Doctors in antarctica.

The examination for membership of the Royal College of Physicians (the MRCP) is not easy. In fact it can be demoralising, gruelling, and expensive. The authors of this clever revision guide say that there is no better doctor than the general medical registrar who has just passed the MRCP. This is because the exam assesses a vast range of detailed medical practice at a high level. The link of experience with knowledge is tested as never before. The attainment of those four extra letters after their surname is a dream held by many eager young senior house officers.​officers. Figure 1 Hugh Montgomery, Neil Goldsack, Richard Marshall Remedica Publishing, £25, pp 320 ISBN 1 9013465 01 Rating: ★★★★ Fortunately this book is not just another revision guide. I have never read a textbook with such intelligent potential. It is a complete and structured course, designed to provide you not only with a wide variety of information but also with the relevant strategies for its application. The format is deceptively simple. As with a workbook, you start from first principles and are given comprehensive lists for each subject, and then your knowledge is tested again and again with sample exam questions. This may not sound earth shattering, but the beauty of this book is that it expounds on its basic premise by using some sensible educational theory. The intention is that you learn in many different ways and appreciate the information rather than just memorise it. The book uses several tools: historical vignettes, mnemonics, pictures, poems, puzzles, tables, and equations. They all reinforce the facts and—dare I say it—make all this arduous learning enjoyable. And that it is humorous and well written makes it all the more useful. Although its structure and execution are sound, this book may still leave you wanting more; even the authors admit that you will need more textbooks than this slim volume for a complete and rounded MRCP education. However, as someone who is still studying, I have no hesitation in recommending this book.