercollegiate FRCS examination.

The MRCSI and FRCSI are prestigious

internationally recognised quality standards.

Holding one of these qualifications

demonstrates to colleagues, peers, and

employers a doctor’s knowledge and clinical

skills and commitment to his or her practice.

Fellows and Members of the College

receive preferential access to College events,

facilities, and resources; complimentary

surgical journals and other publications; and

a suite of other professional and personal

benefits.

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President, RCSI

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RCSI has offered the intercollegiate

Membership of the Royal College of

Surgeons (MRCS) since 2002.

As many aspects of the different

surgical specialties require the same

core areas of applied basic knowledge

and skills, a central aim of the MRCS

exam is to assess trainee surgeons

in the breadth of both basic sciences

and the principles of surgery.

This examination is an intercollegiate

one. Hence, the examination syllabus,

format and content are common to all

surgical Royal Colleges in the UK and

Ireland.

The MRCS is fully recognised by

both the Irish Medical Council and the

General Medical Council (UK).

Surgical trainees in Ireland are

required to successfully pass all

stages of the examination before

being awarded a Certificate of

Completion of Core Surgical Training.

Doctors from outside the EU can

apply for registration to practice in

Ireland if they are MRCS holders.

The MRCS is structured in two

parts: MRCS Part A and MRCS Part

B. Candidates must pass Part A

before applying to sit Part B.

For more details about the MRCS

exam regulations, please visit

www.intercollegiatemrcsexams.org.

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MRCS PART A MRCS PART B

This four-hour MCQ examination

consists of two papers, each of two

hours duration, taken on the same

day.

The papers cover generic surgical

sciences and applied knowledge,

including the core knowledge

required in all surgical specialties as

follows:

Paper 1. Applied Basic Sciences

MCQ paper, comprising Single

Best Answer Questions.

Paper 2. Principles of Surgery in

General MCQ paper, comprising

Extended Matching Questions.

Candidates may attempt to pass

Part A of the MRCS examination six

times.

The OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) consists

of 18 examined stations, each of nine minutes’ duration. These

stations examine the following broad content areas:

Applied Knowledge - consisting of anatomy, surgical pathology,

applied surgical science and critical care

Applied Skills - consisting of communication skills in giving and

receiving information, history taking and clinical & procedural

skills

In addition, the candidate’s knowledge, skills, competencies and

professional characteristics are assessed across the OSCE

stations as follows:

1. Clinical knowledge and its application;

2. Clinical and technical skill;

3. Communication;

4. Professionalism.

Candidates may attempt to pass Part B of the MRCS examination

four times.

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Exam Date of Exam Closing date Fee

MRCS Part A

Dublin, Belfast,

Dammam, Amman,

Bahrain, Penang,

and Perdana

12 January 2016 30 October 2015 €650 in Dublin

and Belfast

€675 in

Dammam,

Amman, Bahrain,

Penang, and

Perdana

19 April 2016 12 February 2016

6 September 2016 17 June 2016

The MRCS Part A is held three times per year in January, April, and September. RCSI

currently offers this exam in seven venues: Dublin, Belfast, Dammam, Amman,

Bahrain, Penang, and Perdana.

You can apply for the MRCS Part A at postgradexams.rcsi.ie

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We are happy to announce that we have partnered with

PasTest, one of the leading providers of revision resources for

the MRCS exams. All candidates sitting MRCS Part A with

RCSI in September 2016 will be entitled to a 25% discount off their online

subscription which provides access to over 4,300 practice questions, helpful media

resources and a free mobile app. For more information contact pgexams@rcsi.ie

Exam Date of Exam Closing date Fee

MRCS Part B (OSCE)

Dublin 16-17 February 2016 27 November 2015 €1,195

MRCS Part B (OSCE)

Dublin 10-11 May 2016 4 March 2016 €1,195

MRCS Part B (OSCE)

Dublin 11-13 October 2016 22 July 2016 €1,195

MRCS Part B (OSCE)

Amman TBC TBC €1,250

MRCS Part B (OSCE)

Bahrain 10-12 March 2016 24 January 2016 €1,250

MRCS Part B (OSCE)

Bahrain 10-12 November 2016 11 September 2016 €1,250

MRCS Part B (OSCE)

Penang 30 January 2016 6 December 2015 €1,250

MRCS Part B (OSCE)

Penang 20 August 2016 26 June 2016 €1,250

The MRCS Part B (OSCE) is held

three times per year in February,

May, and October in Dublin.

Additionally, RCSI holds the exam

in Jordan, Bahrain, and Penang on

different dates each year.

You can apply for the MRCS Part B

(OSCE) at postgradexams.rcsi.ie

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Due to the limited number of

attempts for MRCS Part B it is crucial

that candidates sit the exam only after

undertaking intense preparation. To

that end, RCSI offers an intensive

course designed to prepare surgical

trainees for this exam.

The MRCS Part B (OSCE) Prep

course is a two-day course led by

Prof Peter Gillen, Consultant

Surgeon, Dean of Undergraduate

Studies in RCSI, and MRCS

Examiner. Experienced MRCS

Examiners from Ireland support Prof

Gillen in the delivery of this course.

The course covers the core content

of the exam and is designed to assist

the candidates in their exam

preparation and to improve their

examination technique.

