DDH is a condition full of grey areas and controversies - who needs screening? How, and when? Pavlik harness or rigid splint? When do you repeat the scan? Closed or open reduction? Osteotomy or not?...

Getting the answers "right" is not just a question of recalling the facts...it's about presenting your thoughts in a manner that sounds professional, considered and thoughtful. This podcast discusses all these issues and gives you the pointers you need.

You can book a place on Orthopaedic Research UK's one-day revision course in paediatric orthopaedics for the FRCS (Orth) exam here:

‘Paeds in one day’ FRCS (Tr & Orth) revision course | 25 March 2023 — Orthopaedic Research UK (oruk.org)

Most candidates hope they will never get asked about congenital hand "differences" (as they are referred to now), but because of their aetiology, associations, dramatic radiological imaging and clinical appearances, examiners find them hard to resist. But how much are you really expected to know about them? How do you describe/classify them nowadays? And how do you go about assessing a young child with such a problem when formal examination and tests are difficult or impossible to perform? Join us as we discuss all this and more with Lorenzo Garagnani, Consultant Hand Surgeon at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital and president of the Paediatric Hand International Society of Surgeons, and get a handle on how to make a good assessment of these potentially tricky cases in the exam.

You can book a place on Orthopaedic Research UK's one-day revision course in paediatric orthopaedics for the FRCS (Orth) exam here:

FRCS Paed-Ortho in a day — Orthopaedic Research UK (oruk.org)

We discuss exam techniques with Mr Rishi Dhir, Consultant Upper Limb Surgeon at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow and founder of letstalkdr.com, which specialises in teaching effective ways to present in oral orthopaedic exams. Hear about some novel and practical ways to structure your answers, move through the questions systematically, score well and even take control of the viva....change your mindset so the exam is more like an interview than a test.

For more information on the techniques discussed here visit the website:

Let's Talk Dr – FRCS Exam Courses And Orthopaedic Training Courses (letstalkdr.com)

To join Orthopaedic Research UK's one day intensive course in paediatric orthopaedics for the FRCS (Orth) exam, follow this link:

FRCS Paed-Ortho in a day — Orthopaedic Research UK (oruk.org)

The spectrum of paediatric spinal pathology is very different to that of adults, and requires a different approach and a different knowledge base. Because they are common, usually pain-free, and have good clinical signs and x rays, paediatric spinal cases are popular material in the FRCS(Orth) exam. But most candidates have not had the opportunity to gain a lot of clinical experience in paeds spines, and knowing how to impress the examiner can be hard. To discuss how to tackle this we are joined by Rex Michael, Consultant Spinal Surgeon at The Neuro Spinal Hospital in Dubai. Rex has a particular interest in paediatric spinal surgery having previously worked at the tertiary Sheffield Children's Hospital in the UK, and is also an examiner for the FRCS(Orth), so he is perfectly placed to advise candidates on what to learn and how to approach such cases.

You can sign up for the course here:

FRCS Paed-Ortho in a day — Orthopaedic Research UK (oruk.org)

Every candidate has choices to make about how to structure their revision. Should they join others and form a revision group? Are courses a good idea, and if so, which ones? Which topics should you concentrate on? And if you haven't done a paeds job as a trainee, how do you plug that gap? We are joined by Karen Shepherd who successfully passed the FRCS(Orth) in 2019, to hear her thoughts and advice on these issues, how she prepared, and about the cases she got in the exam.

You can sign up for the course here:

FRCS Paed-Ortho in a day — Orthopaedic Research UK (oruk.org)

Assessing paediatric cases in the exam can be daunting, especially if you have had only limited clinical exposure. The conditions, the solutions, the priorities and the clinical assessment are all very different to adult practice. In this podcast we share our top tips to remember when dealing with the paediatric cases and scenarios in the exam, based on what we have learned from teaching on revision courses for the past decade.

You can sign up for the course here:

FRCS Paed-Ortho in a day — Orthopaedic Research UK (oruk.org)

One of the big challenges in paediatric orthopaedics is the large number of situations in which there are several possible treatment options which are debated and/or controversial. Yet as a potential year one consultant, the examiner expects you to come up with a plan. So how do you handle that in a viva or clinical scenario? How do you answer questions on these controversial areas and pass? And how do you avoid saying something you live to regret? We are joined by our colleague and first-rate teacher Anish Sanghrajka (Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital) to discuss the ways to deal with these issues and safely to negotiate the minefield!

You can sign up for the course here:

FRCS Paed-Ortho in a day — Orthopaedic Research UK (oruk.org)

Presentation and exam technique are crucial factors in passing the FRCS (Orth) exam, especially in paediatric orthopaedics where the examiners are usually paediatric surgeons themselves. But what questions do the examiners choose? What do you need to say to pass? And what do you need to do to go from a 6 to a 7 or 8? What are the common mistakes candidates tend to make, and what do examiners really want to hear?

In this interview we ask answer all these questions and more in the company of Mr Tahir Khan, Consultant Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Stanmore, and FRCS (Orth) Examiner for the past 12 years...

Sign up for the course here:

FRCS Paed-Ortho in a day — Orthopaedic Research UK (oruk.org)