It is easy to be confident that an appropriate body of advice is available to candidates about the content of an examination once you have passed it. Prospectively, the Primary and Final Examinations of the Royal College of Pathologists will appear to most to involve the assimilation of what seems at the time an inexhaustible volume of data, and the recent change in the College examination system has not diminished this concern for the majority of candidates. The guidelines for training for the new Part I examination state that this is the "major hurdle of the MRCPath" and it is clear that it will determine whether candidates are suitable for training which will permit them to practise independently as consultants after Part II. These general aims and objectives do not answer questions such as "How much do I need to know about glomerulonephritis?" or "Where do I stop with the lymphomas?" This text attempts to resolve the difficulty of knowing what standard to aim at, using College questions as its starting point. It concentrates on the essential basis of any single answer; many candidates for the new three-year examination will know more about individual topics than is stated here. However, it is the breadth of information required which is a feature of College examinations and this text should help with this problem.

Preparation for the Examination

Pathology Textbooks and Journals
Application for the Final Examination
The Written Examination
General Preparation
Essay Format
Essay Plans
MRCPath Essay Questions (1969-1989)
Sections
1. General Pathology
2. Neoplasia
3. Lymphoreticular System
4. Alimentary Tract
5. Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems
6. Endocrine System
7. Renal Pathology
8. Central Nervous System
9. Osteoarticular Pathology
10. Reproductive System
11. Dermatopathology
12. Miscellaneous
13. Short Notes Questions
The Written Examination: Practical Aspects
The Practical Examination
Presentation
The Necropsy: Preparation to Examination Standard
The Necropsy: Procedures
Removal of Organs
Systematic Dissection
Presentation of the Post Mortem
Writing the Report
Special Techniques
Paediatric and Neonatal Necropsies
Surgical Pathology Slides
Recommended Approach to Examination of Sections
Assessment of the Clinical Information
Naked Eye Examination
Writing the Report
Types of Cases Used in the Examinations
Preparation for the Surgical Histopathology
Material Sources and their Utilisation for Surgical Pathology Revision
Current Literature
Routine Surgical Reporting
Specialised Pathology
Cytology
General Principles in Examination Preparation
Approach to Cytology Specimens
Screening Technique
Cytological Reports
Standards in Cytology
Common Cytological Specimens in Examinations
Gynaecological
Non-gynaecological
Surgical Dissection and Macroscopic Examination
Preparation for Surgical Dissection
Special Stains
Necropsy Histology
Mounted Museum Specimens ('Pots')
Case Discussion or Clinico Pathological Correlations
Electron Micrographs
Cryostat Sections.-The Viva Voce Examination
The Examination Itself
Notification of Results
Envoi
Reference List of Major Texts
Additional Reading/Reference List
Teaching Courses in Histopathology and Morbid Anatomy
Professional Societies and Associations
Regulations Regarding the Examinations for Membership (Medically qualified candidates)
Regulations Regarding the Examinations for Membership (Candidates without a medical qualification).