About the exam
The FRCEM Primary Examination tests candidates’ knowledge of the key basic sciences that underpin the practice of Emergency Medicine. The exam consists of 180 single best answer questions (SBAQs) where the candidate must pick one correct answer out of five potential others
Passing this exam requires a broad and detailed knowledge of the basic medical sciences as presented in the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) Basic Sciences Curriculum, along with a sound understanding of how these relates to emergency medicine.
What We Offer
Learn in class
Our exam revision course aims to help candidates pass this very challenging examination. Practice exam papers containing SBAQ /’best of five’ questions will be completed throughout the duration of the course and we will give a series of exam focused lectures from our experienced and knowledgeable faculty. All the important domains of knowledge are covered – anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, microbiology and statistics/evidence based medicine – and all lectures and teaching materials updated to closely follow the RCEM Basic Sciences Curriculum.
The course lead, Dr Ian Stell, is a retired Emergency Physician with a strong interest in basic sciences (PhD/MD holders) and has been teaching the RCEM Basic Sciences curriculum for over 12 years. Other faculty have previously included Professor Harold Ellis (author of ‘Clinical Anatomy’), Dr Robert Whitaker (author of ‘Instant Anatomy’).
The courses will be offered both in class and lived streamed online. You can choose your attendance preference on the product page.
What you get on face to face course
- Printed copies of all course resources
- Online access to all course resources
- Access to the course recording
- Face to face interaction with tutors
What you get on the live streamed course
- *Online access to course resources
- Access to the course recording
- Ask questions live
- Interact with other candidates, share links to resources and information through the chat
- The benefits of the full course in the comfort of your home
- Save in travel and accomodation
Next Course: 20th – 22nd October and 4th – 6th November 2020
Course Fee: £525 online and £695 in person
Venue: St Olav’s Court, 25 Lower Road, Canada Water, London, SE16 2XB
Course Times: 9.00am – 5.30pm
*Resources will be made available through Mimeo Digital. Downloads and printing is restricted
Study Online
The 32 webinars available have been recorded by our experienced faculty and closely follow the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Basic Sciences Curriculum to cover in detail the domains of knowledge required for the exam.
Advantages of our FRCEM primary webinar package include:
- Over 30 hours of basic sciences lectures and practice questions
- online access on a rolling month to month basis until cancelled
- wider coverage of the curriculum than is possible on a face to face course
- study in your own time and at your own pace
- rewind and replay the recordings as many time as you want
- streamed to your own computer or device wherever you are (internet connection is required)
We have given a great deal of thought to this package and believe that it covers the overwhelming majority of subjects likely to be encountered in this exam, and that it sets out the material in a way that can be readily understood and learnt from.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT OUR COURSES
“Excellent course; effectively covers a lot of ground and I’m sure will have made my subsequent revision much easier.”
FRCEM Primary, May 2019
“Useful overview, flagged gaps in knowledge, triggered memory of concepts.”
FRCEM Primary, May 2019
“Well organised, great faculty, online course material also extremely useful.”
FRCEM Primary, May 2019
FRCEM Primary Blog
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Question. A 15yr old boy suffers a lower brachial plexus injury as a result of grasping at a branch while falling out of a tree. Which of the following statements is correct regarding this boy’s injury? a. the C5 and [...]
Core pharmacology: Acute digoxin poisoning – fast or slow?
Question. A patient attends the ED with an acute ingestion of digoxin and markedly raised serum digoxin levels 8hrs post ingestion. The following are clinical features you would expect to see in this patient EXCEPT which one? a. hyperkalaemia b. [...]
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Question. Which one of the following lung volumes and capacities CANNOT be measured using a spirometer? a. vital capacity (FVC) b. functional residual capacity (FRC) c. forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) d. tidal volume e. inspiratory reserve [...]
Core physiology: The ins and outs of stroke volume.
Question. Which one of the following is correct regarding stroke volume in a healthy person? a. it is the amount of blood expelled from the ventricle in one minute b. it is proportional to left ventricular end diastolic volume [...]
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Question. An 18yr old female is seen in the ED with suspected meningococcal meningitis. Which one of the following is true regarding Neisseria meningitidis? a. it is a gram-negative diplococcus bacterium b. it is carried in the axilla and [...]
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Question. A 56yr old woman with vitiligo becomes hypotensive and generally unwell and is diagnosed with primary adrenocortical insufficiency (Addison’s disease). Which one of the following statements is true of this condition? a. cortisol is released from the chromaffin [...]
Core anatomy: Winding round to foot drop – which nerve is the culprit?
Question. A 40 yr old pedestrian hit by a car and has suffered a fracture to the proximal fibula. On examination, it is noted that he has foot drop and reduced sensation over the lateral lower leg and lateral [...]