ABSTRACT
In some ways, the clinical examination is neglected in terms of preparation by a large proportion of candidates. Our clinical work involves diagnosing and managing patients as well as dealing with varied clinical scenarios so it is not uncommon for candidates to feel confident, perhaps overly so, about passing the clinical component of the MRCPsych examination. Another reason which can result in poor performance in the clinical component is a lack of preparation due to inadequate time, and perhaps poor training and supervision. There is a tendency for candidates to wait for the results of the written paper before beginning to practise for the clinical examination. This leaves barely two weeks in which to get oneself ready for the last hurdle as a senior house officer.
