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Dr Podcast Scripts for the Final FRCA Article in Anaesthesia · June 2012 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2012.07084.x
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2 authors: Kariem El-Boghdadly
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Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto
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Available from: Kariem El-Boghdadly Retrieved on: 10 October 2016
Anaesthesia 2012, 67, 691–693
a review of applicable basic sciences and a synopsis of current reports and guidelines. An appendix lists the Primary and Final syllabus and examination regulations. Clinical Notes for the FRCA stands out from its contemporaries on the basis of its scope and succinctness; it covers the majority of the Final FRCA syllabus but is still easily portable. With its focus on clinical anaesthesia, it will be most useful to those studying for the Final FRCA. Its layout is clear and engaging, with the body of text broken up by headings, diagrams, tables and boxes. The grey boxes found throughout the text, highlighting current guidelines and key reports, are a particularly helpful revision aid. Each chapter section concludes with a list of key references to relevant papers and core texts. It is difficult to mention any weaknesses in this book. As with any that aims to cover current topics, Clinical Notes for the FRCA will require further updating. For example, due to its publication date the March 2011 CMACE report has not been included. I found the appendix detailing the syllabus an unnecessary addition; however, some may find it useful to help structure their revision. The book’s brevity may be viewed by some as a flaw, but I found it an advantage: the author highlights the areas that need to be covered providing readers with both a structure for their revision and sufficient information about a vast array of subjects, then directs further reading around the topic. I have found Clinical Notes for the FRCA to be an excellent resource for both assisting my revision and highlighting gaps in my knowledge. 692
Book Reviews
Some colleagues have used it to help direct their revision by annotating it to create their own notes, whilst others have used it further on in their studies to ensure that they have covered all of the key topics. Either way, it has proved extremely useful in the daunting task of revising for the Final FRCA examination, and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone in a similar position. R. Monteiro ST3 Specialist Registrar Eastbourne District General Hospital Eastbourne, UK Email:
[email protected] doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2012.07099.x
Dr Podcast Scripts for the Final FRCA R. A. Leslie, E. K. Johnson, G. Thomas, A. P. L. Goodwin (eds). Cambridge University Press, 2011, ISBN 978-1-107-40100-6, 498 pp., Price £37.00
Dr Podcast Scripts for the Final FRCA is a useful companion to the Dr Podcast Final FRCA audio material. The book is written by a collection of anaesthetists who have recently sat the Final FRCA examination and it has been extensively reviewed by a panel of consultants. The text is presented as a dialogue between examiner and candidate, as one would expect from a Structured Oral Examination (SOE). It covers a wide range of topics spanning the Final FRCA syllabus in four broad sections: medicine; surgery; emergency medicine and intensive care; and anatomy, regional anaesthesia and pain. The book can be used in conjunction with the audio podcasts or as a stand-alone revision textbook.
The subjects are discussed in a detailed, comprehensive manner that at times may be extensive, but allows readers to excel and recognise the point at which they are performing particularly well. It is well-tailored to the Final SOE, but is also useful for the written section of the examination. In particular, the anatomy, regional anaesthesia and pain sections are concise and well written. Furthermore, there is excellent use of references with relevant literature allowing candidates to expand further on their knowledge. There are some errors within the text, as well as conflicting information at times, probably representing the disparity within the literature. Visual aids with more diagrams would further complement the text. Additionally, certain core topics are absent, such as management of fractured neck of femur, a favourite of both short answer questions and SOEs. Whilst the primary syllabus may remain timeless, the content of the Final FRCA examination is increasingly topical; therefore this book must be supplemented with more up-todate knowledge of recent guidelines and publications. Nevertheless, Dr Podcast Scripts for the Final FRCA fills a gap in the market for a muchneeded general revision textbook for the Final FRCA examination. K. El-Boghdadly D. N. Onwochei ST3s in Anaesthesia South East School of Anaesthesia London Deanery London, UK Email:
[email protected] doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2012.07084.x
Anaesthesia ª 2012 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland
