The pass rate for Queensland is approximately 75-80% which is same as the overall Australian pass rate. Remembering that the Part I pass rate is approximately 50% (but variable) can occasionally help to ease some of the pre-exam jitters (didn't work for me).

Most of the people that fail the part 2 exams usually do so at the written rather than the vivas.

The exam is aim at making sure that you are a safe anaesthetist and that you can handle a critical situation safely and confidently. They want you to be able to demonstrate the ability to prioritise, to approach complex problem or crisis in an organised, logical and consultant like manner.

There are certain exam techniques and special phrases (Appendix K) which should be mastered beforehand to ease the tension but like everyone that you will talk to - there is no substitute for knowledge and hard work.

A study group is definitely worthwhile and you should start getting through the MCQ book about 9-12 months before the designated sitting date. It is better to concentrate mainly on the SAQ and MCQ exam first and then after the written, the vivas, medical cases and investigations.

Anaesthesia -    Cardiac (for non-cardiac surgery, Mx of Heart Tx pts + basic cardiac surgery)
                        Thoracic + Trauma, Chest drains + bottle systems, One lung surgery
                        Respiratory diseases
                        Airway management (very important), failed intubation, surgical airways
Neurosurgery - aneurysm clipping, Mx of ICP rise.
                        Orthopaedic, esp prone spinal surgery, unstable neck management
                        Vascular – esp AAA and carotids – precautions, physiol derangement, techniques
                        Paediatric  including fluid management, neonatal surgery, difficult airways
Burns + Plastics
Opthalmological – acute open globe, blocks and precautions with anaesthesia (i.e. eye damage / blindness)
Renal Failure, Oligouria intraop, Renal Transplants
GIT and the full stomach, cricoid pressure and aspiration prevention
Liver Failure, Liver resection surgery
                        Urology, TURP syndrome, ESWL
                        ENT – shared airway, laser surgery, airway fire.
                        O&G – esp. PIH, antepartum obstet mx and analgesia
                        Endocrinology – thyroid, phaeo, adrenal problems especially
Radiology / MRI / Interventional radiology – problems with remote anaesth
                        DSU – techniques, restrictions/limitations and discharge criteria
                        Neuromuscular and Uncommon diseases – include kyphoscoliosis
                        Acute and Chronic pain topics
                        Regional Anaesthesia – latest controversies, nerve stim, complications, pros/cons
                        Ethics - JW and blood, NFR orders, Anaes Mates with drug/other  problems

Anaesthesia related areas :        CPR - Paeds and Adults
                                                EMST
                                                Recovery room problems
                                                Morbidity and Mortality
                                                Complications of Anaesthesia - MH, Anaphylaxis
                                                Pre-operative (esp cardiac) assessment
                                                Crisis Management - including airway, COVER
                                                ICU, toxicology and related topics - smoking, ETOH and drug abuse
                                                Transfer of patients – see ICU college guidelines
                                               
Anatomy             Regional anaesthetic technique – including uncommon blocks, esp for chronic pain
                        Appropriate to insertion of invasive lines, i.e. great veins, antecubital fossa
                        Arterial and venous trees
                        Bone anatomy – i.e. Spine/vertebrae, varies holes in the skull and its contents
                        Cranial nerves
                        Spinal cord - nerves and dermatomes, all the plexuses
                        Larynx, Nose and Pharynx – really, really well
Bronchial anatomy
                        Special areas of Anaesthetic interest - see Ellis and Feldman


Equipment             History (very little needed)
                        Ventilators
                        Vaporisers
                        Circuits
                        Measurements, Gas analysis
                        Gas delivery
                        Airway and related stuff
Warming equipment, techniques and modes of temperature measurement

Pharmacology            anything from the primary related to practical daily use: if you pick up a drug and inject  it, you need to know major facts about it (not minutiae)
                        Latest anaesthetic agents
                        Resuscitation drugs and how to make them up (e.g. Isoprenaline, SNP, Dantrolene)

