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Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) Syllabus
Postgraduate exam for surgical trainees, jointly run by the UK and Irish surgical colleges.. The complete Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) outline — 7 subjects, 32 chapters and 117 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
5 chapters · 23 topics · 55 sub-topics
Physiology and Applied Surgical Science5 chapters · 20 topics · 41 sub-topics
Pathology, Microbiology and Pharmacology5 chapters · 20 topics · 40 sub-topics
Perioperative Care and Critical Care5 chapters · 16 topics · 32 sub-topics
Principles of Surgery-in-General5 chapters · 16 topics · 32 sub-topics
Clinical and Communication Skills (OSCE Part B)4 chapters · 13 topics · 26 sub-topics
Professionalism, Ethics and Surgical Governance3 chapters · 9 topics · 18 sub-topics
Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) flashcard decks
391 question-and-answer cards across 7 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
- Applied Surgical Anatomy — 67 cards
- Physiology and Applied Surgical Science — 64 cards
- Pathology, Microbiology and Pharmacology — 60 cards
- Perioperative Care and Critical Care — 50 cards
- Principles of Surgery-in-General — 51 cards
- Clinical and Communication Skills (OSCE Part B) — 50 cards
- Professionalism, Ethics and Surgical Governance — 49 cards
How to work through the Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Applied Surgical Anatomy carries 23 topics while Professionalism, Ethics and Surgical Governance carries 9. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS).
The ~135 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) syllabus?
Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) covers 7 subjects: Applied Surgical Anatomy, Physiology and Applied Surgical Science, Pathology, Microbiology and Pharmacology, Perioperative Care and Critical Care, Principles of Surgery-in-General, Clinical and Communication Skills (OSCE Part B) and Professionalism, Ethics and Surgical Governance. Together they contain 32 chapters and 117 named topics.
How much do you have to study for Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS)?
The full Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) outline breaks down into 32 chapters, 117 topics and 244 sub-topics. Applied Surgical Anatomy is the largest single subject with 23 topics across 5 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) syllabus?
Roughly 135 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 6 weeks.
Are there Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) flashcards?
Yes — 391 question-and-answer flashcards across 7 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United Kingdom and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
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