Question 1

What is the point of a PACES course?

Accepted Answer

A lot of people assume its to simply see 100s of patients. And they are wrong. The point of a PACES course is to see real patients with real signs that you cant see easily on the wards and are likely to turn up to PACES - AND (and this is critical) to have your exam skills assessed by an instructor on EVERY CASE. Because actually the point of any PACES course should be to help you pass your exam.

Our philosophy is simple - we prioritise quality over quantity. While some courses might economise by assigning a single instructor to multiple stations, we uphold a different standard: one instructor per patient. This approach ensures that each candidate receives focused, personalised feedback on every case, mirroring the real exam environment.​

Our commitment to this high instructor-to-candidate ratio is unparalleled in the UK. We believe that the essence of a PACES course isn't merely exposure to numerous patients but the opportunity to engage with authentic PACES cases, each exhibiting genuine clinical signs. Being examined on each case by experienced examiners allows for in-depth critique of your examination techniques, presentation skills, and case management strategies.​

This meticulous approach addresses the core challenges many candidates face in the PACES exam. By focusing on individualised assessment and feedback, we aim to enhance your clinical acumen and boost your confidence for the real exam.

Question 2

What makes you different from other courses?

Accepted Answer

We have been teaching PACES in one from another for years on lots of courses, so of course we understand what's out there. These are our advantages as we see them:

We place a massive premium on candidates' ability to examine cases themselves directly, under the direct supervision of a senior instructor/examiner. Of course, lots of courses offer this, however, we are confident that we provide the highest proportion of candidates : patients : instructors in the UK - guaranteed. 2 candidates per bedside and one instructor per bedside. We don't pile in 3 or 4 candidates per bedside or cut down to 1 instructor going around a carousel of several patients. This increases our work but gives the candidates the best teaching possible. We strive to give our candidates 4 days worth of teaching on a single Saturday. [UPDATE: as requested by a couple of candidates, you can now choose to get a SOLO place which means you go around every patient station solo - getting 1:1 teaching with an instructor per patient - for those who want the most clinical hands-on time possible]
Not only does this mean our course is very intensive and very focused and effective, it allows us to deliver it in a single day on the weekend which really improves the convenience for all of our candidates, instructors and patients.
Our strict limit on candidates - its a small number - and this is crucial to maintaing our teaching standards. We have enforced this limit aggressively because we believe its the right way to teach effectively.
Our team is excellent with exceptional clinical teachers and we have hand selected the best PACES cases around. Come to one of our PACES talks to get a feel for what the course leads & instructors are like.
We are constantly iterating and improving obsessively fine tuning every aspect of our course and that includes by reviewing feedback on what people are seeing in their PACES.
Our team is obsessive about our standards. We only announce two dates per diet because we are absolutely focused on making that the best course we can possibly run. Only when we hit capacity do we consider additional dates - and if our top instructor team or patients are not available - we will not run the course. Every course we have ever run has been sold out.
All of the above means we have over 900 candidates on every course sold out for closing on 5 years, and a national award for being the best PACES course 
Oh and the lunch we provide isnt bad...

We are enthusiastic and passionate about teaching for PACES - if you have any questions at all, just message us!

Question 3

Is this a new course? What is your track record?

Accepted Answer

We have been doing MRCP PACES courses in this format since January 2023 and have had approx 1000 candidates come through at the time of writing, having delivered 14 sold-out courses (in our first year, our course ran under a different name - a lot of SHOs apparently have been referring to us as the "Barts Course" because thats how good we are at marketing evidently).

We are a tight-knit team that has run and delivered these courses successfully and we have a track record of running successful teaching courses where our candidates get the absolute best experience. Individually we have all had multiple years of teaching experience on multiple courses, and of course, in our own local hospitals as teaching leads.

Question 4

Hang on... 1-day for all clinical? What are you cutting out?

Accepted Answer

This course is intense, focused, efficient without being crammed - these are the things we have spent a lot of time and energy thinking about.

But yes, it assumes you have a basic ability to do the exams from start to finish and arent there looking for didactic teaching, but coming to the course looking for:

Excellent signs in real PACES cases.
Having your exam technique and presentation skills critiqued and polished.
Getting the muscle memory and feel for how PACES will run in real life to hopefully reduce your adrenaline on the day.

Candidly, if candidates are not able to do a resp or abdominal exam at all, then this course is not going to be an efficient way to deliver those very basics. But to anyone who has passed medical school and is currently working as a medical trainee clerking patients this does not apply - and this is the majority of IMT or equivalent training doctors this course would be exactly catering for.

Question 5

How many candidates per bedside? I dont want to be in a crowded setting with 3 or 4 of us per patient

Accepted Answer

And we don't want that either. One of the specific things that differentiates us, and that we wanted to enforce in this course was to maintain a strict number of no more than two candidates per bedside. The way to then cut costs for us is to reduce the number of instructors and have one go around several stations - we dont do that either - we have one instructor per patient. This course is focused on delivering the best teaching possible for every candidate that attends.

This means that we are confident we can deliver effectively four days worth of teaching per candidate a single day. It means that every candidate works very hard in a single day course - this is the most efficient, high volume, high intensity PACES teaching course in the UK.

UPDATE: we are announcing a special place booking for candidates who want to go around SOLO for a 1:1 experience of every station - this effectively doubles the time with every patient and doubles number of stations you take the lead in. Its like a boutique mock exam day with 15-20 patients and 15-20 instructors created just for you - for those who want the ultimate stress test of their technique. This goes live at midnight August 10th under the  names "Cruel Summer" and "ME!". Click "Book Now" and see the different ticket types for details.

