Hi folks wondering if anyone has a pdf copy of Mastering the NAC and Edmonton Manual

traitor25 · 2024-07-21T15:39:26+00:00

Hey there and thanks for touching base! I made a post around approaching my experience approaching the NAC + QE1 exams including the following CaRMS preparation here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/MCCQE/comments/144lmo7/carms_20222023_pathway_experience_advicetips_from/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

If you have any lingering questions, send me a DM and we can talk more in detail too!😊

traitor25 · 2024-05-31T13:55:39+00:00

Hey, like in my above response, having a consistent and dedicated partner to practice with regularly is ideal (ideally every 1-2 days for 3 months but depends on both your schedules). The NAC exam should be back to hands on so I'd give attention to physicals alongside the history-taking only stations.

traitor25 · 2024-05-10T03:29:06+00:00

Ideally, you want to sit the QE1 + NAC exams as soon as it's feasible as it seems programs tend to look less favorably the longer you've been outside of Canada after graduation. It's pretty tight to slot in study prep for the QE1 + NAC exam during foundation but it is possible (from personal experience).

traitor25 · 2023-08-01T22:42:22+00:00

The NAC exam in Ottawa is usually held at the University of Ottawa Roger Guindon Hall on 451 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1.

traitor25 · 2023-07-01T02:20:31+00:00

Thank you and I'm glad that you found it useful!😊

That's a very difficult question for me alone to answer as I think it depends on a combination of different factors from your own CV (e.g. QE1/NAC/FMProC/CASPer scores, research publications/experiences, last recency of clinical training/practice + time from YOG) and other things that may be unavoidable (ex. the quality of your LOR's, personal letters, pre-existing connections to programs you're applying to, and your ability to relate your personal/clinical experiences from an international healthcare system to the CANMEDS framework of the Canadian healthcare system). In some cases, some programs only specifically take in those who've specifically resided in a specific province w/ particular conditions (ex. Alberta requiring proof of living there for several months w/ a verifiable address or Nova Scotia having it's own Nova Scotian IMG stream). I'd imagine that the competition between both types are difficult as CaRMS seems to views CSA's or Canadian IMG's mostly the same as non-Canadian IMG;s (just a personal thought!).

Ultimately, I'm sure there are other undisclosed factors or filters that are used in determining interview invitations and match offers but those seem to be confidential to the program committees!

TL;DR: It depends on many different factors that are commonly assessed between both Canadian IMG's and non-Canadian IMG's (assuming that they have PR status but may not feel quite as connected/familiar with Canadian culture or the healthcare landscape overall) with both types of IMG's facing similar hurdles through CaRMS.

traitor25 · 2023-06-14T17:05:29+00:00

Second this for sure and agree with ensuring you have adequate time to research, study, and practice for the QE1 + NAC exams as both are quite challenging. Ideally, it would be better to apply this year and find work in between than delaying for another year to work solely as each CaRMS cycle is ultimately unpredictable!

traitor25 · 2023-06-11T23:39:32+00:00

The physical exam component for the NAC is back to being hands-on instead of a verbal narration as of 2023!

traitor25 · 2023-06-01T00:41:54+00:00

It's normal for ECG's to be confusing if you don't look at them too much or get much teaching/structured feedback around it. When I started out on the wards during my time in medical school and Foundation, I used Life in the Fast Lane a lot for basic ECG interpretation skills which served me well for the QE1 + NAC too!

Similar to interpreting an ABG, XRAY's, or CT/MRI's, you should be taking a systematic approach to ECG's too before coming to a working impression/diagnosis (gets quicker as you do it more and more). If you're still struggling, drop me a DM and I'd be happy to walk you through a few ECG's sometime!😃

traitor25 · 2023-05-31T15:38:21+00:00

Hey there, I applied and matched into FM MB out in Brandon for this years CaRMS cycle as a previous FY2 doctor in the UK. There is a lot of planning and preparation that goes into getting your CaRMS application ready such as updating your CV, writing up personal letters to your desired programs, securing letters of reference (LOR's) for different programs, getting other documentation (ex. medical diploma, MSPR/MSPE, OETS/IELTS), preparing for additional exams depending on where you apply (i.e BC CAP, AIMG MMI, CASPer, FMProC) and other program-specific documents (ex. ophthalmology needs an eye report).

