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Tips to help you prepare for the Part A Membership Exam of
the Faculty of Public Health
1
Start your preparation
early.
2
Be prepared to do more work
than you think!
3
Work through the syllabus in a
systematic way ensuring you know something about everything
listed in the syllabus. Use the information supplied on the
Faculty website at:
http://www.fph.org.uk/exams/part_1/default.asp
4
If you tackle one major
topic a week over 6 months you will easily have covered
everything you need to know and have a month to revise
everything a second time!
5
This exam is all about
FRAMEWORKS, learn the Frameworks and use these to structure
your answers to questions.
6
Practising past-questions:
-
think logically - answer using common-sense
-
underline all the key words in the question and then
define them, this will help you decide which framework
to use
-
Use the model answers of old questions as a revision aid
-
Make notes from old questions as this will increase your
knowledge base
-
Don’t worry when you think you don’t know much about a
subject, others will be feeling exactly the same!
7
Small group working for
practising past questions:
-
read up on a topic area and have a vague idea about
which frameworks to use
-
select a question
-
cover up the answer and in 5 minutes jot down a
skeleton answer
-
then compare with the rest of your study group and
finally compare to the Faculty’s model answer.
8
Ensure you read the
following regularly:
With the BMJ and Health Service Journal start from 1 year
before you sit your exam. The reason for this is questions
cover the most relevant up to date Public Health issues and
these often appear in the questions. With regard to the BMJ
read ‘This Week’, the editorial section, 'News' and any
papers relevant to public health.
9
General sources of
information
-
Essential Public health - Donaldson and Donaldson: a
core text
-
Public Health Practice Resource Pack - Department of
Health, 2000: a brief summary of PH
-
Past FPH Exam Questions - available on website (see
below)
-
Any notes you may have from a previous MSc
10
Use the internet, it’s an
excellent way to gain up-to-date information:
http://www.fph.org.uk/
http://www.dh.gov.uk/ Department of Health
website, one of the best resources for up to date public
health information, worth visiting at least once a month to
look at the "what's new section"
http://www.nelh.nhs.uk/ - with access to: the Cochrane
library, to NICE to journals: Bandolier, EBM, & Effectiveness matters
http://www.hpa.org.uk/ - for up to date
information on communicable disease
http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/
- University of York NHS Centre for Reviews and
Dissemination, an excellent resource for evidence based
information, visit all parts of this website
http://www.nsc.nhs.uk/ - National Screening
Committee website
http://www.bmj.org/
11
DFPH final tips for the
written exam
-
Answer the Question!
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But also put in as much as you know about the topic
-
STRUCTURE is as important as knowledge
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PLAN answer carefully
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CIRCLE all major words in the question
-
Then BRAINSTORM on major words using frameworks & plans
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Define all terms in title or question
-
Use your common sense
-
State obvious: e.g.: osteoporosis – common problem, more
common in women than men, high cost if no prevention…
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If can’t answer, think ‘what is the Public Health issue
behind this question’
-
SHOW as much knowledge as you can
-
Use numbering and lists if appropriate
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Use capitals, subheadings and underlining to assist examiner
through your answer
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Re-read questions as you answer them, to check answering
correctly
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Mention examples & government papers/policies – OHN, Acheson
Report etc
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Allow yourself 10-15 minutes at the end to check answered
all questions and all parts correctly i.e. 3 out of 5 parts…
©
S Anderson 2006
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