The course has mock OSCE’s,

interactive workshops, and group

discussions in the areas of: Applied

Surgery / Critical Care, Clinical /

Procedural Skills, Anatomy / Surgical

Pathology, and Communications.

The MRCS Part B (OSCE) Exam

preparation course is held twice a

year in Ireland and annually in

overseas centres approximately one

month before the siting of the exam.

Early applications are advised as this

is a highly sought-after course.

Apply now at postgradexams.rcsi.ie

For more information contact us at

pgexams@rcsi.ie

“Excellent course”

“The anatomy

demonstrations were

excellent”

“Incredibly helpful”

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The purpose of the Diploma of

Otolaryngology Head and Neck

Surgery (DOHNS) is to test the

breadth of knowledge, the clinical and

communication skills, and the

professional attributes considered

appropriate by the College for a

doctor intending to undertake practice

within an Otolaryngology department

in a non-consultant career grade or

trainee position.

It is also intended to assess those

who wish to practise within another

medical specialty, but who have an

interest in how that specialty interacts

with the field of otolaryngology.

The DOHNS is an intercollegiate

exam structured in two Parts:

DOHNS Part 1 and DOHNS Part 2

(OSCE).

DOHNS Part 1 is a written exam

which assesses candidates’

knowledge of surgery and applied

basic sciences in a multi-choice

format.

DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) consists of up

to 28 Active Stations. This includes

approximately five stations designed

to assess clinical skills, clinical

examination, clinical history-taking

and communication skills. There are a

further approximately 23 stations

where candidates are presented with

questions to be answered on a written

question/answer sheet.

Candidates who successfully

complete both parts of the

examination will be

awarded a Diploma of

Membership in

Otolaryngology Head

and Neck Surgery.

Alternatively, candidates

may wish to undertake the

MRCS Part A examination

and then take the DOHNS

Part 2 OSCE. If successful, such

candidates will receive the award of

MRCS (ENT).

For further details on the exam

syllabus and regulations please check

http://

www.intercollegiatemrcs.org.uk/

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Exam Date of Exam Closing date Fee

DOHNS Part 1 RCSI, Dublin 11 January 2016 6 November 2015 €575

DOHNS Part 1 RCSI, Dublin 18 April 2016 12 February 2016 €575

DOHNS Part 1 RCSI, Dublin 5 September 2016 17 June 2016 €575

DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) RCSI, Dublin 09-11 February 2016 11 December 2015 €1,150

DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) RCPS, Glasgow 24-26 May 2016 5 March 2016 €1,150

DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) RCS, England 18-20 October 2016 29 July 2016 €1,150

DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) for award of MRCS ENT

RCSI, Dublin 09-11 February 2016 11 December 2015 €1,150

DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) for award of MRCS ENT

RCPS, Glasgow 24-26 May 2016 5 March 2016 €1,150

DOHNS Part 2 (OSCE) for award of MRCS ENT

RCS, England 18-20 October 2016 29 July 2016 €1,150

You can apply for the DOHNS Part 1 and Part 2 (OSCE) at postgradexams.rcsi.ie

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The Fellowship of the Royal College of

Surgeons (FRCS) is an intercollegiate exam

usually taken by specialist trainees in their fourth

year of higher training. The exam is a

requirement for Specialist Registration with the

Irish Medical Council and General Medical

Council.

The FRCS is structured in two sections:

Section 1 is a written test and Section 2 is the

clinical component. The structure for both

sections varies among the different surgical

specialties.

Surgeons who wish to pursue this internationally

recognised quality standard currently have two

available routes: through the Joint Committee

on Intercollegiate Examinations (JCIE) or

through the Joint Surgical Colleges Fellowship

Examination (JSCFE).

JCIE offers both sections of the FRCS exam

annually in rotating locations in the UK and

Ireland. For further information about dates,

syllabus, and applications please visit

www.jcie.org.uk

JSCFE offers the Intercollegiate Fellowship

Examinations for the international surgical

community. This examination has parity of

standard with the one offered by JCIE and it has

therefore the same international reputation and

value. It is aimed at those in the international

community who are about to, or who have

recently completed their training.

JSCFE holds Section 1 simultaneously in

Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, Hong Kong, India,

Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi

Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, and the UAE.

Section 2 is held in rotating international

locations. For further information about dates,

syllabus, and applications please visit

www.jscfe.co.uk

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The holding of each exam will be

contingent on viable candidate

numbers.

The dates on this guide are subject to

both change and cancellation - RCSI

cannot be held liable for any loss

incurred by candidates due to

necessary timetable changes.

To review the examination regulations

and eligibility criteria visit www.rcsi.ie/

professional_exams

Applications should arrive no later

than closing date stated.

Candidates are advised to make early

applications as receipt of application

before the last date of entry does not

guarantee a place on the examination.

Candidates are advised to make

arrangements for visas (if

appropriate) before closing date for

entry to examination. RCSI cannot

become involved during any stage of a

visa application.

If candidates require any assistance

with their travel arrangements to attend

any of the examinations, they can

contact RCSI Travel at travel@rcsi.ie

Please note that Diploma or

conferring fees may apply for

particular exams - this information is

available upon request.

For any queries, email the

Postgraduate Exams Office at

pgexams@rcsi.ie or phone

00 353 (0)1 402 2222.

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