Post by ramanjeet on Dec 10, 2008 14:18:12 GMT
Resources for Knowledge Base
• Simon, C. Oxford Handbook of General Practice (2007) Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN: 978-0199553358. This is a great all-round textbook and a good investment for reference in the future. It is a valuable resource for organisational questions, benefits and legal data etc.
• Greenhalgh, T. How to read a paper (2006) Blackwell publishing Ltd, Oxford. ISBN: 978-1405139762 for statistics & evidence interpretation questions. An alternative is Harris, M. Medical statistics made easy (2008) Martin Dunitz, London. ISBN: 978-1904842552.
• Other essential books are :
o Coales, U. Get through new MRCGP applied knowledge test (2007), Royal Society of Medicine Press. Ltd, ISBN: 978-1853157752.
o Daniels, R. nMRCGP practice papers for the applied knowledge test (2007), PasTest, Cheshire. ISBN 978-1905635351.
o Ali, N. Applied knowledge test for the new MRCGP: Questions and answers for the AKT (2008), Scion Publishing Ltd, Oxfordshire. ISBN: 978-1904842545.
• Visit www.eguidelines.co.uk as a resource for all NICE and working party guideline summaries. Web access is free. You can also subscribe to eguidelines volumes online. These volumes are published three times a year.
• Look up www.GPnotebook.co.uk as an online reference resource.
• Read ABC of Dermatology for refreshing dermatology related topics. www.Dermnetnz.org is an excellent web resource for study, although a comprehensive book will come in handy.
Self assessment web sites
• Onexamination.com a paid website (discount if you have MDU membership).
• Passmedicine.com (free AKT Multiple choice question resource with more than a thousand questions).
How to study for the AKT
• Try attempting the exam early in the registrar year or towards the end of the hospital part of your training scheme. This will give you a good knowledge base for the GP Registrar post. It will also give you more time to practise for your clinical skills assessment exam.
• Data gathering and focused revision is very important for the AKT. Using one website only may be too simplistic an approach for an exam testing a wide knowledgebase.
• Consider summarising notes and try to make a diary or a word processor document of accrued information as you go along doing questions. This will come in handy for revision. Creating a revision resource is helpful due to the breadth of the topics being covered.
• Try to keep a list of weaknesses (similar to Doctor’s educational needs) when you do multiple choice questions. And specifically target those weaknesses in your study time. This is the ethos of ‘self directed learning’.
• Try doing mock exam sessions. Here you might answer as many questions in one go as you would in the main exam. This will help you develop time keeping skills.
• Forming a study group would also be beneficial. Talk to your friends attending the day release course or fellow general practice trainees doing hospital posts.
Finally, develop a positive mental attitude. At the end the gains to your knowledge and thus your day to day performance as a GP would by far offset the hard work put in. The ultimate aim is to not only pass the exam but also to become efficient self directed learners. The latter being a much needed skill in the current information age.