Blogs > Postgraduate Qualifications

Overview of FRCR, Clinical Oncology

• October 27, 2020

If you are an international Clinical Oncologist and you are planning to work at Registrar level within the UK – you will need to obtain FRCR Clinical Oncology and a pass in IELTS or OET.

To obtain FRCR Clinical Oncology, you will need to pass FRCR First, Final FRCR (Part A) and Final FRCR (Part B)

If you are an international Medical Oncologist and planning to work at Registrar level within the UK – you will need to obtain MRCP and a pass in IELTS or OET.

Did you know that an estimate of 1 in 2 people in the UK are likely to be diagnosed with a malignancy in their lifetime? For this reason, the NHS needs both Medical and Clinical Oncologists now more than ever.

---

Cost of FRCR Clinical Oncology

1. FRCR First - £145 for each module, a total of £580 (non-members)

2. Final FRCR (Part A) - £404 (non-members)

3. Final FRCR (Part B) - £577 (non-members)

FRCR First Examination Format

The exam comprises of four different papers in the form of single-best-answer (SBA) questions.

Modules

1. Cancer Biology and Radiobiology

2. Clinical Pharmacology

3. Medical Statistics

4. Physics

You will sit the four papers over a course of two days.

You can sit the exam in Dublin, Edinburgh, Hong Kong, India, London and Manchester.

FRCR First Examination Resources

Single-Best Answer Questions

Examiners’ Report
 

Final FRCR (Part A)

This exam expects doctors to possess a wide knowledge of malignant disease and the management of patients with cancer. The main emphasis within this exam is on radiotherapy and drug therapy, but a good knowledge of general medicine, surgery and gynaecology is expected.

This exam consists of two separate papers each consisting of 120 single-best-answers, each lasting for three hours.

Modules

During this exam, you will be tested on breast, lung, CNS, lymphoma, ENT, Urology, Upper Gastrointestinal, Lower Gastrointestinal, Gynaecology, Skin, Miscellaneous.

You will be examined against the training curriculum for clinical oncology and the clinical oncology syllabus.

You can sit the exam in Edinburgh, Hong Kong, India, London, Manchester and Singapore.

Resources

Single-Best Answer Questions

Examiners’ Report
 

Final FRCR (Part B)

The Final FRCR (Part B) comprises of five clinical stations and eight structured oral assessments. Each station will be independently marked by two examiners.

The thirteen stations are considered as a whole to generate you a pass or a fail. This means you cannot pass one part of the exam, for example, clinical only.

Clinical Exam

The purpose of this exam is to test your ability to examine patients appropriately and detect the presence or absence of physical signs. You will be required to interpret physical signs and to develop an appropriate differential diagnosis and management plan.

You can sit the exam in Edinburgh, Hong Kong, India, London, Manchester and Singapore.

Oral Exam

The purpose of the oral exam is to test your ability to discuss complex issues and observe your performance of complex procedures such as the interpretation of radiological images, pathology reports, other clinical material and modify radiotherapy treatment plans.

Sample Oral Questions

Revision Resources

Books

Molecular Biology of Cancer: Mechanisms, Targets and Therapeutics

Radiobiology for the Radiologist

Walter & Miller’s Textbook of Radiotherapy: Radiation Physics, Therapy and Oncology

Principles and Practice of Oncology (Cancer: Principles & Practice (DeVita)

Khan’s Lectures: Handbook of the Physics of Radiation Therapy

Online Resources

FRCR Oncology Revision Notes

FRCR Clinical Oncology

Question Banks

Cambridge Cancer Medicine Online

---

Do you need support securing an NHS post?

If you are an international medical or clinical oncologist and you need support in relocating to the UK and joining the NHS – we can help you! Email your CV to [email protected] today.

Are you a member of our Facebook Group?

Are you a member of our Facebook Group IMG Advisor?

Join today to gain access to frequent relocation blog posts, the opportunity to ask questions and receive professional support and the chance to meet other IMGs.
 

---

References

Rcr.ac.uk. (2020). First FRCR Examination | The Royal College of Radiologists. Online] Available at: https://www.rcr.ac.uk/clinical-oncology/examinations/first-frcr-examination [Accessed 5 Mar. 2019].

Rcr.ac.uk. (2020). Final FRCR Part A Examination | The Royal College of Radiologists. ] Available at: https://www.rcr.ac.uk/clinical-oncology/examinations/final-frcr-part-a-examination [Accessed 5 Mar. 2019].

Rcr.ac.uk. (2020). Final FRCR Part B Examination | The Royal College of Radiologists. ] Available at: https://www.rcr.ac.uk/clinical-oncology/examinations/final-frcr-part-b-examination [Accessed 5 Mar. 2019].

Originally Published: 06/03/2019
Updated: 27/10/2020