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MRCPath Examinations in Haematology

Proposed changes to the MRCPath examinations with an implementation date of

autumn 2005 were approved in principle by College Council in January 2005.

The College has subsequently decided that implementation will be delayed to 2006 toallow the development of infrastructure within the Examinations Department to

support these changes and changes to the examinations in other specialties within the

College.

Part 1 Examination

A written assessment of knowledge and clinical and laboratory judgement that will

comprise two 3 hour papers. Candidates will be eligible to sit Part 1 after 18 months

recognised specialty training.

Paper 1: four compulsory essays covering transfusion, coagulation, laboratory/general

haematology and haematological oncology. These essays will explore a candidates

ability to relate theory to clinical and laboratory practise and to critically evaluate

diagnostic or therapeutic options in the context of clinical examples.

Paper 2: 125-150 MCQs comprising a mixture of best from five (BFF) format

questions and extended matching questions (EMQ). Both formats will be based on

clinical vignettes where candidates will be required to choose the most appropriate or

likely option from a list of five in the BFF format and from a list of 20 in the EMQ

option.

Examples of each MCQ format will be available on the College website in June 2005.

Part 2 Examination

This examination will be the core assessment of clinical and laboratory skills and may

be taken 12 months after successful completion of the Part 1 examination.

The new Part 2 examination will consist of three papers, each of which will be a half-

day examination:

an assessment of morphological skills and clinical judgement inclinical cases covering general and oncological haematology

an assessment of data interpretation and clinical judgement inhaemostasis & thrombosis

an assessment of data interpretation and clinical judgement in bloodtransfusion

It has been proposed that candidates may, if they wish, sit this examination in two

separate modules: morphology paper plus a viva on morphology, general

haematology and haematological oncology; coagulation paper and transfusion plusvivas on coagulation and transfusion.

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This examination will continue to be held simultaneously at a number of UK centres.

A proposal that all candidates would be examined at a single large centre has been

examined but is not feasible due to the infrastructure required to support the

morphology paper. However the marking process will be centralised (from spring

2005) and in the new examination, the orals will take a more structured format.

Trainees who have passed the existing Part 1 written and practical examination by

autumn 2005 will continue to sit the existing Part 2 oral examination to obtain

MRCPath. This oral examination will continue to take place biannually until all such

trainees have passed. Trainees who have passed only the written papers of the

existing Part 1 at the time of implementation of the new examination will be required

to sit the new Part 2 examination after an interval appropriate to their duration of

training.

Further information will be contained in the 2006 Examination Regulations and

Guidelines which will be available (on the website or from the ExaminationsDepartment) in September 2005.

Charles Singer

9 March 2005