Top 10 Common Mistakes in MRCGP SCA

A few months into her ST3 GP training, Dr. Sarah found herself staring blankly at the clock. She’d spent nearly ten of her twelve minutes gathering history from Mr. Patel, but now there was hardly any time to agree a plan—and she’d barely scratched the surface of what he was really worried about. Her heart raced as she realized she’d jumped straight into medical jargon, missing out on the furrow in his brow, and almost walked away without checking his understanding.

That evening, she reflected on how easy it is to let nerves, overconfidence or time pressure derail a consultation. What if she had paused to listen more? Kept an eye on the timer? Picked up on non-verbal clues? With practice, she could turn these slip-ups into habits that both calm her and reassure her patients.

Preparing for the MRCGP SCA can feel overwhelming. Consistent and progressive preparation is vital for this journey. I thought to share a few common mistakes that I have observed with candidates, and I also discuss how to mitigate such situations in this blog.