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Last-2-Weeks Endocrinology Strategy (MRCP Part 1)

TL;DR

Your last-2-weeks strategy for Endocrinology (MRCP Part 1) should focus on consolidation, not expansion. Concentrate on Diabetes, Thyroid, Adrenal, Pituitary, and Calcium-Bone topics. Do daily question-based reviews, timed mocks, and pattern recognition. Use Crack Medicine’s QBank, lectures, and mocks to sharpen recall and eliminate errors.


Why this matters

Endocrinology contributes a reliable 10–15 % of the MRCP Part 1 exam and often overlaps with Cardiology, Nephrology, and Metabolism. In these final two weeks, your aim is efficiency — practising exam-style stems, revising hormonal axes, and mastering biochemical patterns.

Crack Medicine’s adaptive tools (QBank, mock analytics, and short lectures) are structured exactly for this sprint phase — helping you review high-yield material while maintaining confidence.


Five High-Yield Focus Areas

  1. Diabetes Mellitus (Types 1 & 2) — diagnostic criteria, insulin regimens, DKA vs HHS, microvascular complications.

  2. Thyroid Disorders — hypo/hyperthyroidism, amiodarone effects, postpartum thyroiditis, radioactive uptake findings.

  3. Adrenal Axis — Addison’s, Cushing’s, Conn’s, cortisol interpretation, ACTH stimulation test.

  4. Pituitary Lesions — acromegaly, prolactinoma, hypopituitarism, SIADH vs diabetes insipidus.

  5. Calcium–Bone–MEN Syndromes — hyperparathyroidism, vitamin D deficiency, Paget’s disease, MEN 1/2A/2B.

These domains frequently appear as integrated case questions. Recognising lab patterns (e.g. “high cortisol + low ACTH = adrenal cause”) often yields easy marks.


Ten-Day Consolidation Plan

Day

Theme

Key Tasks

1–2

Diabetes

Review diagnostic thresholds, insulin types, complications; practise 80 MCQs.

3–4

Thyroid

Re-do TFT interpretation tables; 1 timed mock + 60 MCQs.

5–6

Adrenal & Pituitary

Revise hormonal feedback loops; memorise Cushing/Addison differentiators.

7–8

Calcium & Bone

Flashcards + question drills; review MEN diagrams.

9

Full Mock

Attempt under timed conditions; analyse errors.

10

Mixed Review

Revisit top 100 marked questions and endocrine images.

Pro tip: avoid new PDFs or lecture slides. Focus purely on your own annotations — the brain recalls familiar formatting faster.


Flat-lay of endocrinology revision materials and digital mock tests representing the final 2-week MRCP Part 1 study strategy.

Mini-Case Example

Scenario: A 30-year-old woman complains of fatigue, weight gain, and constipation. TFTs:TSH = 18 mU/L, Free T4 = 6 pmol/L, Anti-TPO = positive.

Diagnosis: Primary hypothyroidism (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis).

Exam logic: Raised TSH + low T4 = primary failure; anti-TPO confirms autoimmune cause. Tip: In MRCP Part 1, if antibodies are mentioned, assume Hashimoto’s unless otherwise specified.


Five Common Pitfalls

  1. Starting new topics instead of reinforcing weak ones.

  2. Ignoring mixed-system questions where endocrine patterns hide in renal or cardiac cases.

  3. Skipping mock reviews — learning happens in analysis, not attempts.

  4. Confusing adrenal axis results (e.g., random vs morning cortisol).

  5. Overlooking drug effects — steroids, lithium, and amiodarone twist lab values.


Rapid Study-Tip Checklist

  • ✅ Spend 60 % of your day on question review, not fresh reading.

  • ✅ Practise 45–50 timed MCQs daily (via Free MRCP MCQs).

  • ✅ Summarise hormone axes using one-page diagrams.

  • ✅ Re-attempt missed mocks via Start a mock test.

  • ✅ Rewatch short endocrine lectures for quick recall boosts (see Crack Medicine Lectures).

  • ✅ Sleep ≥ 7 hours — recall plummets under fatigue.


Frequent Traps in the Exam

Trap

Correction

Treating every hypercalcaemia as parathyroid

Check PTH-independent causes (malignancy).

Mixing SIADH vs cerebral salt wasting

Assess extracellular volume.

Confusing insulin regimens

Know basal-bolus indications.

Forgetting cortisol timing

Use 9 am samples; random levels mislead.

Overlooking MEN patterns

Remember: MEN 1 = Pit-Pan-Para; MEN 2A = Med-Pheo-Para.


FAQs

1. How many Endocrinology questions are in MRCP Part 1?

Around 15–20 directly endocrine, but up to 30 including cross-system questions.

2. Should I study new material now?

No — consolidate and rehearse. New notes rarely translate to retained knowledge.

3. How many full mocks should I sit?

Two in the final fortnight, ideally spaced 4–5 days apart.

4. What’s the most efficient review method?

Timed practice + targeted error analysis using Crack Medicine’s QBank analytics.

5. Are image-based endocrine questions common?

Yes — especially adrenal imaging, diabetic retinopathy, and thyroid scintigraphy patterns.


Ready to start?

Your final two weeks should be sharp, structured, and confident. Visit the MRCP Part 1 overview to align your schedule, attempt Free MRCP MCQs daily, and finish with a mock test to confirm readiness. Crack Medicine’s clinician-led resources are built for this final sprint.


Sources

  • MRCP(UK) — Part 1 Exam Format

  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE): Endocrine and metabolic guidance

 
 
 

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