Exam Intelligence

Well, I think that anyone doing Final FRCA ought to be looking out for at least some of the following:

Questions on anaesthesia and obesity (New AAGBI guidelines)

Local Anaesthetic Toxicity (New AAGBI guideline incorporating Intralipid (Lipidrescue))

CEMACH (new report at the end of last year) - something always comes up the following exam

Intrapartum analgesia (NICE guideline in 2007 and two articles to do with epidurals in CEACCP in last 12 months)

Malignant Hyperthermia (revised AAGBI guideline and another perennial favourite)

Thyroid surgery (CEACCP article in April 2007, perennial favourite and something about it in every SAQ book I’ve got)

Coagulation questions (At least two articles in CEACCP over the last 12 months, it’s another topic open for discussion, and there’s the whole “cell-based model” to consider. Maybe something on Novo7, and also Fondaparinux/ways of preventing DVT/VTE)

So there’s some things that I think MIGHT come up.

I have rediscovered mindmaps.
As previously mentioned I struggle with categorisation into lists, but after reading the whole thing about MECE it occurred to me that I used mindmaps when I was revising for the primary, so I’ve started using them again.
It’s actually quite a relief to realise that the reason I used them before is because to me they make sense.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about see here. If that doesn’t make sense (it’s a mind map you’re looking at), then see here or here.
Personally I think they work really well for me, and this morning has all been about Cardiac Anaesthesia, including everything to do with CPB, post-op management and complications. I couldn’t quite fit it all onto one page of A4, but I could have managed it on a sheet of A3 I think.
And that’s with my normal sized writing.