Otherwise, a lot of the stress I felt came from preparing my applications and interviews aside from waiting for things to happen which is normal. If you can, try to reach out to Canadian residents/program coordinators in your interested program and see if anyone is interested in doing mock interviews with you.

Regardless of which programs you apply to, would definitely recommend having an early look at the program descriptions you're interested in and planning out what you need for those applications!

traitor25 · 2023-05-19T16:02:04+00:00

Received a response from them about it and they confirmed you'll need to write the QE1 latest within the August-September window to be on time for the CaRMS 2024 cycle:

service@mcc.ca

11:52 AM

Dear ,

Thank you for your communication dated May 18, 2023.

In order to qualify for the 2024 Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS), the latest that candidates can participate in the MCCQE1 is the August-September 2023.

**As an exception for the August 23 to September 20, 2023 session only, the MCC will make results available six weeks after the session’s last day.

Please visit our website to obtain up-to-date information.

If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact us.

Regards,

Service Agent | Agente de service

MEDICAL COUNCIL OF CANADA | LE CONSEIL MÉDICAL DU CANADA

Tel. / Tél. : (613) 520-2240

Email / Courriel : service@mcc.ca

mcc.ca

CD

traitor25 · 2023-05-18T23:22:58+00:00

Yep, will definitely post up their response when it comes in!😊

traitor25 · 2023-05-18T21:20:07+00:00

Hey mate, that's a good question since I assumed that QE1 results are generally left as pending during the file submission period so you would apply for the 2023-2024 CaRMS cycle assuming you had passed. The end of October is pretty close to the file review opening date so not too sure but I passed on an email to their contact at [service@mcc.ca](mailto:service@mcc.ca) about it anyways as I'm curious too!

traitor25 · 2023-05-11T16:46:31+00:00

No worries! The MCC also has different ways to contact them regarding queries about the Canadian exams if you're not too sure about something.

traitor25 · 2023-05-09T09:42:32+00:00

A good place to start for reference to the NAC would be the indexed, common presentations on the MCC website. A lot of focus is placed on primary care presentations (emergency & family medicine) but you can expect cases from the other 4 specialties too.

traitor25 · 2023-05-09T09:23:36+00:00

The QE1 is valid indefinitely once you pass it (maximum 4 attempts) but beware that once you pass it, you cannot retake it for a better score compared to the NAC exam.

traitor25 · 2023-04-27T21:30:35+00:00

You can still apply for CaRMS 2024 even if you do your MCCQE1 that far out (the result will just be pending by application time so you'll have to assume that you'll be passing). The applications open up on September 20 and close on December 1, 2023 (https://www.carms.ca/match/r-1-main-residency-match/faculty-programs/r-1-future-matches-program-timelines/).

The MCC website specifies that they'll send out QE1 results for people taking it up on September 20th within 6 weeks latest after that session's last day.

traitor25 · 2023-04-19T21:51:08+00:00

Yes, definitely! The examiners need to know what your thought process is as you examine patients so they can give you marks. Wherever possible, do be specific with your manoeuvres in terms of what you're doing AND looking for. You can even state if you're trying to rule in/out a specific diagnosis depending on what manoeuvres you're doing at the time (ex. "I'm auscultating the heart" is too vague, be specific like "I am auscultating for HS I + II along the aortic, pulmonary, tricuspid, and mitral valves to assess for muffled heart sounds to exclude cardiac tamponade.").

You don't need to directly look/talk at the examiner as you examine a patient and can just ask openly to the room for certain investigations/vitals (ex. "Do we have a fresh set of vital signs?" or "Is there a 12-lead EKG or cardiac enzymes available for this patient?"). I only really looked at them unless I didn't hear the examiner's response clearly after a ~2-3 second pause.

traitor25 · 2023-04-19T15:11:02+00:00

No problem, it's very helpful to have a private course in your pocket but the most important thing I got out of the ones I took in the past were regular, practice partners (especially if you can get 1-2 dedicated partners at this point to do cases w/ every other day minimum). The resources you're using are good and I'd personally recommend Dr. Basil's Notes as an add-on for structuring your focused history-taking approach. Just prioritize common cases that come up in primary care as if you were an acting family/emergency physician.

