This is my advice on how to pass PACES. It worked for me and suited my revision style.
Books
You must buy/borrow/steal the following three books (~£100 in total):
- Aid to the MRCP PACES: Volumes 1 AND 2 by R.E.J. Ryder
- Cases for PACES by Stephen Hoole
Courses:
If you have lots of money and are desperate to pass, do this course:
Pastest 4 day course (£1500!)
If you need help with Neuro or Fundoscopy, do this course as well:
Neuro/Ophth one-day course (£325)
(when I did it it was over 2 days, not sure why they have tried to squeeze it into one day)
If you have limited funds, do this course instead of the two above:
Ealing weekend course (£750)
As you will see on the 'net, there are lots of courses out there aiming to teach and take away your cash. Most are good from what I've heard. It feels like all they have to do is advertise a course and people are willing to bend over for them whilst they empty your bank account. Saying that, I did all three of the above courses and passed.
If you were trained in the UK and speak reasonable English you shouldn't need a separate Ethics/History taking course. But if you have money to burn do one as they are the 2 stations which are failed more than any other!
The MRCP PACES exam itself will cost about £900 if you include diploma fees/travel/hotels.
All of the above must be supplemented by seeing patients on the wards, honing your examination technique on friends/stuffed animals and learning those 3 textbooks. Passing PACES is then down to luck on the day.
If you have any questions / need advice for MRCP PACES I will answer them if I can via the comments section.
