Interview with Mina Rizk

This article is from a transcript of an interview with Dr Mina Rizk, a candidate who passed the FRCR 2B exam in March 2023. He tells us about his FRCR journey and what helped him in various stages of his journey.

Q: Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your career to date?

I'm from Egypt, from a town called Tanta, north of Cairo. I work as a specialist in General Radiology in a hospital called American Hospital, as well as a private centre. I’m interested in Gastrointestinal Radiology. I started my FRCR journey in 2013, passed Part 1 and 2A in 2015, and sat for my 2B exam in 2018 for the first time but failed. Due to COVID-19, I ended up sitting for it the second time in March 2023, and this time, I passed.

Q: Could you take us through your FRCR journey?

I started FRCR in 2013 after my senior doctor advised me to take it. I was excited about FRCR as it is an international study and qualification. I started in 2013, but I had some difficulties because of the waiting list for 2B. However, I think now this is not a big problem as there is no waiting list currently. So, I just finished the 2B exam in 2023, and I am happy about that.

For Part 1, I studied by myself but took a course three months before the exam. It was a simple course in Egypt for both anatomy and physics, just for revision. For the 2A exam, I took no courses and studied by myself, using books like 'Master Pass' and 'Get Through' for single best answers. For 2B, I found Revise Radiology very helpful. I attended several viva courses and had the FRCR 2B Written Subscription and found them very helpful.

Q: Please could you tell us a bit about how you prepared for the FRCR?

I passed the 2A exam in 2015 and first attempted 2B in 2018, so there was a long gap. Then I entered the exam again in 2023. During this time, I tried several preparations and courses, like Revise Radiology, as well as some written packets for rapid reporting and long cases. I also used online resources like FRCR Scholar and RAD exams. But I think Revise Radiology is enough. It has about 80 packets for rapid and 30 for long cases. I found the level of difficulty very similar to the exam. I scored 7 for rapids, 6.5 for the longs, and 5.5 and 6 for the Vivas.

Q: What were the main challenges when sitting the FRCR exams as an overseas candidate?

The challenges included getting a visa and travelling to the UK to take the exam. Now the exams are held in Egypt and India, which is good. The main challenge was the long waiting list, which made it hard to enter the exam quickly. Booking the exam requires good internet and should be done very quickly.

When I sat the Part 1 exam in 2013, the teaching materials were not sufficient. But I think things are different now, and materials are more available. For Part 2B, I found plenty of teaching materials online, especially from Revise Radiology.

Q: How has passing the FRCR changed your life?

First of all, I'm so proud to have this international qualification, and it has made me more confident. I passed the exam just two weeks ago.

Q: How has Revise Radiology helped you in your FRCR Journey?

I used Revise Radiology mainly in the two months before the exam. I answered two Rapid Reporting packets and one Long Case packet every day. I found the rapid reporting packets very similar to the exam. I got seven in rapids. The 2B Viva courses also helped me very much.

Q: Would you recommend Revise Radiology to someone sitting the 2B exam?

Yes, the platform of Revise Radiology is similar to the exam. It has a lot of rapid reporting packets, 80 packets, which is enough for preparation. The long cases, 30 packets, are also very good. The degree of difficulty of these packets is very similar to the exam.

Dr Mina Rizk had the FRCR 2B Written Subscription, and attended several FRCR 2B Online Courses with Revise Radiology.