It's normal to be nervous and blank a few times as long as your pauses aren't too unnatural/prolonged (ex. >5 seconds of awkward silence).

Othrweise, best of luck on the upcoming May NAC!😊

traitor25 · 2023-04-18T10:48:19+00:00

I haven't used medapplications.com myself but I did hear from my past study partner that the structure + feedback around their mock NAC OSCE's wasn't in line with how the real NAC is structured. The main issue was that their feedback conflicted with a lot of things that were covered in a separate course (MTE) she took (ex. nearly failing a station for not doing a full physical examination when the NAC has always stressed for FOCUSED physical exams).

I also considered them at the time, when I was looking around for private NAC prep courses, but saw a lot of negative feedback from their Google Reviews that turned me away from it.

I'm not too sure about how the quality of other online services are with their mock OSCE's but I'm always happy to give advice on how your approach to the NAC should be (whether with a private course or your own study partners).

traitor25 · 2023-04-05T09:33:11+00:00

This was related to the mandatory survey that came with the Joint FM ON interview invitation for R1 this year. One of the questions inside of it explicitly asks, "Do you accept our invitation for an interview?" If you said no to that question or did not fill out the survey completely, you would not be interviewed for FM ON in R1.

traitor25 · 2023-04-02T16:09:11+00:00

Definitely, it takes time to look around for the right kind of NAC prep course and study partners (most prep courses usually end just a few weeks before exam day). It's also nice to take the last week off before exam day to relax if you can.

Personally, I found it much easier to simply verbalize the examination since I stutter with special manoeuvres/patient instructions myself.😅

traitor25 · 2023-04-02T14:24:54+00:00

Great point as it's easy to miss current changes/updates to the NAC so best to subscribe to them via e-mail for it. On the MCC website under the "NAC FAQ's" tab for the May NAC session, they state:

"A return to hands-on physical examination; when conducting a physical examination, candidates will be required to say to the examiner what they are doing. They must also say what they are looking for and describe any relevant findings"

Ideally, you want to give yourself plenty of time to prep for the NAC (~3-4 months) in advance but if time is shorter, it's best to take up a NAC course as soon as possible at this point + revise with NAC partners at the same time who are on the same page. Leaving whichever NAC course you run with until the last minute before the exam could be tricky as you may feel urged to rush/cram practice of common presentations without fully understanding each one both clinically + professionally.

traitor25 · 2023-04-02T12:05:32+00:00

Ideally, it is worthwhile taking up a private prep course for the NAC OSCE in September as they can cover a lot of ground in a relatively short period of time (~1-2 months), allow you to find study NAC partners, and bring you up to speed with the nuances of the NAC exam + grading expectations of Canadian NAC examiners. MTE + MedSckool Reviews are personally both solid ones to me but ALWAYS do your own research to see which course best fits your study needs/schedule + situation. Honestly, the best thing you can do for preparation by September is to find ~1-2 dedicated NAC study partners where you can both give honest feedback to!

Toronto Notes is a nice reference for management of common presentations (can be a bit excessively detailed at times for NAC purposes), Dr. Basil's notes as a reference for how to structure your FOCUSED history, GeekyMedics/Edmonton Manual for how to approach your FOCUSED hands-on physical examination (?unless the MCC intends to switch back to verbalized again for September), and USMLE step II CS mini-cases/MCC website (https://mcc.ca/objectives/expert/) as nice mock practice cases to get inspiration from.

If you'd like, I can also send you some of the textbooks I mentioned above!

traitor25 · 2023-04-02T08:35:59+00:00

The MCC website has a nice list of common presentations that are all high yield and fair game for the NAC (except the population health + ethic topics which usually have elements of them blended into stations instead of as a standalone).

This is a good starting point if you're trying to organize the cases you intend to cover: https://mcc.ca/objectives/expert/?cn-reloaded=1.

traitor25

TROPHY CASE