Read this blog for more information about the MRCOG Part 3 exam format.
The MRCOG Part 3 examination is a clinical evaluation of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and competencies. Passing the MRCOG Part 3 exam results in membership in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (MRCOG), and it is still the primary waypoint for UK trainees to progress from core training to higher training (ST6 and ST7).
Examination format
The MRCOG Part 3 Clinical Assessment is made up of 14 tasks in a circuit, each of which is based on one of the 14 modules outlined in the syllabus. Each of the MRCOG Part 3 modules is evaluated in terms of five domains:
- Patient safety
- Communication with patients and their relatives
- Communication with colleagues
- Information gathering
- Applied clinical knowledge
The 14 tasks will assess between three and four domains reflecting everyday clinical practice, where communicating with patients is inextricably linked with applied clinical knowledge, or communicating with colleagues involves patient safety. These tasks require 12 minutes to complete, including two minutes of preliminary reading.
Assessment
Tasks included
All 14 tasks will be conducted by a Clinical Examiner. The Lay Examiner will participate in four of the 14 tasks, assessing communication, patient safety, and information gathering from the perspective of the patient.
The MRCOG Part 3 has two types of tasks:
- Simulated patient/colleague tasks – It requires the candidate to interact with an actor who has been fully briefed and trained in the role she/he is to play. The actor will be familiar with all of the pertinent details of the case and will have some scripted questions to prompt if necessary.
- Structured discussion tasks- This requires the candidate to interact with a clinical examiner directly. The examiner will be given detailed instructions for the task as well as a list of questions to use to prompt the candidate or to move the task forward to ensure that the candidate does not run out of time.
In order to assess clinical knowledge in more depth, a circuit may contain ‘linked tasks’, in which the first task is connected to the second. Candidate performance will be based on the knowledge gained during the first task. It may also be necessary for candidates to complete a writing task.
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