CSHK Part 2 EMQ study plan

Map the Domain 1 syllabus into a one-page topic tree covering general surgery core knowledge (GI, hepatobiliary, breast, endocrine, vascular, wound healing, sepsis, nutrition) and flag your three weakest branches

Review surgical anatomy and physiology of the GI tract and hepatobiliary system, then write a 10-line summary of each from memory

Practice 40 EMQ-style stems on wound healing, surgical infection and sepsis, and record your reasoning errors in a log

Consolidate general surgery core topics: hernia, gallbladder disease, colorectal disease, and upper GI conditions, converting each into a one-line diagnostic rule

Compare operative and non-operative management options for each of the above conditions and state the deciding factor in one sentence

Work through 50 EMQ stems across Domain 1 and classify every wrong answer by cause (knowledge gap, misread stem, or reasoning slip)

Finish the remaining Domain 1 topics (endocrine, breast, vascular, transplant basics) and self-quiz each from memory without notes

Apply the ABCDE primary survey and trauma resuscitation priorities to at least 15 written trauma scenarios

Distinguish damage-control surgery indications from definitive management and list the triggers for each

Cover emergency general surgery presentations (acute abdomen, perforation, obstruction, ischaemic bowel, appendicitis, pancreatitis) and write a differential for each

Practise EMQ stems on burns, head injury, chest trauma and abdominal trauma, timing yourself at 90 seconds per stem

Draft a personal algorithm for the acutely deteriorating surgical patient that you can recall in under a minute

Build a system-by-system map for Domain 2 (upper and lower GI, hepatobiliary and pancreatic, urology, vascular, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, cardiothoracic) and rate your confidence per system

For each system, write the three most likely diagnoses for a typical presentation and the single investigation that confirms each

Complete 60 EMQ stems across Domain 2, tagging each by system to reveal weak areas

Review perioperative assessment: risk stratification, preoptimisation, VTE prophylaxis, antibiotic prophylaxis and enhanced recovery principles

Work through critical care topics (shock types, fluid and vasopressor choice, ARDS, acute kidney injury, ventilator basics) and write a one-line management rule for each

Analyse postoperative complications (anastomotic leak, wound dehiscence, ileus, delirium, acute pain) and state the earliest warning sign and first action for each

Integrate Domains 3 and 4 by solving 30 mixed stems where a postoperative complication escalates into an emergency, justifying the first three actions each time

Rehearse the management of major haemorrhage, sepsis and acute respiratory deterioration in written scenario form

Audit your error log from weeks 1 to 6 and rewrite the ten rules you most often got wrong

Sit two full-length timed mock EMQ papers under exam conditions and score them by domain

Review every incorrect or guessed answer and convert each into a one-line recall cue

Revisit your weakest domain from the mock results and re-quiz only that domain until you reach your target accuracy