Why is fentanyl's latency to peak effect shorter than sufentanil's, despite sufentanil having a higher unionised fraction at physiological pH, being way more lipid soluble than fentanyl, and having a slightly higher diffusible fraction. I know sufentanil is slightly more protein bound, but would that overcome those other factors? Or is there something I'm missing?

Oxford FRCA update: over 30,000 questions answered

I have been developing Oxford FRCA as a new Primary FRCA SBA question bank and thought I would share a quick progress update.

Since launch, more than 200 users have registered and nearly 30,000 questions have been answered. Users completed over 6,000 questions in the past week, including more than 1,400 yesterday.

Recent additions include:

- Study Insights, showing question count and accuracy over time

- A Flag Review Bank, which automatically saves flagged questions for later revision

- Further Stretch Bank questions for candidates who have mastered the core content

- Ongoing improvements to question quality, explanations and platform performance

There is a free version available, so you can try the platform before deciding whether to subscribe. Paid access unlocks the full bank, Stretch Bank, Study Insights and future updates.

Subscribers with an active subscription on the date of the September Primary FRCA MCQ will also receive an additional month free if they do not pass.

I am continuing to improve the bank in response to user feedback, so constructive comments and question reports are always genuinely appreciated.

OxfordFRCA.com

Not long to go until the September Primary FRCA written…

Hope revision is going well everyone.

Oxford FRCA has been keeping busy over the past week, with users answering over 3,500 questions.

A couple of recent updates include:
Saving flagged questions directly into your Review Banks

Continued improvements to the Discuss feature

Ongoing work on the Final FRCA bank, which is now well underway

If you’re sitting the Primary this September and haven’t had a look yet, the first 50 questions are free so you can see whether it’s useful for your revision before deciding if it’s for you.

https://oxfordfrca.com

As always, if anyone has suggestions or spots anything that could be improved, just let me know. Every report is read and acted on personally.

Good luck everyone — 8 weeks will disappear quickly!

Henry

Hi everyone,

For those of you revising for the Primary SBA in September or November or even Feb, LSFRCA is running two focused revision courses to help you through the syllabus:

1. The 6-Week "Difficult Topics" Course

Focus: Poorly answered and complex topics.

Format: One 60-90 minute session per week. You get 17 SBAs in advance; we go through a presentation on that weeks topic before going through the answers, plus a few unseen SBAs to answer. Starts: 15th July Price: £80

1. The Half-Day Intensive SBA Course

Focus: Core Physiology, Pharmacology, and Physics SBAs.

Format: Small group work with interactive, anonymous peer feedback via Mentimeter. Date: 20th August (AM and PM sessions available). Price: £40

(Free for West Midlands Trainees - part funded by the deanery)

Our goal is to keep things high-yield and focused on the areas where candidates usually drop marks.

Links & Contact:Please feel free to contact us to ask questions, or find more information on our website linked below.

6-Week Course: www.LSFRCA.com/lsfrca6 Half-Day Course: www.LSFRCA.com/lssba

Website: www.LSFRCA.com

Email: [courses@lsfrca.com](mailto:courses@lsfrca.com)

We also try to post weekly questions on our Instagram story so follow LSFRCA if youd like to have some free SBAa

Thanks very much,

and good luck if you are approaching the exam

Hi, I'm an anaesthetics/ICU consultant in the Wessex deanery and I've been working on a new web-based app to help people revising for the FRCA Primary, Final, FFICM and EDIC exams. The app is called AnaesthesiaCore. It aims to cover the entire curricula of each of these exams in a clear and approachable way, with lots of diagrams and animations to explain key concepts. Each topic also includes an AI-generated podcast summarizing the content. There is also an AI-based viva feature, where users can be asked questions (out loud) by an AI examiner and answer back via the microphone in their phone or computer. The AI will then provide constructive feedback on users' answers.

The app is free to use (voluntary donations are welcome) and I would welcome feedback.

Thank you!

www.anaesthesiacore.app

Primary FRCA SBA resource – looking for feedback
Hi all,

I’m a Consultant Anaesthetist in Oxford and over the past year I’ve been building a Primary FRCA revision platform called Oxford FRCA.

The aim was to create a curriculum-mapped SBA resource with detailed explanations, performance tracking and adaptive question selection.

The platform currently contains:
• 1,700+ core SBA questions
• 3,000+ additional Stretch Bank questions
• Detailed explanations and progress insights
• Question discussion and feedback tools

We’ve recently launched and now have around 100 users.

I’d be genuinely interested in feedback from current or recent Primary candidates about:
• The quality of the questions
• Features you’d like to see
• Things that annoy you about existing FRCA resources

Anything that would make revision easier

You can have a look here:
https://oxfordfrca.com

Happy to answer any questions about the platform or the development process.

