Feedback from our Courses
Thank you from Ipswich!
'As one of eight doctors from Ipswich Hospital to attend the PassPACES Course, I just wanted to pass on my thanks for a fantastic course. The patients were amazing; not only having superb clinical signs, but also pointing us in the right direction should we be struggling!
The clinical lecturers taught enthusiastically, with a good sense of humour; the mock exam and the way the lecturers responded during the mock was extremely relevant and useful for the actual exam. The feedback we were given during the course reflected the style of the exam marking system and was invaluable for improving any "weak" spots.
It was a 100% pass rate for the Ipswich group who all attended the PassPACES Course - all of us "first timers" - thank you so much for helping us to achieve this.'
Dr. Johanne Brooks, MRCP, Ipswich, UK
Dear Dr Bessant and the PassPACES team,
I just want to say thank you so much for a fantastic course. I passed first time and was amazed and absolutely delighted to score 172/172! I definitely could not have achieved that mark without attending the course: the teaching was really outstanding and we were exposed to so many patients with such excellent signs. I expected that the course might feel rather intimidating but the lecturers were enthusiastic, supportive and provided very helpful feedback. The course gave me the confidence and the structure to approach more complex cases (particularly neurology) and 'work things out' in a logical way.
Thank you for a really enjoyable and inspiring 4 days! I have already recommended the course to my colleagues and will continue to do so!
Dr. Emma Tenison, MRCP, Royal United Hospital, Bath
‘I would like to thank you for your excellent course. The high quality lectures I received and the wide variety of patients I encountered during the PassPACES Course really made all the difference.
Taking your course 2 months prior to my exam made me realize the amount of work I needed to put in and it certainly paid off, as I was able to optimize the planning of my revision.
I have been successful in passing my PACES with a score of 165/172 on my first attempt. I believe that I would not have achieved such a high score if it wasn't for this course. Thank you once again!’
Dr Edward Chong, MRCP, Sheffield, UK.
The PassPACES course is far superior to all the other PACES courses out there. It delivers teaching of the highest calibre and one would struggle to find the breadth and depth of clinical cases and syndromes in one location that is provided at PassPACES. As a previous multiple written exams failure, I passed my PACES first time with a high score, and I attribute this solely to the excellent teaching and exposure to the full range of medical patients that I had on the PassPACES course. The teaching also enabled me to refine my presentation technique - a skill very much required in the PACES exam and one that really is pass/fail.
I cannot recommend this course highly enough to anyone preparing for their final MRCP. I plan to use what I learnt at this course in my everyday practice, too, as it has helped me to identify complex medical problems through the sheer skill of a detailed and considered bedside examination technique.
Dr Georgina Ashfield, MRCP, Milton Keynes
I just wanted to let you know that I was successful in my PACES exam. In fact, I almost received full marks, with 171 of the available 172 points and I am extremely pleased about this result.
I would like to thank you again for your help, not just through the course material but also through the Pocketbook, both of which were my only resources on this second attempt.
I am also very pleased as I recently had great news about getting my first choice job as a registrar, which will be in Medical Oncology at the Royal Marsden.
Thanks again for your help towards this exam, I am ever so grateful!
Dr. Vassilis Aggelis, MRCP, Royal London Hospital.
Thank you so much for running such a fantastic course, which I and four of my friends attended in January this year - all five of us were successful in our MRCPI in February!
The teaching was excellently delivered and the personal constructive feedback we received each day was very beneficial. Thank you also for focusing on the Irish long case and Irish marking schemes - it was much appreciated.
I came away with the confidence to tackle almost any case that would be thrown at me!
I passed my MRCPI exam two weeks after the course - and I couldn't have done it without your help!
I would highly recommend the PassPACES Course to others who are sitting the membership examinations, and I have been advising my fellow Cork colleagues to attend this course! Thanks again to you and all the staff,
Dr. Deirbhile O'Keeffe, MRCPI, Cork University Hospital, Eire.
I attended the PassPACES course as part of my preparation for the MRCPI clinical exam. The course was exceptionally well organised, with fantastic teaching and a challenging case load. An emphasis on exam technique and insights into the MRCPI marking scheme were added bonuses.
