Untitled Document

Notes for Mersey Deanery Trainee Anaesthetists

Regarding MSA Courses

ST 1 Trainees
Courses	£ Fee

*Basic Applied Science Integrated Course (BASIC)*	*250*
*Movement of the Critically Compromised (MOCC) Course*	75
*Emergency Anaesthesia Simulated Experience (EASE 1) Course*	*175*
*Mersey Selective Course*	*200*

ST 2 Trainees
Courses	£ Fee

*Primary Prep Course – MCQ*	*250*
*Primary Prep Course – OSCE/Orals*	*350*
*Emergency Anaesthesia Simulated Experience (EASE 2)Course*	*175*

ST 3 Traineess
Classes	£ Fee

*Tuesday Half-Day for (First) Six Months*	*Free*

Alternatives for Second Six Months
*Tuesday Half-Day for Six Months*	*Free*
*Thursday Half-Day for Six Months*	*Free*

ST 4 Trainees
Class & Courses	£ Fee

*Thursday Half-Day for 6 months or through to Examination*	*Free*
*Final FRCA (Booker) Course*	*600*

Notes

The Courses as listed above are those MSA courses which the Mersey Deanery School of Anaesthesia (MDSA) recommends to Clinical Tutors for FRCA Fellowship candidates.

The courses will be attended under the aegis of Study Leave and the Course Fees are thus recoverable through the appropriate Study Leave protocols as pertain in the respective hospital trusts.

The discounted course fees have been ordained by the MDSA and agreed to by the MSA.

While these courses are extant and continue to provide satisfactory examination preparation for Mersey Deanery candidates, MDSA will continue to support them with the concurrent caveat that the candidates will be not granted Study Leave funding to attend alternative examination courses.

Other MSA Fellowship Courses include:-

Primary Viva Weekend Courses

Any Pre-Fellowship Mersey Deanery Trainee (MDT), unless registered for the imminent & related OSCE/Orals Course, is invited to attend this course as a ‘Dilettante’*.

Dilettantes attend Free of Charge but their attendance needs to be in their own time and not as Study Leave.

The course is recommended by the MSA for trainees preparing for the Primary FRCA in some time ahead but is not available to candidates due to attend the imminent OSCE/Orals course.

It is also recommended by the MSA for those preparing for the Final FRCA and who would welcome the opportunity to revise the Basic Sciences.

Primary OSCE Weekend Courses

This course is not recommended for Mersey Deanery trainees as the OSCE exposure is very similar to that obtained on the OSCE/Orals Course.

Final FRCA SAQ Writers Club &Final CARCSI E&SAQ Writers Club

Post-Primary trainees and NCCG anaesthetists may join the appropriate Writers Club but there are no concessions available and they will be expected to apply via the Website, to pay the Club Membership Fee and to adhere to the Club Rule throughout. The advantage of membership is that the members get an intimate experience of and insight into the subtleties of the SAQ or E&SAQ challenge and learn to cope with that challenge in regards to time-keeping and presentation.

Final SAQ Weekend Courses

Any Mersey Deanery anaesthetist on the threshold of sitting the SAQ Paper is invited to attend the associated SAQ Weekend Course.

These courses are Free of Charge to Mersey Deanery trainees but they must attend in their own timeand not as Study Leave.

Further, any who attend the course will be expected to attend the whole of the course, Friday to Sunday, and not as a Dilettante.

NCCG anaesthetists may attend these but, unless they are members of the Writers Club, they will be expected to pay the course fee.

Final MCQ Course (Sunday – Friday)

Mersey Deanery trainees and NCCG anaesthetists preparing for the imminent Final FRCA MCQ paper may attend this course Free of Charge but will need to sort out the matter of leave with their respective departments.

However, the Final MCQ Course papers are always available to Final FRCA candidates for study at any time (Evenings & Weekends), the only conditions being that they study in a group of at least three and that they give DG at least 24 hours notice as to when they want to meet (at Aintree) and what particular papers they want to study.

Final Viva Weekend Courses

Any Mersey Deanery anaesthetist who has passed the MCQ/SAQ papers and is preparing for the SOEs is invited to attend this course as a Dilettante*.

However, recently one or two Mersey Deanery trainees have preferred to pay the Full Course Fee (£250) rather than be a Dilettante.

Any Mersey Deanery anaesthetist preferring to attend the course as a substantive candidate rather than as a Dilettante is advised to make the application as per normal via the Application Form downloaded from the Website.

* Dilettantes attend Free of Charge but their attendance needs to be in their own time and notas Study Leave.

Further they are not required to attend the course from start to close but will be expected to attend throughout any or all of the three days, Friday pm, all day Saturday and all day Sunday.

In other words, their commitment per day is expected and appreciated.

These courses are structured to accommodate an even multiple of three candidates and the Dilettantes are used to complete the numbers as necessary for each of the rounds.

If not included in any particular round, the Dilettantes have the opportunity to study that round’s Course Fodder, to play ‘viva’ games with them and to benefit from the revision they afford.

The Dilettantes share participation in the course proper with each other such that every Dilettante gets some exposure to the stress & strain of viva practice under examination conditions.

To date, the Dilettantes have been well-pleased with the arrangement.

Any Mersey Deanery who would prefer to be a full-time, substantive player on the course and who does not wish to risk missing out on a round or two, is welcome to apply for the course via the Website Application Form and to submit the full Course Fee (£250) accordingly.

However, attendance at the course will not be considered as being under the aegis of Study Leave and there will be no reimbursement of the Course Fee.

For further Information & generic Application Form:- www.msoa.org.uk

Advice of MSA Director

Primary candidates should discuss all options regarding the BASIC, MOCC and EASE courses with their College Tutor.
Primary candidates should attend the Mersey Selective Course at least three months before sitting the MCQ paper.
Primary candidates should attend the Primary MCQ Course only when they have committed themselves to the Examination and they should attend the course as near to the exam as possible.
Primary candidate, having been successful in the MCQ, should decide which OSCE/Orals Course they want to attend and apply accordingly as early as possible. Places are limited on this course and, with the two examinations having been rendered as ‘stand alone’ courses, it is no longer possible to ‘reserve’ places for Mersey Deanery applicants.
Final candidates should discuss attendance at the Tuesday and Thursday classes with their College Tutor.
Final candidates should attend the Final (Booker) Course which is staged before the SAQ/MCQ papers which they intend to sit. They should apply for the course as soon as they have decided when they are going to sit the exam. Places are limited, the course is always heavily over-subscribed and, as much as we might want to, we cannot accommodate late applicants from Mersey Deanery candidates.
Final candidates are strongly urged to attend the Final MCQ Course if they can engineer the time off work. There is no Course Fee for such candidates. Failing that, Final FRCA candidates are always welcome to go through the MCQ papers in their spare time albeit by arrangement with me.
Final candidates are strongly urged to make a point of attending the Final Viva Weekend Course (as Dilettantes)as this course has proved to be of immeasurable value to those who have gone before.

Last Word:

You should not think of sitting either the Primary or Final Examination until you feel that you deserve to pass. You must not go into these exams simply hoping luck will be on your side and that thus you might pass. The chances are that you would be wrong.