The results of both Part A and Part B of the Intercollegiate MRCS examination have now been published. The four Surgical Royal Colleges of the United Kingdom and in Ireland, and the Intercollegiate Committee for Basic Surgical Examinations (ICBSE), hope that the following information is helpful to recent and prospective examination candidates.
We wish to emphasise that we understand how difficult and challenging the pandemic has made preparing for and sitting these high-stakes examinations, particularly as day-to-day surgical practice, which is integral to preparation, has been so disrupted for surgical trainees. The pandemic caused all postgraduate medical examinations to be postponed earlier in the year, clearly disrupting candidates hoping to take exams, and worrying for those whose career progression relied on examination success.
The Colleges and ICBSE are aware of the profound difficulties the pandemic is causing trainees, particularly those preparing for vital, high-stakes examinations. It is evident that the current candidate cohort have made considerable efforts to prepare for and sit examinations and, having achieved the highest pass rates ever recorded in both MRCS Parts A and B, deserve praise for all their efforts.
Read the full statement here.