Question 6

Can you describe the course structure for the "Clinical Skills" course?

Accepted Answer

Candidates rotate through a carrousel of selected pieces patients in pairs. Each patient is examined by two candidates under the guidance of an expert instructor (SpR or consultant selected specifically for their teaching abilities and experience with PACES). You will have 11-12 mins per patient - this allows enough time for 1 candidate to run through the station like an exam scenario with presentation and viva after and the 2nd candidate to also undertake a focused exam at the end for signs.

There are dedicated stations designated as "Consultation" stations which are run longer - 16 mins.

[UPDATE: as requested by a couple of candidates, you can now choose to get a SOLO place which means you go around every patient station solo - getting 1:1 teaching with an instructor per patient - for those who want the most clinical hands-on time possible]

Question 7

Can I go around in a pair with my study buddy from my hospital? Or do we get randomly paired up?

Accepted Answer

You absolutely can - if you came with a study buddy, you can go around with that person all day. Everyone else will get randomly paired up.

UPDATE: we are announcing a discounted booking for candidates who come with their study buddy and want to go around together - and book together. This goes live at midnight August 10th under the names "You belong with me" and "Us". Click "Book Now" and see the different ticket types for details.

Question 8

Your course is sold out - please can I come, it's just one extra person...?

Accepted Answer

If our course is sold out, we are very strict about not taking on any further people - although of course we would love to.

The intense nature of our course means that it's a lot of hard work for the candidates, the instructors, and especially the patients. To make sure that our standard of teaching remains high, and that the level of physical exertion for all parties remains reasonable, we are very aggressive about maintaining a very strict number of candidates. Book early to avoid disappointment!

Question 9

Are you doing another date this Diet? My exam might be late so I dont know if I want to book the date you have...?

Accepted Answer

We typically don't have plans to do more than 2 courses per Diet - we put all our efforts into doing courses we can confidently run with the best patients and the best instructors as well as we can.

We are a boutique course and we maintain high standards by making sure we only run courses of the best quality possible. If we cannot get the patients and instructors together, we dont launch the date. And we never launch an add-on date once a Diet has started.

Question 10

Do you cover the new "Consultation" station?

Accepted Answer

Our in-person clinical skills course absolutely covers the new "Consultation" station format!

Question 11

I am stressed about Communication stations - do you cover those?

Accepted Answer

Our flagship one-day Clinical Skills course is focussed on the clinical stations.

In response to popular demand, we have now added a Communication Skills day to our repertoire - this is aimed specifically at practice of these stations with common scenarios and practice in pairs with an examiner.

Question 12

How many patients will I see on the day? Are they real patients or do you use actors?

Accepted Answer

15 to 20 patients (depending a little on attrition from trains on day etc) but we work to guarantee a minimum of 15.

All our PACES patients are hand-selected as exemplary cases representative of the exam. We do not use actors with fake signs. In fact, in many cases, our patients have actually been to previous PACES exams themselves and we have worked incredibly hard to recruit the absolute best cases to ensure the best teaching experience possible.

Question 13

Do you provide food on the day?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we do! Refreshments throughout the day and lunch are provided (including coffee), and there are strategic breaks built into the course on the day.

Question 14

Do you include a mock exam for your Clinical Course?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we absolutely do!

Some of our candidates choose to run the entire day as a mock exam, because the structure is such that it is possible to do so - timed conditions with each station and a specific instructor and patient with scenario.

However, if you prefer the first half of the day can be more of a guided exam with assistance from the instructors. After lunch, every station is strictly run as a mock exam  with feedback.

Question 15

What is the course book that is included in the Clinical Course...?

Accepted Answer

Loftily named the "Intelligent Guide to PACES", this is a book that distills tips and case-specific knowledge for the clinical cases most likely to appear in the PACES exam. Its a handbook and a labour of love from our Course Leads and Instructors. Included for every attendee of the Clinical Course as a hard copy on the day!

Question 16

Can I get recordings of the Communication Skills talks and my interaction with the instructor?

Accepted Answer

ABSOLUTELY. You will get access to the recordings of the talks and then be able to record your interactions with the examiner - the best way to prep for Comm Skills is to practice, yes, but also watch yourself back on how you navigate the sometimes tricky back and forth with the examiner.

Question 17

My exam date falls before your course and Ive booked it - what do I do?

Accepted Answer

We try to aim our course dates to avoid this possibility but in the unlikely event this happens, message us immediately with a screenshot and we will issue you a refund!

Question 18

Do you have a refund policy?

Accepted Answer

We offer:
- A full refund minus Stripe transaction fee (£6-8): if we are contacted with the request up to 6 weeks pre-course
- 50% refund if we are contacted with the request up to 3 weeks pre-course
- No refund beyond that except for emergencies with proof (see separate question on this below)

The reason for this is the course is essentially bespoke with number of patients, instructors and circuits built to a specific number of attendees with costs incurred to arrange patients, catering, instructors.

Question 19

I have an emergency and cannot make it to the course - what can I do?

Accepted Answer

As long as its > 2 weeks from the course date we will issue you a refund (minus transaction fee of £6-8 which is charged by Stripe to us) with proof messaged to us. The reason for this is the course is essentially bespoke with number of patients, instructors and circuits built to a specific number of attendees with costs incurred to arrange patients, catering, instructors.

Within 2 weeks we can do our best to move you to our next course. Best to email us to discuss.