Abstract
Title: How to Pass the CSA Exam: For GP Trainees and MRCGP CSA Candidates
Authors/editors: Imtiaz Ahmad, Raj Nair, and Martin Block
Year of publication: 2014
ISBN number: 978-1118471012
How would you rate this book? (5 star means excellent book useful for all GPs in training – a must have item; 1 star means poor book that you would not buy yourself)
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What is good about this book?
In the years since the genesis of the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA), a cornucopia of books, DVDs, and both face-to-face and online courses has flourished, all competing for the GP trainee’s hard-earned cash. This offering provides what promises to be a complete grounding in how to pass the CSA exam, being named, well, exactly that. With a foreword from none other than Roger Neighbour, past president of the RCGP and widely acknowledged consultations oracle, this certainly is an impressive looking book and DVD set.
The book is nothing if not exhaustive. The first section covers the format of the exam, consulting skills required, common pitfalls and tips on tricky scenarios. The second section is comprised of practice cases, with patient and small group instructions, marking criteria and a long breakdown for each case. The cases are written by a practicing trainer, which details evidence-based best practice, ways to tackle the communication challenges and a discussion on the important clinical issues of the case.
An accompanying DVD shows simulated consultations, featuring real trainees going through common clinical scenarios with actors. A trainer then gives feedback to the trainee after the 10-minute consultation is completed in real-time. Many of these scenarios are linked to the written scenarios in the book, offering a chance to compare one’s own performance to the DVD example. On a separate DVD, recently passed CSA graduates share their own tips and experiences.
One refreshing aspect of this work is the fact that the example scenarios are performed by trainees rather than trainers, and hence, there is the odd wobble in some of their performances. None of these are significant enough to render the consultation as a bad example to work to: this approach allows the viewer to work on their own critical judgement when evaluating others. This can be helpful when registrars form their own small groups and need to offer constructive criticism to colleagues. It also serves as a welcome reminder that to pass, you do not need to be perfect.
What is bad about this book?
If I were to really search for a nit to pick, there are some very minor factual slips in the guidance provided. For example, sildenafil is now available on the NHS, but these are few and far between.
In summary, the greatest advantage of this work is the completeness of the offering. It provides an exam guide, a best-practice consultations manual, a thorough set of practice cases with notes, mark scheme and guidance, video examples and tips from real-life trainees. So far as this reviewer is aware, no other product available is so broad in its coverage of the information needed to pass the CSA. It is therefore to be recommended highly.