RESIDENTS SECTION

A GUIDE TO THE FRCR

Nadir Khan, Fahd Haroon
De part m e ntofRadiol ogy, Aga K h an Univ e rs it y H os pit al , K arach i, Pak is t an
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Th e Fe l l ow s h ip of t h e Royal Col l e ge of Radiol ogis t (FRCR) can be ach ie v e d by giving t he f el l ow s h ip e xam inat ion. I t cons is t s of t w o part s FRCR part 1 and 2. FRCR part2 is f urt h e r div ide d int o A and B. FRCR Part1: Th e f irs tFRCR e xam inat ion cons is t s oft w o m odul e s, ph ys ics and anat om y. One m odul e can be giv e n at one t im e or bot h can be giv ent oge t her .I fa candidat e is de cl are d s ucce s s f ul in one oft he t w o m odul e s,t h en onl yt h e re m aining one ne e d t o be giv e n again. Th e ph ys ics s yl l abus incl ude s al l m odal it ie s . Re ce nt l y, M RI and Ul t ras ound h av e al s o be e n incl ude d. Th e prim ary book f or ph ys ics pre parat ion is Ph ys ics f or M e dical I m aging by R.F Farr com m onl y k now n as F ARR. I t is v e ry concis e and s om e t im e s dif f icul tt o unde rs t and. O t h e r book s can be us e d f or be t t er unde rs t anding and conce pt buil ding s uch as is Ch ris t e ns e n's Ph ys ics of Diagnos t ic Radiol ogy by Th om as S. Curry and R adiol ogic S cie nce f or Te ch nol ogis t s by St e w art C. Bus h ong. M any s ingl e be s tans w e rs (SBA) book s are av ail abl e as w e l l f re e M CQs on t h e int e rne tin dif f e re ntw e bs it es. Anat om y pre parat ion incl ude s al l st ruct ure s of t he body s uch as organs , m us cl es,l igam e nt s, t e ndons , v essel s and ne rv e s.I m age s f rom m odal it ie s s uch as pl ain f il m , ul t ras ound, angiograph y, CT and M RI w il l be s h ow n. Norm al v ariant s are al s o as k e d in t h e e xam . You al s o ne e d t o k now de t ail s ofs t ruct ure s pas s ing t h rough a f oram e n or groov e . Th e be s t book f or anat om y pre parat ion is Abrah am s at l as . Th e im age s of Ryans anat om y are al so h e l pf ul . Good re ading m at e rial is pre s e ntin Ryan as w e l l . Th e v e nue s f or t h e ph ys ics m odul e are Birm ingh am ,
Corre s ponde nce : Dr . Nadir K h an De part m e ntofRadiol ogy, Aga K h an Univ e rs it y H os pit al , St adium Road, P .O. Box 3500, K arach i 74800 Pak is t an. T el . No: 349 30051 - Ext . 2020 Em ail : k h anadir@ m s n.com

Bris t ol , Edinburgh , L ondon, Manch e s t er , Dubl in, H ong Kong and Singapore . Th e v e nue s f or t h e anat om y m odul e are L ondon, H ong Kong, Singapore . Th e e xam t ak e s pl ace t h re e t im e s a ye ar in s pring, s um m e r and aut um n. Th e ph ys ics pape r is s ingl e be s t ans w e r (SBA) f orm atw it h no ne gat iv e m ark ing. Anat om y e xam w il l be conduct e d on a com put er . 20 im age s w il l be s h ow n w it h f iv e m ark ings on e ach im age . FRCR Part2A: Th e F RCR part2A can onl y be at t e m pt e d af t e r cl e aring t h e part1. Th e re are s ix f ol l ow ing m odul es;
M odul e 1 Cardiot h oracic and V as cul ar M odul e 2 M us cul os k e l et al and Traum a M odul e 3 Gas t roint est inal (incl uding l iv e r, s pl e e n, pancre as ) M odul e 4 Ge nit ourinary, Adre nal , Obs t et rics and Gynae col ogy and Bre as t Ce nt ral Ne rv ous and H e ad and Ne ck (incl uding s pine , e ye s , ENT, s al iv ary gl ands and de nt al )