The organisers were kind enough to tailor mock exams for myself and several other MRCPI candidates to meet the criteria of the Irish exam. I feel the course played an integral part in my success on exam day. I passed at the first attempt with the highest score at my exam sitting.
Sincere thanks to Dr. Bessant and all at PassPACES.
Dr. Oliver McElvaney, MRCPI. Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Eire
Firstly, may I say how excellent the PassPACES course is! It is a credit to you and I am very pleased that I chose to attend. It was very professionally organised and it was a joy to see and appreciate in the flesh so many signs that I have only ever read about in textbooks. I am pleased to say that I passed PACES at the first sitting in June, a few weeks after attending the course.
Overall I think the exam was fair and I was marked in a reasonable way. I did lose marks in places - but I deserved to, and equally I was rewarded for good performance also, scoring full marks in several stations. All the best.
Dr. Nicky Goodfellow, MRCP, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
Dear Dr Bessant and the PassPACES team,
I wanted to thank you all very much for all guidance and support at a very well organised revision course. I passed my PACES exam this summer with a score of 170/172.
The PassPACES Course as well as the Pocketbook for PACES which I used as my main textbook had a big hand in this! I really would recommend both to candidates preparing for the exam.
I will indeed be recommending PassPACES to all upcoming PACES candidates!
Thank you so much once again.
Dr. Sarika Shah, MRCP, Lister Hospital, Stevenage.
Dear Dr Bessant and PassPACES team,
I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for all the guidance and support at your very well organised revision course. I passed my PACES exam on my first attempt! Who could ever imagine!
The PassPACES Course was very intense, but absolutely necessary to put things right and build up my confidence.
I feel my faith in medicine has been restored and I have become a better doctor for my patients.
Thank you so much once again for helping me through and wishing you continued success in your work.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Iason Thomas, MRCP, Singleton Hospital, Wales
________________________________________________
I passed PACES on my first attempt with a score of 171/172. I am certain that without attending PassPACES that would not have been possible. Seeing so much pathology and being asked all the questions before the exam makes the whole process so much easier.
Dr. Bradley Porter, MRCP, Stoke Mandeville Hospital
I am writing to thank you and all the tutors/instructors I had the pleasure to be taught by, on the PassPACES course in February. I found out this week that I passed with an overall grade of 168/172. I was over the moon.
I truly feel the PassPACES course played a significant role in my preparation and subsequent passing of my PACES examination. I attended a few courses over the stretch of my PACES revision; none came close to the level of detail and expertise of the PassPACES course, so again thank you for that.
The course prepared me well, and I cannot commend the course highly enough.
Dr. Joanna Lynch, MRCP, Royal Marsden Hospital, London.
________________________________________________
I attended the PassPACES course last June, and I just wanted to inform you that I successfully passed my PACES exam with a score of 167/172. I would like to thank you and the staff at PassPACES for all the help you provided.
Dr. Paul Torpiano, MRCP, Mater Dei Hospital, Malta.
I am writing to say what a good job I think you have done with this course.
I think much credit must go to Dr Bessant for organising it all with such efficiency. I felt that the emphasis was always on the quality of education and patient welfare. The course particularly benefitted from consistent time keeping which was important to give us all a fair amount of time with each patient. A large part of the course was spent actively examining patients, rather than watching. These qualities should not be taken for granted and were not present on another PACES course that I attended.
Well done - word of mouth keeps these sorts of course going and certainly everyone I speak to who has done this course shares these sentiments.
I was very fortunate to have passed my PACES exam! I am so relieved to have got through first go. Perhaps a little bit of luck along the way helped, but no doubt PassPACES made a huge difference to my chances.
Thanks you for your help. Now to spend a bit more time with my wife and baby over Christmas!
Dr. Christopher Phillips, MRCP, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
I just thought I’d let you know that I passed PACES at my first attempt on Sunday! Very, very happy!
Thank you so much for organising such a fantastic course; I really felt there was a genuine interest to make the attendees better physicians and to reach a standard which is maybe no longer expected in modern-day medical school training, or even, the NHS. When I wrote the BMJ article in September, I didn't fully appreciate the value of the comments made about the course, but I am glad this has been all confirmed! 