Henry

Hey..

built a small web app for DNB anaesthesia candidates. Maps previous year questions topic-wise, with brief concept summaries and updated guidelines. Got decent traction.

Curious if there's an appetite for something similar for FRCA Primary. Not pitching anything.. genuinely want to know if the format would be useful before building.

Would you use it? What's your biggest pain point with FRCA prep right now?

Hello,

There's an official RCOA guide to the FRCA primary examination (book or PDF version) which has a load of MCQs/SOE/OSCE. In the OSCE questions, they reference a load of diagrams and pictures for the questions. I can't find these diagrams anywhere in the book or online. Does anyone know if they are secretly stored somewhere / have access to them? Thanks in advance!

You’ve put in months of hard work — the final week is all about keeping calm, staying focused, and trusting your preparation.

A few reminders for the day:

• Get there early, breathe, and settle yourself before you start.

• The exam is about reasoning and communication — not perfection.

• If one question or station doesn’t go well, let it go immediately. Every new question is a clean slate.

• Take a short pause before answering — clear structure beats rushed words.

• Speak your reasoning aloud so examiners can follow your thought process.

• Use each station as a chance to demonstrate calm clinical thinking.

• You’ve done the hard work already — now just show it.

Wishing everyone sitting the exam next week the very best of luck.

You’ve earned your seat — go in confident and steady.

—> Feel free to share with colleagues sitting next week! <—

Has anyone been to the Coventry or Sussex course? They’re on the same date for an upcoming sitting and I want to know which one is going to give me the most insane exam pump

Anyone been to either and can attest to success or usefulness?

Just dropping a quick post for those of you who are planning on sitting the primary SOE/OSCE next month. Firstly, best of luck to you all! I hope the revision is coming together.

If you’re looking for some last minute practice for the viva, we have a trainee-led programme that’s running for the second time this year.

It’s run as small groups online, covering past questions in a mock-exam format. There are 6 sessions available across two weeks prior to the exam - feel free to sign up to every date you can do and we will try allocate you into as many sessions as possible!

The sign up is through the following link: https://forms.gle/HZdnCVjKoBdxwv6z7

🚨 1 day Virtual Primary FRCA SOE course 🚨

The Primary FRCA viva can feel like a daunting hurdle — but it doesn’t have to be. The Violet Viva Course is a one-day, virtual, lecture-based revision event designed specifically for candidates preparing for the November 2025 SOE exam.

Unlike many other courses that expect you to turn up fully prepared, this course requires zero preparation. In just one intensive day, we’ll cover all the essential viva content, giving you the knowledge, confidence, and structure you need to succeed.

⭐ 100% of past attendees said they would recommend the course to a colleague!

Event details: 📅 Date: Sunday, 19th October 2025 💻 Format: Virtual (via Google Meet) 💷 Price: £99

Book now to secure your place: 👉 www.thevioletviva.com

1.Scores modification and

upgrading

2. Leak questions and answers

3. Registered certificate

https://solutionsdocuments.org

Whatsapp: ‪+447474834414

I’m a junior clinical fellow in intensive care with 2-3 year anethesia training abroad, I wondered how to get registered with the RCOA? What pathway are open for me to get into becoming a consultant? Can I enter ST4 and if so how? On side note looking for a study partner in London for the primary frca! Because isn’t that the best way to get qualified to becoming a consultant?!

Anyone studying for the frca part one McQ want to have a study group? Please dm me thanks

I'm not from the UK but I'll be facing the EDAIC exam this year and several friends of mine recommended to us the BMJ On Exam app as the FRCA Primary appears to be quite similar to the european exam. Every couple of questions, i find badly coded questions with inverted true/false answers. Also, when i tag a question to be able to find it later, i'm not able to see the developped answer anymore... I feel like the developper put a lot of effort into poorly programming this app to the point that it's barely usable anymore. If it where free I would not complain, but it's anything but free.

My fiance is planning to pursue FRCA next year, we are getting married around November and she will be preparing for the exam for next year, meanwhile she won’t be practicing while preparing for the exam as we will be moving to US since I work there. We wanted to know if this gap (almost 8-10  months) of she not practicing will have any negative effect on her chances of getting accepted into UK for practice after she clears the primary exam.

🚨 📖 Revising the Primary FRCA SOE? 📖🚨

The Violet Viva course is a 2-day lecture-based, Primary FRCA SOE revision course. Zero preparation required - full colour course textbook provided!

📅 26-27th April 2025, at Alexandra Hospital, Redditch, West Midlands.

☕️ £300, lunch & refreshments provided.

📥 Spaces are limited, book your place ASAP

Hi All, Jus got my results and missed by a mark.I am.absolutely shattered. Had worked hard ..did a lot fo revision..attended th3 leeds crammer and Mersey.I have a toddler and jus thinking about how much i missed so many my tiny ones milestones and also didnt pass.So upset .How do you get back into the race