Membership CAI – OSCE and SOE Examinations
The Membership of the College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland (MCAI) is an internationally recognised high stakes assessment of anaesthetists in training knowledge.The MCAI is a national test of knowledge and skills as laid out in the MCAI curriculum agreed with the Irish Medical Council. The examination is embedded in the curriculum and anaesthetists in training may not progress to SAT 3 without possession of this examination.
Key Dates
Autumn examinations will proceed as per timetable below.
| Application Opening Date | Application Closing Date | Exam Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06 Sep 2022 | 11 Oct 2022 | 15,16 Nov 2022 | The Grand Hotel, Malahide |
| 16 Jan 2023 | 27 Feb 2023 | 28,29 March 2023 | The Grand Hotel, Malahide |
| 04 Sept 2023 | 09 Oct 2023 | 14,15 Nov 2023 | The Grand Hotel, Malahide |
Statement regarding new examination regulations
There will be 12 months notice to the changes in eligibility outlined in the new regulations published in Dec 2022. These will be implemented from Dec 2023.
Apply for Examination
Step 1:
Check if you are eligible to sit exam. You much be a registered medical practitioner, with a primary medical qualification acceptable to the Irish Medical Council, and have been employed as an anaesthetist for 12 months, prior to exam date. Please read the full Examinations Regulations (pdf)
Step 2:
Download reference template for your Head of Department to sign.
Step 3:
Prepare for Examination
Preparation Course. There will be no preparation course for the Autumn 2022 iteration of the MCAI OSCE examination.
The MCAI Course is designed to prepare candidates for the Membership OSCE/SOE examination. It is consultant led and aims to replicate many aspects of the OSCE and SOE exam experience and includes practice SOEs, practice OSCE circuits and examiner feedback. How to Apply to : Download and complete Application Form (.doc) This preparation course is open for applications shortly after applications open for the examination For more information contact exams@coa.ie after your exam application submission.
Reading Materials Here we have compiled a number of resources trainees have found useful for the MCAI. We hope this helps a little with your initial preparation for exams:
- Principles of Physiology for the Anaesthetist. Peter Kam and Ian Power. CRC Press
- Physics in Anaesthesia’. Ben Middleton. Scion Publishing. **Strongly recommended**
- Pharmacology for Anaesthesia and Intensive Care – Peck, Hill **Essential**
- Basic Physics and Measurement – Kenny
- Essentials of Anaesthetic Equipment – Al-Shaikh **Essential**
- Respiratory Physiology – West
- The Objective Structured Clinical Examination in Anaesthesia: Practice Papers for Teachers and Trainees – Mendonca, Balasubramanian
- The Physiology VIVA- Kerry Brandis (Australian book, need to order online http://www.anaesthesiamcq.com/vivabook.php) **Highly Recommended**
- Dr Podcast Scripts for the Primary FRCA – Leslie, Johnson
Websites http://www.wfsahq.org/resources/anaesthesia-tutorial-of-the-week http://www.dr-podcast.co.uk/podcasts.php?id=2 http://www.anaesthesiamcq.com/AcidBaseBook/ABindex.php http://cvphysiology.com/index.html Question banks https://www.pastest.co.uk/ http://www.onexamination.com/
Examinations Contact: Eoin Lumsden, exams@coa.ie
FAQ’s / Application Process
1.Your bank card details 2.Your digital passport-sized photo (jpg) 3. A signed Head of Department Declaration (pdf)
If you cannot have your head of department sign the letter please make sure your college tutor or your Human Resources department can verify that you have been employed as an anaesthetist for 6 months. The letter will also need to be officially stamped by your department.
No. You must be registered with the Irish Medical Council to work in Ireland. The CAI cannot help with this process. The IMC can be contacted at http://www.medicalcouncil.ie/
You do not need to be in a training post. You must be employed as an anaesthetist for 6 months prior to your exam application to sit Membership part 1 and 12 months to sit part 2.