'Choosing the right course'. BMJ Careers, 2 October 2012.
As you know, I was nervous during the course, but it all came together on the day! Please pass on my thanks to the examiners/ instructors from the course,
P.S. The Pocketbook for PACES is fantastic - thanks again.
Best wishes,’
Dr. Farhana Ara, MRCP, Leicester Royal Infirmary, UK
I just wanted to write and thank the PassPACES team. I struggled with PACES before so attended the course and just found out I passed with a score of 161/172. The course had a large number of patients with a wide variety of conditions and we were given good advice on how to spot subtle clinical signs that could easily be missed.
There were no surprises in the real exam, having examined patients on this course, but even if there had been, the course taught me how to be systematic and give an intelligent presentation and differential diagnosis. The clinical lecturers were enthusiastic and approachable. The mock exam was a good experience to practise examining and presenting in front of someone who remains expressionless (like the real thing)! The last day provided a good session where one could freely examine patients and clear up concerns with the lecturers.
I would recommend the course not only to pass PACES but for one's career in general.
Dr. Eleni Josephides, MRCP, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals, London.
‘I just wanted to let you know I passed PACES at my first attempt with a mark of 167/172, scoring full marks on all but two stations. I couldn't believe it when i received my results, especially as I'm a radiology trainee who did not have day to day exposure to patients or access to any organised teaching. I'm sure my success was due in a large part to your course.
PassPACES not only exposed me to a huge number of very knowledgeable and helpful patients with interesting signs, but also taught me how to approach each station with a professional attitude and a higher level problem solving approach. I must thank your team, including the patients involved, for all your hard work.’
Dr Helen Cliffe, MRCP, Radiology ST1, Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust
‘I just wanted to inform you I passed my MRCPI clinical exam in June. I attended your course in May and found it truly amazing from start to finish. Without PassPACES I would never have passed.
I was delighted that I attended a course five weeks prior to my exam. This allowed me sufficient time to plan and target my revision, based on the clinical teaching that I received at the course.
All the cases I encountered in my exam had been taught to me at the course.
You have a very talented team of tutors and do great work. Thanks again for helping me through and wishing you continued success in your work. Kind regards.’
Dr. Roisin O’Connor, MRCPI, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Eire
I would highly recommend the PassPACES course.
Through attending this course I was able to better structure my exam preparation and revision. It taught me how to approach cases on the wards in a focused, exam oriented manner. There were a good range of cases available to examine and be taught on.
One of the biggest strengths of the course was the way in which the tutors helped prepare you for strategies to cope with the unexpected cases that were complicated and not 'barn door'. When it came to the neurology case in the exam, the diagnosis was unclear, but by using some of the skills I gained on the course I was able to work my way through logically, without panicking and gave a sensible differential. I gained full marks in this case, which I would not have done prior to the course.
I passed with full marks in all stations except one with a score of 170/172.
Dr. Roslyn Perring, MRCP, Ealing Hospital, London
‘We are delighted to inform you that all three of the St James' Hospital MRCPI candidates who attended PassPACES passed the Irish MRCPI examination.
PassPACES both significantly added to our knowledge and gave us the confidence and finesse to perform under pressure at our Irish MRCPI Clinical examination, in a manner we all agree would not have been possible had we not attended your course. We appreciated that special attention was given also to the Irish long case. We received constructive, personal feedback throughout from excellent lecturers, who are approachable and eager to teach. This course was recommended to us by colleagues and we are very keen to do the same.’
Drs. James Nolan, Stephanie Menzies and Cathal O'Broin, MRCPI, St James’ Hospital, Dublin.
‘I recently attended the PassPACES course and discovered yesterday that I had passed the PACES examination, with a score of 168/172.
The PassPACES course was fantastic; amazing patients with not only great clinical signs, but real knowledge about their conditions, and brilliant tutors who clearly enjoyed teaching.
I will definitely be recommending the course.
Thank you again to everyone for the hard work they put in.’
Dr. Emma Ormerod, MRCP, Bristol Royal Infirmary
I just wanted to let you know that I passed my PACES exam at the first attempt, with full marks in several stations, on March 12th. I could not have done it without the help of the course. The course was not only great exam revision but reminded me why I did medicine in the first place!!!
