6548 Clinical pearls group helping IMGs achieve their goal of MRCPCH membership

Objectives The MRCPCH clinical examination is career critical for UK paediatricians. Data from the RCPCH website shows consistent disparity in attainments between the International medical graduates (IMG) and UK trained counterparts, the former having worse outcomes in the clinical exams (e.g., 52.2% vs 92.0% at the February 2023 diet). Preparatory materials and support for the clinical exam vary across deaneries and may be less accessible to International Medical Graduates (IMGs) either in training or non-training UK posts or abroad. The Clinical Pearls group was created to address these inequalities, to boost confidence of IMG candidates and improve outcome for IMGs in the clinical exams. This has been done by creating safe online spaces for these candidates to hone their skills in preparation for the clinical exams. Methods From June, 2022 till October, 2023, the faculty which consists of IMG paediatric trainees have moderated 4 diets of exam preparation. Each diet spanned a 6–week period with online sessions tailor-made to address specific needs. Each diet consisted of week long introductory sessions that explained the different components of the clinical exam. Each session was two hours long and moderated by faculty members that had passed the MRCPCH Clinical exam. Mock exams were conducted after each 6–week epoch and they were designed similar to the RCPCH standards. Anonymised feedbacks were collated to assess candidate experiences. The Mock exams consisted of six (6) exam stations and simulated using examiner and role player model. Feedback for mock exams were given using the RCPCH Anchor Statements. Results Results: There were 75 candidates enrolled into the program over the 4 exam diets. 96%( n=72) rated the sessions extremely useful. The objectives were clear to all candidates 100% (n=75) and 96% (n=72) of them found the mocks extremely useful. 65.3% (n=49) of the candidates have passed the MRCPCH clinical exams. Consistent comments gotten from candidate feedback were ' excellent organisation of sessions and mocks', 'thorough systematic sessions' and 'encouraged critical thinking for candidates'. Conclusion This project has clearly demonstrated the benefit of targeted support for IMGs preparing for the MRCPCH clinical exam. Focused support sessions for IMGs at regional and national levels enhance success rates in the MRCPCH clinical exams. We hope to include one-on one mentoring as our capacity increases to help cater to the needs of candidates who struggle with learning in large traditional settings.