ANZCA Primary study plan

ANZCA Primary · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

Basic sciences relevant to anaesthesia practice & Anaesthesia

Map the basic-science syllabus into a one-page checklist of physiology, pharmacology, and physics topics
Derive and explain the physiology of oxygen delivery and consumption from first principles
Draw and label the dose-response curves for agonist, partial agonist, and antagonist drugs
Solve 20 calculation problems on gas laws, vaporisers, and flowmeters

A completed basic-science checklist plus a worked solutions sheet for the 20 physics/pharmacology calculations

Week 2

Explain the pharmacokinetics of intravenous induction agents using a three-compartment model
Compare the pharmacology of neuromuscular blocking agents and their reversal
Describe the physiology of the airway and control of ventilation
Write structured model answers for 5 short-answer pharmacology questions

Five timed short-answer responses (10 minutes each) marked against a self-built rubric

Week 3

Sequence the conduct of a general anaesthetic from pre-oxygenation to emergence
Explain the equipment and safety checks for an anaesthetic machine and breathing circuit
Describe the management of a difficult airway algorithm from memory
Practise 10 viva-style verbal explanations of anaesthetic techniques

A recorded 15-minute mock viva on general anaesthesia conduct, self-reviewed with a written critique

Week 4

Integrate basic-science principles into the explanation of regional anaesthesia techniques
Explain local anaesthetic pharmacology, toxicity, and lipid emulsion rescue
Compare spinal, epidural, and peripheral nerve block indications and complications
Complete 30 mixed basic-science and anaesthesia single-best-answer questions

A 30-question practice set scored with a written error log categorising each mistake by cause

Week 5

Classify pain by mechanism and describe the neurophysiology of nociception and sensitisation
Explain the pharmacology and safe prescribing of opioids, including tolerance and dependence
Describe multimodal analgesia strategies for acute postoperative pain
Outline the assessment and management of chronic pain syndromes

A one-page multimodal analgesia protocol for a major surgery, with referenced rationale for each agent

Week 6

Explain the physiology and management of acute pain emergencies such as neuraxial haematoma
Describe the perioperative risk assessment of common comorbidities
Explain enhanced recovery principles and their application to a major surgical pathway
Write model answers for 5 pain-medicine short-answer questions

Five timed short-answer responses on pain medicine, peer- or self-marked with a corrections summary

Week 7

Explain the perioperative management of diabetes, anticoagulation, and cardiac disease
Describe the recognition and management of perioperative critical incidents
Outline transfusion medicine principles and massive transfusion protocols
Practise 10 viva-style explanations of perioperative scenarios

A recorded 15-minute mock viva on perioperative medicine, self-reviewed with a written critique

Week 8

A completed full-length mock exam with a scored results sheet and a prioritised revision list for the final days

Week 2: Basic-science checklist at least 80% complete, with 5 timed short answers submitted and marked

Week 4: 30-question mixed practice set scored at or above 60%, with error log showing fewer than 5 unresolved gaps

Week 6: All domain-specific short-answer sets completed; pain and perioperative error logs reviewed and consolidated

Week 8: Full-length mock exam completed under timed conditions with a written prioritised revision list