Before I did the course I would have panicked on my neuro station but the patient with dermatomyositis and proximal myopathy at the course was great as I got a similar case in my exam.
I have recommended the course to those I work with when they are practising for PACES.
Thanks for the help of the whole PassPACES team!
Dr. Sethu Mani-Babu, MRCP, Maidstone Hospital.
I am writing to inform you that I passed the PACES exam in March on my first attempt. I scored full marks in 6 out 8 stations (including neuro and communication skills), which was all thanks to the teaching and the similar patients I encountered at the course. The teaching I had received enabled me to elicit the findings in the exam with ease. The tutors provided with many useful tips which were instrumental in my success. The course material and structure was excellent.
I would highly recommend this course to anyone preparing for their PACES exam.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart,
Dr Reema Jagdish, MRCP, Whiston Hospital, Merseyside.
I passed PACES at the first attempt with a score of 167/172. I found the PassPACES course extremely helpful; most of the cases that came up in my exam were very similar to cases used for teaching on the PassPACES course. Having this prior experience meant that not only was I able to swiftly identify the positive signs and arrive at the diagnosis, but I was also familiar with presenting the case and fielding the examiner's questions. The course also teaches how to approach the Station 5 cases, which are harder to prepare for than the other stations.
I would highly recommend this course - it was well organised, with a wealth of patients with clinical signs and expert tutors to help with presentation skills.
Dr Daniel Hammersley, MRCP, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals.
"I did the MRCP Ireland exam and I wanted to let you know that I passed with a score of 86/88!
I attended one of the earlier courses in May this year and sat my exam at the end of June. Attending an earlier course consolidated the information I learnt and gave me plenty of time to work on my weaker areas. It was also the perfect preparation especially when based in a more regional hospital without formal teaching.The mix of cases, along with the incredible calibre of tutors was amazing. Plus, I had seen all the cases I encountered in my exam during the days at the PassPACES course.
Thank you all so much again!"
Dr Rachel Byrne, MRCPI,
Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore
Dear Dr Bessant and all the staff of PassPACES,
I would like to thank you again for an excellent course. It seemed like a lot of money when paying for it, but after doing the course I had no doubt I had invested wisely. I am delighted to say I managed to pass both the PACES and MRCPI first time.
Without the course I am unsure whether I would have achieved such a feat.
Everyone rightly mentions the fantastic teaching but I would like to also praise how efficiently it was run, right down to the strategic tea breaks. This enabled maximum time to be assessed and see good cases.
Dr. Antoine Murray, MRCP(UK), MRCPI, St James's Hospital, Dublin
I attended the PassPACES course a month before my exam which was in Newcastle. I am very happy to let you know that I got through the PACES in my first attempt and feel very grateful to the Team of Lecturers, lead by Dr Rupa Bessant, who gave me confidence and the skills to face the exam.
I am very glad that I chose to attend your course as I feel it really gives you the passport to success in PACES, especially as an International candidate from Sri Lanka. Thank you very much!!
Dr. Ruwanthi Thakshila Jayasekara, MRCP, Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Sri Lanka
Dear PassPACES
I just wanted to say thanks so much for your help in September. I genuinely don't think I had any real concept of what the PACES exam entailed before I attended the PassPACES course. It hasn't just prepared me for PACES, but I feel like, by changing how I approach clinical assessment, it has improved my clinical practice as well.
I've got my results and I passed. Thanks for the preparation; and to all the tutors, thanks for the patience, encouragement and advice.
Kind regards
Dr. Ireti Adejumo, MRCP, Nottingham City Hospital.
I just wanted to say thank you for taking me through the PACES hurdle.
I honestly would NEVER have passed if it wasn't for the amazing array of patients you allowed us to be exposed to over the 4 days, rather than relying on my own patient "hunting" around the wards.
Cardiology was BY FAR my weakest station and I was thrilled after getting full marks after seeing so much cardiology over the duration of the course. Although my history station was difficult I still passed it by applying the basic yet reproducible skills the course taught me.
So thanks again to you and the team...now to enjoy the summer :)
Dr. Philippa Rohman, MRCP, Royal Free Hospital, London.
