Collection
Neurosurgery Training and Professional Development
Educational content from recorded physician discussions — not medical advice. Always talk to your child's care team about your child's situation.
Content of this collection
FRCS Neurosurgery Exam
2 items
Exam Structure and Strategy1 item
FRCS Neurosurgery Exam Explained in 2 Minutes
Watch →
Preparing for the FRCS Neurosurgery exam?
In just two minutes, I explain the key points you need to know about eligibility, exam attempts, and the format of Sections 1 and 2.
Watch until the end, save it, and share it with a colleague
video2:10 · Jul 2026
Foundational Knowledge1 item
Embryology Essentials For FRCS Neurosurgery Exam
Watch →
"Embryology of the CNS 🧠 can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be! 🚀
In this 15-minute video, I break down the essential concepts neurosurgeons need to know for exams like the FRCS—simple, clear, and clinically relevant. Whether yo
video15:26 · Jul 2026
Clinical Skills
2 items
Neurological Examination1 item
Frontal lobe examination
Watch →
Frontal lobe examination can be challenging, especially with time constraints in exam settings. However, with a simple, rehearsed framework, they can become surprisingly manageable.
Check out my suggested approach for frontal lobe exam in
video3:24 · Jul 2026
Common Presentations1 item
Clinical Approach to Back Pain: From Diagnosis to Treatment Strategies (4th Medical student)
Watch →
📚 Back Pain Lecture for 4th-Year Medical Students
In this lecture, we dive into the clinical approach to diagnosing and managing back pain. From common causes to evidence-based treatment strategies, you’ll gain practical insights to help y
video26:36 · Jul 2026
Research and Academic Skills
3 items
Research Methodology2 items
The IMRaD-Reverse Writing Method
Watch →
Most clinical research papers are not lost because of bad data. They are lost because we treat the writing as a separate job, saved for the very end, when the energy is gone and the blank page feels impossible.
This short walkthrough shows
video4:48 · Jul 2026
A systematic review and meta-analysis on chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as monotherapy or combined with azithromycin in COVID-19 treatment
Read →
Many recent studies have investigated the role of either Chloroquine (CQ) or Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) alone or in combination with azithromycin (AZM) in the management of the emerging coronavirus. This systematic review and meta-analysis of
article · Jul 2026
Career Planning1 item
Clinical Training vs Research: The Trade-Off Doctors Must Understand
Watch →
Taking time out of clinical training for research or a PhD can slow your practical progression, especially in surgery. But it can also develop research skills, leadership, critical thinking, and a new way of understanding evidence.
Neith
video1:04 · Jul 2026
Summaries and takeaways+ Show
Summary of this collection+ Show
Key points, with the moment each was said+ Show
Featured picks for families are being prepared — the summaries above are written for you.
Takeaways+ Show
For patients & families
Becoming a neurosurgeon requires years of training and rigorous testing. Doctors must work for at least six years before they can take the FRCS neurosurgery examination, which tests them at the level expected of a fully qualified consultant [e13626-c1, e13626-c18]. The exam has two sections: a computer-based written test with 240 questions, and a clinical section where candidates examine real patients and discuss cases with senior examiners [e13626-c6, e13626-c10, e13626-c11, e13626-c12]. Doctors have up to seven years to complete both parts, with a maximum of four attempts at each section [e13626-c4, e13626-c9, e13626-c15]. The clinical portion evaluates not just medical knowledge but also professionalism, judgment, and how doctors gather information and approach complex problems . Those who pass earn the title of Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and can use FRCS after their name . Beyond exams, neurosurgeons continue learning throughout their careers—including how to share their knowledge by writing research papers in a logical order that makes the writing process less overwhelming [e13631-c4, e13631-c11].