Physiology            Obstetric physiology
                        Anaesthesia in the morbidly obese, elderly
                        Major basic cardiac concepts and respiratory physiology
                        Fluids & Electrolytes, Blood and complications
                        Acid Base

Colleges (both ANZCA and Intensive care) Policies and Guidelines - most recent updates.
Anaesthetic Mortality report and its recommendations.
Royal College (UK) of Anaesthetist guidelines on NSAIDs

There are as many books as there are opinions regarding which ones are the best. It is cheaper to borrow and photocopy than to buy (but you can’t tax deduct this way). If you know someone who will pass the exam in the distant future, line them up for all the books and other materials that they have got. Also, do not forget that the College does have a wonderful library and a fantastic and helpful librarian (Ms. Shanti Nadaraja) who will send books to you for "free" (remember that $ 900 annual training fee) by overnight couriers and also they include a pre-paid return bag for pick-up from almost anywhere you want in Brisbane. Keep an eye out for the library section in the quarterly college bulletin for popular books and new ones. The ones which I personally believe are good value are highlighted (doesn't mean you have to buy them).


Anaesthetic (all topics) Text books          
Anaesthesia by Miller
Anaesthesia and Co-existing disease by Stoelting
Anaesthesia by Stoelting, Cullen and Barash
A synopsis of Anaesthesia by Lee, Rushman and Atkinson
Anaesthesia by Morgan and Macau
Textbook of Anaesthesia by Aitkinhead and Smith
Paediatric Anaesthesia by Brown and Fisk (don't but it)
Paediatric Anaesthetic Handbook by Steward
Companion to clinical anaesthesia exams by Corke and Jackson (great short summaries but beware there are faults in the book)
Ophthalmic Anaesthesia by Smith and Hamilton
ICU manual by TE Oh 
Obstetrics Anaesthesia by Chestnut
Booklets from CECANZ - past MCQ's have came from there
ASA (American) Refresher course - the most recent two editions
Australasian Anaesthesia 1992-1996 (The Blue book)
Gold Coast MCQ bank by Brandis - most recent one - ABSOLUTE ESSENTIAL!!

Equipment textbooks
Equipment for anaesthesia and intensive care by Russell
Understanding anaesthetic equipment by Dorsch and Dorsch
Anaesthetic equipment by Fred Rosewarne from Royal Melbourne (MAKE SURE YOU GET THE EXTRA ADDITIONS of his book from the people that has recently been to THE MELBOURNE COURSE )
Ward's anaesthetic equipment by Moyle and Davey

Anatomy and Regional Anaesthesia
Anatomy for anaesthetist by Ellis and Feldman
Last Anatomy by ??
Instant anatomy by ??
Techniques of regional anaesthesia by D Bruce Scott
Illustrated handbook of local anaesthesia by Eriksson
Regional Anaesthesia by McQuillan and Sheplock (good pictures and complications)

Medicine and surgery for answering MCQ book
Medicine by Davidson
Principles of internal medicine by Harrison
Lecture note on Clinical Medicine by Rubenstein & Wayne (cheap and easy to read)
Current surgical diagnosis and treatment by Way - most recent edition
Apply system of Orthopaedics and Fractures by Apley and Solomon
Practical paediatrics by Robinson and Robertson
Other people old answers – beware!! It can cause more headaches.

Other Useful textbooks
Crisis Management by Gaba and Fish
Crisis Management Manual from Australian Patient Safety Foundation (free)
GPO Box 400 Adelaide SA5001 (“Dear Sir, Please can I have one?…)
Positioning in Anaesthesia by Martin
Clinical cases in anaesthesia by Reed
Anaesthesia secrets by Duke, James and Rosenberg
Anaesthesia for neurosurgery by Cottrell and Smith
Anaesthesia for thoracic surgery by Benumof
Complications in Anaesthesiology by Gravenstein and Kirby
Examination medicine by Tally and O'Connor (the green one)

EMST manual from the course – ESSENTIAL reading
Don’t forget that many examiners also teach EMST: they like hearing “standard” trauma approaches
A collection of remembered part II vivas and questions they ask - ask recent candidates
A collection of SAQ is also floating around - see appendix A

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