I am emailing to say ‘Thank you’ to all the PassPACES team for the teaching I received at a recent course in September (9th to 12th).
Fortunately, I passed on my first attempt of PACES, and I am glad I picked this course. Dr Bessant was great and I learned a lot from her. I hope others achieve the same success, and I will, of course, recommend the PassPACES course to others. It was full of many signs that came up in my exam.
Worth every penny!
Have a great Christmas,
Dr. Aisling Lavery, MRCP, Belfast City Hospital
I am happily emailing to let you know that I passed my PACES exam! I really have to thank you for putting together such a thorough and well-run course. It was unbelievably productive for preparing for the PACES and it framed the rest of my revising for the exam. It was definitely worth the cost of the course and I will recommend the course to anyone preparing to sit the exam.
I am starting a ST3 post in cardiology at Imperial College in the autumn. Fortunately, I can start without difficulty now that I have passed the PACES!
Dr. Naeema Ginwala Hasan, MRCP, Addenbrooks Hospital, Cambridge.
I graduated from Sri Lanka and came to the U.K. for my overseas training. I got through the PACES exam in first attempt and this is because of your course and your book as well. I am thankful to all the hard working dedicated teachers on the PassPACES Course for their guidance and to the patients as well.
This has been the best course ever in my career and I will recommend it to anybody sitting their PACES exam.
Dr. Ganeshalingam Sriram, MRCP, Luton & Dunstable Hospital.
I would like to thank the course organizers for the successful conduct of the PassPACES Course, which helped me greatly in passing MRCP.
Having attended multiple PACES preparatory courses prior to the PassPACES course, I dare say that your course is one of the best I’ve attended.
The course was intensive and targeted, the organizers were incredibly experienced and the patients were very knowledgeable with regards to their condition. I was pleasantly surprised by the extensive variety of cases available to us.
I left the course feeling ready and prepared for the June PACES diet, and sure enough, I passed on my first attempt.
PassPACES was an absolutely fantastic learning experience, for which I am very grateful. I will certainly recommend the PassPACES course to all who wish to pass PACES.
Dr. Tan You Jiang, MRCP, Singapore General Hospital.
I just wanted to let you know that I passed the MRCPI clinical exam.
The PassPACES Course was fantastic!
It was extremely well organised and made all the difference for me on exam day! Dr Bessant and her team were outstanding. I attended the course three weeks before my MRCPI exam and I felt it gave me enough time to put what I had learned into practice. During the course I saw examples of all the cases I had in my exam.
I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this course to anyone, as it is thanks to PassPACES that I was successful on my first attempt.
Dr. Breda Hennessey, MRCPI, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin
I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that I passed the FRACP (Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of Physicians) examination.
The turning point in my preparations was the PassPACES course and the shear variety of clinical cases boosted my knowledge base and instilled a much greater confidence in me. I particularly liked how patients gave feedback on our clinical skills at each station and their personal insight (and passing tips) was golden. The clinical lectures were stimulating and relevant.
I am highly recommending the trip for next year’s cohort.
Hopefully our paths will cross again soon,
Dr. Eoin O'Dwyer, FRACP, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney.
I sat for the PACES in October and Passed!
Thank you all so much for the targeted teaching and the excellent array of cases you arranged to show us.
This was my first attempt and being a relatively new UK doctor, and an overseas medical graduate, it could not have been possible without your course.
Thank you all so much.
I always treasured the words you said on the last day 'Dr.Hakim, You have it in you. You will pass.’ Even though I failed your mocks, I learnt from the feedback of Dr Ford, and prepared myself better because of that. Your words had also given me the confidence I would have otherwise lacked.
Thank you and may God bless you.
Dr. Rubyyat-A (Ruby) Hakim, MRCP, James Cook Hospital, Middlesborough.
I am from the Singapore contingent from the September PassPACES Course. I am pleased to inform you that all 3 of us practising at my hospital (myself, Lim Lee Yen, and Tay Sok Boon) have successfully passed the exam.
Thank you for organising this very well run course, which provided a good range of cases with classical signs that we do not often see in the wards.
Preparing for Paces forced me to integrate clinical experience and knowledge and the course came at the right time to help me consolidate what I have studied.
