MotivationMRCP

How to FORCE yourself to pass MRCP

Rory 55 Comments , , , , , , , , ,

Anyone who’s ever tried to stick to a diet will know that motivation is a very fickle friend. On your first few days your willpower is at its peak and you’re proudly telling everyone how you’ll have that bikini body or six pack by the time summer comes round in 12 weeks time. A few days later you begin to cross off the days on your calendar but realise you’re not even one week into this new lifestyle yet! The weight on your bathroom scales has plateaued and so have your appearance in front of the mirror.

Ah, one croissant won’t hurt. I end up having five before proceeding to stuff my face with other junk…

The same applies to MRCP – you decide to attempt the upcoming diet (ha); pay the £500 fee for the privilege and not to mention the multiple subscriptions to question banks and courses. For the first few days, perhaps weeks if you’re good, you manage to study a couple of hours every night after work but one slip-up and you go back to your old ways.

There are namely three main ways to maintain motivation, momentum and propel yourself through that MRCP hoop:

  1. Anti-charity technique – Consider depositing say £100 into www.stickk.com, a website that allows you to set your goals but with one important caveat. If you don’t achieve them – they donate your £100 to a charity you hate! For example if you don’t like dolphins (why?!) then your hard earned cash would go towards caring for dolphins if you don’t pass the next MRCP exam. This technique plays on the human psychology that we’re far more risk averse than we are opportunists, using the fear of loss to make us achieve success.
  2. Broadcast your goals and results – Post on facebook (every day or week if you have to); tell all your consultants, colleagues and juniors; and tell your family that you’re going to pass MRCP. Regardless of whether you subsequently pass or fail you have to tell everyone in your social and acquaintance circle!
  3. Just subscribe to everything – Sometimes we just need to commit ourselves to take action because if you wait until you’re ready you’re likely never going to be. If you have 8 weeks until the next exam it may be wise just to pay the £500 exam fee, and subscribe to one or two question banks. The simple act of forking out £600 – 700 may be enough to ignite a spark inside you to study! Otherwise you’ll be locum-ing a weekend, or living on beans, to recuperate your losses.

If you’re interested in some light reading to further your motivation to the next level, I would recommend this new book.

If you enjoyed this article make sure you get your own copy of my MRCP Part 1 & 2 Written Guide. In this guide, I explore the above and other concepts such as time allocation and the most preferable resources for the written exams in much more detail.

Alternatively, if you’ve passed the written exams then How to Pass MRCP PACES in 8 Weeks will take you through your next and final hurdle. The reason an entire new guide has been written about this mammoth clinical exam reflects the different skills and attitude you need when tackling MRCP PACES. Instead of simply relying on reading textbooks, you’ll need to utilise a concept called the PACES Triangle to successfully navigate the examiners’ obstacles.

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