Professional Dilemmas (SJT) Exam Guide

In this article, we outline how to prepare efficiently and effectively for the Professional Dilemmas paper by using reliable resources in the right way. We also propose our tried and tested revision plan with tips and tricks to help you ace exam.

Many trainees believe that it is impossible to revise for situational judgement tests such as the Professional Dilemmas paper and that only good luck or common sense can make you perform well compared to your peers.

Although some of the answers to situational judgement scenarios can be subjective, we believe trainees can prepare effectively by studying the right resources in the right way. The Professional Dilemmas paper uses common scenarios you will encounter in FY2. For each of these scenarios, certain actions need to be taken that are unambiguously the right thing to do. You are also examined on your ability to recognise the most important issues in each scenario and find the best, most direct and timely solution. We would argue that these priorities can be learned, especially because the Professional Dilemmas paper has common scenarios that can be studied closely. Therefore, we believe that candidates can study the rationales and principles that the UK governing bodies would like doctors to use when prioritising issues and tackling complex scenarios.

Candidates must have a bank of principles aligned with the UK governing bodies that can be applied to rationalise each unique scenario in the exam. Therefore, we recommend that candidates study closely the material produced by these governing bodies and internalise their rationales. By using the correct resources, even if faced with an ambiguous scenario, you can fall back on the official rationales and score highly.

Therefore, yes, you can revise for situational judgement exams.

Our revision plan combines the use of official resources with reliable, GMC-based content. By completing this plan, you will gain a strong understanding of how the UK governing bodies want you to rationalise professionalism scenarios, complemented by an ability to effectively answer ranking and multiple-choice questions under exam conditions. This makes it a recipe for success in the MSRA!

Because of the subjective nature of the exam, it is crucial for your performance that you are able to use the right resources in the right way. At MedicRecall, we help you achieve this by scheduling in repetitions of the gold-standard, official resources for MSRA preparation alongside our reliable pre-made content, based on GMC guidelines.

The following study guide helps you break down each resource available to you and how to use it for maximum success in the Professional Dilemmas paper:

Official MSRA Mock Exam:

This is the gold-standard resource that you should use in your preparation. Although it only includes 22 Professional Dilemma questions, this mock is created by the UKFPO and is specifically for MSRA preparation.

We recommend maximising the use of this past paper in your revision by completing it at least four times over your revision period – the more, the better. Each time you complete the paper meticulously review the rationale for each question; think about why you chose the answer you did, how this differed from their rationale and how this compares to other questions you have done previously. The earlier you start revision, the more time you have to spread out each repetition of these papers. The usefulness of repeating this exercise may diminish if you repeat the papers in quick succession because you will find yourself simply remembering the answers rather than reasoning through the answers. That’s why we recommend spreading these out as much as possible.

Link here

UKFPO F2 SJT Practice Paper:

This paper includes 18 rating scenarios aimed at an FY2 level. It is accompanied by rationales for each question, created by the UKFPO. Reviewing this past paper is useful because the scenarios and rationales will be very similar to the ones you will encounter in your exam.

However, please note that this paper was created to help people revise for the scrapped Situational Judgement Test (SJT), rather than the MSRA. Additionally, the paper only contains rating questions, which is a type of question that is not used in the MSRA. Furthermore, the SJT exam specifications are different to the MSRA Professional Dilemmas paper. Therefore, we recommend going through this paper once or twice in your revision period.

Link Here

GMC Guidelines

The General Medical Council (GMC) has released several documents outlining the values they would like doctors in the UK to practice medicine with. The over-arching document is the Good Medical Practice, which outlines the general principles for ethical and safe medical practice. They have also released several more specific documents with guidance on topics such as confidentiality or raising concerns.

We recommend reading through the Good Medical Practice. This is perhaps one of the first steps you can take when embarking on revision for the MSRA. Keep it accessible to refer to, and make annotations when you encounter a relevant practice question or a clinical scenario. However, it is very difficult to digest the Good Medical Practice in a way you can apply to specific questions in the Professional Dilemmas paper. The other GMC guidelines do have actionable information on dealing with certain scenarios. Therefore, we have condensed this information into flashcard format so you can study using the benefits of active recall and spaced repetition. To maximise your chances of success, complete each of the decks at least three times during your revision period, spaced out at increasing intervals to maximise recall.

Link to GMC Professionalism Guidelines
Flashcard Decks available on Our Platform

The GMC in action resource guides you through scenarios created by the GMC, demonstrating how their guidelines can be used in clinical practice. It is helpful to go through these before the exam. However, not all the scenarios apply to foundation doctors or relate to the MSRA. Nevertheless, it may be useful to briefly look at these scenarios to help you understand how the GMC rationalises different clinical scenarios.

GMC in Action Link

• Start your revision early and have a clear plan about how to prepare. Be realistic and schedule when you will be able to complete revision sessions. Enter the exam date and create a study schedule on the MedicRecall app.
• Make a conscious effort to immerse yourself in each scenario, imagine being in that situation and consider which action best solves the core problem in the most direct and timely fashion. Imagine doing or saying each action, then asking yourself: Does that sound right? Is it appropriate to call up your consultant and say that? Does this actually tackle the main problem in the scenario?
• Observe what happens in real life. Be observant when you are working in clinical practice. You will start to notice the same situations you have seen in practice questions unfolding for yourself or other colleagues. How were they dealt with? Was that the best way? However, when answering the Professional Dilemma questions, always answer based on what you SHOULD do according to best GMC practice, not according to what happens in reality.
• Collaborate with your peers. Go through the past papers with your colleagues who are also preparing for the exam. Debate the rationale behind your answer versus their reasoning and compare this to the official answer. Active discussion is a great way to understand the key principles tested in the Professional Dilemmas paper and uncover patterns in how the examiners rationalise scenarios. Our platform has a discussion section for each question to maximise the opinions and perspectives you are exposed to during your revision.
• Take advantage of evidence-based revision. Use spaced repetition, active recall, interleaved study and concept mapping. Time is a valuable resource as a medical trainee, especially when preparing for exams. Therefore, to excel in medical exams, you must be smart about how you revise rather than simply putting the hours in. Use our platform to utilise effective studying techniques and pre-made content to excel in the MSRA.