Becoming a neurosurgeon requires years of training and rigorous testing. Doctors must work for at least six years before they can take the FRCS neurosurgery examination, which tests them at the level expected of a fully qualified consultant [e13626-c1, e13626-c18]. The exam has two sections: a computer-based written test with 240 questions, and a clinical section where candidates examine real patients and discuss cases with senior examiners [e13626-c6, e13626-c10, e13626-c11, e13626-c12]. Doctors have up to seven years to complete both parts, with a maximum of four attempts at each section [e13626-c4, e13626-c9, e13626-c15]. The clinical portion evaluates not just medical knowledge but also professionalism, judgment, and how doctors gather information and approach complex problems . Those who pass earn the title of Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and can use FRCS after their name . Beyond exams, neurosurgeons continue learning throughout their careers—including how to share their knowledge by writing research papers in a logical order that makes the writing process less overwhelming [e13631-c4, e13631-c11].
The doctors in this collection+ Show
All expert statements+ Show
Every expert statement below comes from the recorded discussions, with its speaker and moment.
FRCS Neurosurgery Exam Explained in 2 Minutes
Candidates must have been qualified for at least 6 years to sit the FRCS neurosurgery examination.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position0:11 ↗
Candidates must be at the standard of their CCT or CCST.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position0:14 ↗
Candidates need 3 structured references from senior colleagues who know their practice.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position0:14 ↗
The FRCS neurosurgery exam has 2 sections with up to 7 years to complete them.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position0:23 ↗
Section 1 is written and Section 2 is clinical, and candidates must pass Section 1 before moving to Section 2.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position0:28 ↗
Section 1 consists of two single best answer papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2, each with 120 questions.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position0:38 ↗
Each Section 1 paper is 2 hours and 15 minutes in duration.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position0:38 ↗
Section 1 is computer-based and delivered at Pearson VUE centers.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position0:47 ↗
Candidates have a 2-year window from their first Section 1 attempt and a maximum of 4 attempts.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position0:51 ↗
Section 2 includes 2 intermediate cases with real patient volunteers conducted in 40 minutes.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position1:03 ↗
Section 2 includes 4 short cases consisting of structured clinical scenarios in 40 minutes.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position1:11 ↗
Section 2 includes 3 oral examinations, each 30 minutes in duration.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position1:16 ↗
The three oral examinations cover operative surgery and surgical anatomy, investigation of the neurosurgical patient including neuroradiology, and non-operative clinical practice of neurosurgery.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position1:16 ↗
The Section 2 examination assesses information gathering, professionalism, structured and logical approach, and clinical judgment beyond factual knowledge.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position1:28 ↗
Candidates have a maximum of 4 attempts at Section 2.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position1:42 ↗
Passing the examination results in promotion to fellowship of the college with FRCS post-nominals.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position1:45 ↗
Each year the highest mark at the first attempt earns the Norman Dot Medal.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position1:52 ↗
The FRCS neurosurgery examination is set at the standard of a consultant.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position1:57 ↗
The IMRaD-Reverse Writing Method
Most researchers are taught to write papers from the top down: title, introduction, methods.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position0:00 ↗
Many good research projects disappear during the writing phase, not at the idea or data stage.
Host summaryThe host summarizing a resource — not the host's own clinical position0:47 ↗
The introduction section is difficult to write first because it requires positioning findings against literature gaps before those findings are documented.
opinion0:34 ↗
Writing sections in the order research produces them (reverse order) removes friction and maintains momentum through to submission.
opinion1:30 ↗
The methods section should be written during data collection because it simply records what was done.
opinion2:10 ↗
The methods section is the easiest section to write because it documents actions already taken.
opinion2:23 ↗
Results should be written as the dataset fills up, describing tables and key numbers without interpretation.
opinion2:28 ↗
Literature gathered during initial project validation can be reused as the main body of references for the discussion section.
opinion3:00 ↗
The introduction is easier to write after results and discussion are complete because the story's ending is known.
opinion3:21 ↗
The abstract should be written last and follow the word count and structure of the target journal.
opinion3:29 ↗
The proposed writing order is: methods, results, discussion, introduction, abstract.
opinion3:53 ↗
Frontal lobe examination
For each lobe examination, general items include asking about patient's name, age, handedness (right or left), and orientation to person, place, and time.
clinical0:16 ↗
What's new+ Show