How to choose finals revision courses
BMJ 2008; 336 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.0803115 (Published 01 March 2008) Cite this as: BMJ 2008;336:0803115- Carol Kan, F21,
- Suresh Krishnan, F12
- 1North West Foundation Programme
- 2South East Foundation Programme
It's that time of year again when all the final years start what seems like their never ending revision for the dreaded MB BS (bachelor of medicine and surgery) finals. The good thing is that most people pass and become doctors. But how do you survive the period ahead?
One puzzle is how to choose a revision course. You are swamped by letters and emails from all sorts of organisations promoting their courses, which all sound similar on paper but are often quite different.
National or local
The Medical Defence Union, the Medical Protection Society, and Pastest run national courses from London to Glasgow in medicine, surgery, and other specialties, including paediatrics. They provide a comprehensive grounding in the basics, with handouts containing useful mnemonics and revision guides. The teachers are consummate professionals and, as most of them are examiners, they can highlight the common pitfalls encountered in the exams and provide tips on how to avoid them. These courses can, however, be expensive, ranging from £50 to £250 (€70 to €340; $100 to $500).
Local courses provided by the hospitals in your university are tailored more towards your needs because they tend to be based on …
Log in
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Subscribe from £184 *
Subscribe and get access to all BMJ articles, and much more.
* For online subscription
Access this article for 1 day for:
£50 / $60/ €56 (excludes VAT)
You can download a PDF version for your personal record.