ric M odul e 5 Pe diat M odul e 6

Each m odul e cons is t s of75 SBA q ue s t ions . Th e re is no ph ys ics , h ow e v e r att h is t im e t h e re m ay be anat om y q ue s t ions as no of f icial e xe m pt ion h as be e n re port ed by t h e Royal Col l e ge ofRadiol ogis t s (RCR). Th e s ix m odul e s can be giv e n s e parat el y or al l atonce . Th e y are h e l dt wo t im e s a ye ar in Spring and Aut um n. Th e y can be give n in Birm ingh am , Bris t ol , Edinburgh , L ondon, M anch e s t er , H ong Kong and Singapore . Th e re com m e nde d book s f or part2A are Radiol ogy Re v ie w M anual by W ol f gang F . Dh ne rt . H ow e v e r, re ce nt l y s ince t h e e xam h as be com e m ore cl inical and ne e ds l e s s de t ail s as in t h e ol df orm atofFRCR part 2A, t e xt book s s uch as Grainge r & Al l is on's Diagnos t ic Radiol ogy and T e xt book ofRadiol ogy and I m aging by Dav id Sut t on w il l al s o s uf f ice .

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FRCR Part2B: Once you h av e pas s e d al l t h e m odul e s ofFRCR part 2A and h av e t h re e ye ars ofradiol ogy t raining t h e n you w il lbe pe rm it t ed t o s it in t he f inalFRCR part 2B e xam inat ion. Th e FRCR part 2B cons is t s of t h re e com pone nt s ;a re port ing s e s s ion, a rapid re port ing s e s s ion and oral e xam inat ion. FRCR part2B l ik e t h e part2A is al soh el dt w ice a ye ar in s pring and aut um n abouta m ont h af t e rt h e part2A. I f one h as probl e m s ge t t ing v is a or f l ying t ot h e UK anot h e r opt ion is t o s it in t h e e xam in H ong Kong in a Joint Final FRCR/ FH K CR Part B Exam inat ion f or t h e Fe l l ow s h ip of t h e Royal Col l e ge of Radiol ogis t s and H ong Kong Col l e ge ofRadiol ogis t s.I tt ak e s pl ace in Aut um n and t h e de t ail s can be f ound outf rom t he RCR w e bs it e. Al t h ough FRCR part2B is t he l as t s t e p of t h e e xam it ne e d a l ot of pl anning, f inancial s upport and h ard w ork . Th e v iv a is dif f e re nt f rom t h e radiol ogy board e xam s in As ia. Now f il m s are re ad in t h e e xam on digit al f l ats cre e ns . Th e s t yl e and f ocus is al s o dif f e re nt e m ph as iz ing on norm al and abnorm al radiograph s . Dif f e re nt ial diagnos is s h oul d be on t he f inge r t ips . Th e e xam m ainl yf ocus e s on radiograph s , f ol l ow e d by f l uoros copy and ifyou m anage t o s urv iv e t h e se ,t hen you w il l f ace MRI and CT . Re com m e nde d book s f or t h e part 2B incl ude t h os e t h at h av e dif f e re nt ialdiagnos is s uch as Aids t o Radiol ogicalDif f e re nt ialDiagnos is by S t e ph e n Ch apm an. Ev e n be t t e r are t h os e w it h r adiol ogy im age s s uch as Cl inicalIm aging: An At l as of Dif f e re nt ial Diagnos is by Ronal dL . Eis e nbe rg, Duk e Radiol ogy Cas e Re v ie w and Aunt M innie 's At l as and I m agingSpe cif ic Diagnos is by Th om as L . Pope . As t h e e xam is v e ry dif f e re nt it is m os t im port ant t o ge tacq uaint e d w it h t h e e xam . Th e re are m any ce nt e rs in UK t h at prov ide cours e s on FRCR 2B. Th e y are us ual l yhel d 1-2 m ont h s be f ore t h e e xam . H ow e v er due t ot h e h igh num be rs ofcandidat e s appe aring in t h e e xam and f e w s e at s m os toft h e s e cours e s f il l up q uick l y, s om e a ye arbe f ore . Anot h e ropt ion are cours e s in Dubai w h ich are e as ie r t o re ach . You w il l be abl e t o e as il y s e arch f or t hem t h rough s e arch e ngine s . O nce you h av e de cide d t o giv e t h e e xam and are re ady t o s e nd t he f orm re m e m be r t o s e nd itas e arl y
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as pos s ibl e as m any pe opl e appl y and t h e e xam ge t f ul l q uick l y. Th e f orm s are acce pt e d on f irs tcom e bas is w it h priorit yt ot h e UK bas e d re s ide nt s. W e h ope t h at t h is giv e s you a s uf f icie nt pe rs pe ct iv e f or t h e e xam . Good l uck . Som e im port antw e bs it es f or t h e FRCR are ; w w w .rcr .ac.uk w w w .t h e s rt .org.uk

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