I am sure future participants will benefit as much as we did!
Dr. Yinghao Lim, MRCP, National University Hospital, Singapore.
Dear Dr Rupa and the whole PassPACES team,
A million thanks!
We would like to give you the good news that we both passed our PACES exams in Singapore!
The PassPACES course is excellent at delivering good teaching in a short period of time. The tutors really gave very good tips and comments on our examination technique and presentation skills, which I thought was truly helpful towards our preparation for the examination. There were a wide variety of patients with different conditions at the course, which provided fantastic revision for the PACES examination.
We are so happy that we attended this course, without which we may not have been able to pass the examination first time round.
Thank you so much and all the best!
Drs May Anne Cheong and Jonathan Lum, MRCP, Singapore General Hospital
Dear Dr Bessant and PassPACES team,
I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for all the guidance and support at your very well organised revision course. I passed my PACES exam on my first attempt! Who could ever imagine!
The PassPACES Course was very intense, but absolutely necessary to put things right and build up my confidence.
I feel my faith in medicine has been restored and I have become a better doctor for my patients.
Thank you so much once again for helping me through and wishing you continued success in your work.
Dr. Iason Thomas, MRCP, Singleton Hospital, Wales
It gives me great pleasure to announce that I have passed both MRCP(UK) PACES and MRCPI clinical exams on my first attempt!
I must say it’s all thanks to the guidance and encouragement at your course that I was able to fly through the examination stations. The course highlighted my weak areas, allowing me to focus my revision according.
I really think that your course was the sole reason for my success in the final chapters of the membership exams and for that, you have my utmost gratitude.
Also, I just wanted to say that you were such a great motivator and a teacher that I felt like a better doctor every time I left the doors of the teaching premises after each course day.
Dr. Rahul Kapoor, MRCP(UK), MRCPI, University Hospital Waterford, Ireland
I am happy to report that I passed PACES exam on this occasion!
May I pass my particular thanks to Dr Rupa Bessant for organizing the perfect structure of this PACES course, inviting the teachers of top level, and bringing all the variety of typical cases!
Having attended several courses, I agree with the opinion that it is the best course to prepare for PACES and gives a high chance to pass the exam! I found a mock exam very useful, and believe that it helped me to get a high mark on the station 5 in my exam.
I do recommend this course to my colleagues.
Dr Marianna Selikhova, MRCP, University College London Hospitals.
I'm just writing to say thank you so much - I passed PACES, with full marks in several stations, which I can't quite believe! I attended the PassPACES Course in February, and I’m sure that without the PassPACES Course and the Pocketbook I wouldn't have been so successful.
I really enjoyed the PassPACES Course, not only for the sheer volume of patients and signs it allowed me to witness, but also because of the approachable and knowledgeable lecturers who themselves were so passionate and inspiring (especially Dr Charlotte Ford and Dr Fink).
The entire PACES process has also reminded me how much I enjoy clinical medicine and teaching others.
Once again, I wanted to say thank you very much for your teaching and guidance.
Dr. Sumeet Hindocha, MRCP, St Mary’s Hospital, London.
Dear Dr Bessant,
I wanted to thank PassPACES for a fantastic course that really helped me in my preparation for my PACES exam. I passed with a score of 170/172.
The high intensity of patients with signs and the useful tips we were given along the way were all great. It was particularly helpful in my neurology station in which I had a patient with myotonic dystrophy but with subtle facial signs. I started with my screening tip that I learnt from the course, got my answer straight away and smiled to myself (on the inside) as I went through the rest of the exam!
Thanks again for all your help and best wishes,
Dr. Jemima Finkel, MRCP, Newham University Hospital, London.
‘Dear Dr. Bessant and other PassPACES team members,
I am glad to say that I passed PACES exam. I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. This course has immensely helped me especially during the stress of the exam. The variety of cases, a lot of clinical signs, very well structured program all deserve double thumbs up. I have attended other courses but none of them stand up to the PassPACES course. I think the wonderful thing about this course is that you get to examine all the patients yourself.
Thank you once again for putting things in perspective and helping me pass the exam.’
Dr. Aarthi Surendran, MRCP, Darent Valley Hospital.