MCCQE Part I study plan

MCCQE Part I · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

Medical Expert (clinical assessment and management)

Build a one-page framework that sequences history, physical examination, and initial investigations for the 20 highest-yield presentations
Write 15 focused clinical notes from memory using the framework, then compare each against a standard reference
List your five weakest clinical presentations and rank them by frequency in general practice
Schedule two 90-minute blocks per week for the rest of the plan and protect them on your calendar

A one-page assessment framework plus 15 self-written clinical notes with a ranked list of your five weakest presentations

Week 2

Apply the framework to acute-care scenarios by writing management plans for 12 time-sensitive presentations
Justify each investigation you order by stating the question it answers and the action it would change
Practise interpreting 20 common laboratory and imaging patterns and state the next step for each

A 12-case management log where every investigation is paired with the decision it informs

Week 3

Draft a reusable structure for breaking bad news and obtaining informed consent
Role-play six difficult conversations aloud, recording yourself and noting two specific improvements per recording
Rewrite three clinical notes so a non-specialist reader can act on them without asking follow-up questions

Three recorded role-plays with a written self-critique identifying two concrete changes for each

Week 4

Practise 10 patient-centred interviews that open with an agenda-setting question and close with a teach-back
Identify and correct three habits that interrupt or redirect the patient
Summarize each interview in two sentences a colleague could act on

A communication checklist scored against 10 practice interviews, with a baseline score and target score

Week 5

Write structured referral letters for eight cases that state the question, the urgency, and what has already been tried
Rehearse five handover scripts using a consistent format and time each to under two minutes
Map the roles of the professionals you would involve in three complex cases and state what you would ask each to do

Eight referral letters and five timed handover scripts reviewed against a single rubric

Week 6

Resolve four simulated conflict scenarios by writing the opening line you would use and the interest you would explore first
Describe how you would delegate three tasks, naming the person, the standard, and the check-in point
Draft a quality-improvement proposal for one recurring problem in your setting, including a measure and a review date

A one-page quality-improvement proposal with a defined measure, baseline, and review date

Week 7

Explain three resource-allocation decisions by naming the competing priorities and the evidence used
Apply a system-level lens to five clinical cases by stating one resource, access, or safety consideration for each
Summarize one relevant policy or guideline in five bullet points and note how it changes your practice

Five case annotations linking clinical decisions to a system-level consideration, plus a five-bullet guideline summary

Week 8

Complete two full timed practice exams under exam conditions and score each domain separately
Review every missed item and write the correct reasoning in one sentence without looking at the answer
Revisit your week-one weakest-presentations list and confirm or revise each ranking
Write a final one-page summary of your three remaining gaps and the plan to close them

Two scored practice exams with a one-sentence rationale for every missed item and a final gap-closure plan

Week 2: Can state the next management step for 12 acute presentations without notes

Week 4: Communication checklist score improves from baseline on at least 8 of 10 interviews

Week 6: All eight referral letters and five handovers meet the rubric on first attempt

Week 8: Practice-exam scores are recorded per domain and every missed item has a written rationale