Membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (MRCS) is a postgraduate diploma for surgeons in the UK and Ireland. Obtaining this qualification allows a doctor to become a member of one of the four surgical colleges in the UK and Ireland, namely the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The examinations are currently organised on an intercollegiate basis. Thus today's MRCS has replaced the former MRCS(Eng), MRCS(E), MRCS(G), and MRCS(I). (Similarly, the MRCP is also now intercollegiate.)
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Qualification
The MRCS qualification consists of a multi-part examination including both theory and practical assessments. Part A is a 4-hour written examination which assesses the applied basic sciences and principles of surgery in general using multiple-choice Single Best Answer and Extended Matching Questions. It has a pass rate of around 30 per cent. Part B is a 4-hour practical examination which assesses elements of day-to-day surgical practice through a series of stations on anatomy, pathology, critical care, clinical procedures and patient evaluation (history taking, clinical examination and communication skills). It has a pass rate of around 50 per cent. Current curricula has changed to introduce the completion of both exams as a mandatory requirement to complete core surgical training prior to application to higher surgical training (ST3) in the UK. Trainees often require multiple attempts at the examination in order to pass.
History
Each college used to hold examinations independently, which is why the post-nominal MRCS used to indicate MRCS(Eng) specifically. After decades of discussion of possible intercollegiate MRCS and FRCS, they were implemented in the 21st century, at first by unifying the syllabus of the separate qualifications of MRCS(Eng), MRCS(G), MRCS(E), and MRCS(I). In January 2004, the four colleges switched over to a common examination, known as the Intercollegiate MRCS.
Examination preparation
A large and varied collection of commercial revision resources are available which can improve a candidate's chances of success. These resources include courses, books, online question banks and mobile applications.