RCHT Postgrad Team hosts new format PACES exams

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust postgraduate program is excited about the successful “restart” of the Practical Examination of Clinical Assessment Skills (PACES) exams, which they organize on behalf of the Royal College of Physicians (UK).

Taking place over the weekend of 4 and 5 November, they mark a significant milestone as the first PACES exams held after the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

PACES are designed to test the clinical knowledge and skills of trainee doctors who hope to enter higher specialist training (ST3). The exam sets rigorous standards to ensure competence across a range of skills to ensure trainee doctors are ready to provide a high standard of care to patients.

Working in collaboration with colleagues at The Hub clinic, the ideal environment of its outpatient space, contributed to the smooth execution of this essential medical examination. The new PACES 2023 format introduces innovative elements, reflecting the evolving landscape of clinical assessment skills.

The weekend-long examination wouldn’t have been possible without the outstanding support from the postgraduate administrative team. Johanna Gilbert, Trudy Eddy, Katherine Martin, Leah Maclaren, Matt Metherell, and exam registrar Alice King all played instrumental roles in ensuring the seamless organisation of the exams.

“The dedication and hard work of our postgrad administrative team, in collaboration with the HUB clinic, have been integral in bringing the PACES exams back in the new 2023 format after the challenges posed by the pandemic. I’m so grateful for their fantastic support and of course for the hard work of our examiners and candidates on the day,” said, Dr Katja Adie, stroke and eldercare consultant, as well as host examiner for PACES at RCHT.

The PACES exams play a crucial role in assessing the clinical abilities of medical professionals. RCHT is proud to be a part of medical education’s progress by hosting this prestigious examination.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Allister Grant, added, “PACES exams come at an important in the training programme for doctors and we are delighted to be able to host them here at RCHT. We have a well-established reputation for our medical training, and the PACES exams complement our ambition to gain University teaching hospital status. I like to thank everyone involved for making such a success for our first post-pandemic exams.”