MRCPath Part2

I have been asked to talk about preparation for the Journal Evaulation section.

Here are my thoughts:

Day 1 (am):

• Essay Questions
• Short Notes Questions
• TOTAL TIME: 3hrs

Day 1 (pm):

• Short Answer Questions (Clinical Cases)
• Journal Evaluation
• TOTAL TIME: 3hrs

Day 2:

• Day 1 Practical

Day 3:

Having passed the FRCPath in Medical Microbiology and Virology recently, I thought it would be useful to share my 10 step plan to exam success.

• Some strains of Staphylococcus intermedius are DNase-positive.
• Some strains of MRSA are DNase-negative.
• The subspecies of Staphylococci schleiferi are DNase positive and produce heat stable nucleases.
• Some coagulase-negative staphylococci such as Staphylococcus epidermis give weak reactions.
• This test should always be used in conjunction with another test for confirmation of identification of Staphylococcal isolates.
• Also Serratia marcesens, Moraxella spp.

AMH.

These are¹:

The Mazzotti reaction, first described in 1948, is a symptom complex seen in patients after undergoing treatment of onchocerciasis with the medication diethylcarbamazine (DEC). Mazzotti  reactions can be life-threatening and are characterized by fever, urticaria, swollen and tender lymph nodes, tachycardia, hypotension, arthralgias, oedema, and abdominal pain that occur within seven days of treatment of microfilariasis. The phenomenon is so common when DEC is used for the treatment of onchocerciasis that this drug is the basis of a skin patch test used to confirm that diagnosis.