MRCOG MODULE SUMMARY
The Part 1 MRCOG covers the basic and applied sciences relevant to the clinical practice of O&G. This
page summarises the syllabus, explaining what you’ll need to know for the Part 1 MRCOG exam.
Modules 2, 4 and 19 are not examined by the Part 1 MRCOG.
Module 1: Clinical skills
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Patterns of symptoms and understand the importance of risk factors
Pathological basis for physical signs and clinical investigation
How to interpret results of clinical investigations
Module 3: Information technology, clinical governance and
research
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Principles of screening, clinical trial design (multicentre, randomised controlled trials, etc.) and
the statistical methods used in clinical research
Levels of evidence, quantification of risk, power of study, level of significance, informed consent
and ethical and regulatory approvals in research
Principles of safe prescribing, quality control in medicine and the accuracy of tests
Module 5: Core surgical skills
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Underlying physiology, pathology and biophysics of basic surgical skills
Methods of measuring clinically important physiological variables, including the range of
imaging techniques
Basic clinical skills in core surgical practice
Pathophysiology underpinning fluid and electrolyte balance, coagulation, control of blood flow,
wound healing, inflammation and immune response, including tissue grafting
Pathology, management and epidemiology surrounding surgical complications, infection,
infection control and trauma
Module 6: Postoperative care
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Applied clinical science related to the postoperative period, including physiological and
biochemical aspects of fluid balance, the metabolism of nutrients after surgery and the
biochemistry of enzymes, vitamins and minerals
Organisms implicated in postoperative infections and the therapies used to treat them
Therapeutic drugs used perioperatively, including analgesics and thromboprophylactic agents
Histopathology of the pelvic organs, the breast and the endocrine organs, including the pituitary
and the hypothalamus
Classification systems of gynaecological and obstetric conditions
Module 7: Surgical procedures
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Surgical anatomy of the pregnant and non-pregnant female, including anatomy of the abdomen
and pelvis, detailed functional anatomy of bones, joints, muscles, vasculature and the lymphatic
and nerve supply of pelvic structures, including the genital, urinary and gastrointestinal tracts
and the pelvic floor
Functional anatomy, including mechanisms involved in continence, pelvic support and sexual
response
Impact of surgery and anaesthesia on the cells, tissues and organs, including the body’s
responses to trauma, haemostasis and homeostasis
Properties and effects of analgesic and anaesthetic agents
Module 8: Antenatal care
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Maternal anatomical, endocrine and physiological adaptations occurring in pregnancy
Pathology of major organ systems, including the common haemoglobinopathies and connective
tissue disorders as applied to pregnancy
Screening tests commonly performed in pregnancy
Fetal abatomy, including abnormalities, embryology, endocrine function and physiology
Normal fetal physiology and development, together with the aetiology of fetal malformations
and acquired problems, including abnormalities of growth; this will include regulation of
amniotic fluid volume and fetal interaction with the amniotic fluid
Development and function of the placenta in pregnancy, with specific knowledge of how the
placenta handles drugs
Principles of inheritance and features and effects of common inherited disorders
Basic ultrasound findings in pregnancy
How to define and interpret data on maternal, neonatal and perinatal mortality
Impact of maternal health and other variables, e.g. social deprivation, on pregnancy outcome
Module 9: Maternal medicine
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Epidemiology and pathological processes that underlie common maternal diseases in
pregnancy, including diabetes and endocrine, respiratory, cardiac and haematological disease
Pathophysiology and presentation of common infections that affect pregnant women and the
treatments and interventions used for these infections
Drugs used to treat maternal disease, and the potential maternal and fetal complications
associated with their use
Imaging methods used to screen for maternal and fetal complications of maternal disease, e.g.
ultrasound, X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging, and how to interpret their results
Module 10: Management of labour
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Physiology, biochemistry and endocrinology of parturition, including maturation of the fetal
endocrine system, the influence of hormones on signaling pathways in the myometrium and the
biochemistry of myometrial contractility
Principles of tocolysis and stimulation of uterine contraction
Fetal physiology in late pregnancy
Fetal assessment in late pregnancy and labour, and how to interpret the results
Placentation and the implications of infection on labour, and the optical therapeutic options
Module 11: Management of delivery
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Anatomical adaptations of the pelvis and abdomen in late pregnancy and labour, and the
mechanism and physiology of childbirth and the third stage of labour
Aetiology and pathology of congenital and bone malformations of the genital tract
Mode of action of drugs used in labour, at delivery and in the third stage of labour
Indications for and risks of operative delivery
Biochemical basis of acid–base balance, normal fetal physiological changes in labour and how to
interpret fetal and cord blood analysis
Female perineum and principles underlying the management of perineal repair
Module 12: Postpartum problems (the puerperium)
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Physiology and structural changes in the neonate
Physiology of lactation, uterine involution and the pathology and management of puerperal
sepsis and infection
Common puerperal complications, including mental health issues
Postpartum contraception and other drugs used postpartum and during lactation
Module 13: Gynaecological problems
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Anatomy, physiology and histopathology of the pituitary gland and female reproductive tract,
including an understanding of changes at puberty, at menopause and during the menstrual
cycle, including ovulation
Epidemiology, microbiology and therapeutics of benign gynaecological conditions, including
infection
How to interpret results of commonly performed investigations for benign gynaecological
conditions
Principles of medical and surgical management of gynaecological problems
Module 14: Subfertility
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Epidemiology of subfertility and treatment
Anatomy, development, function and cell biology of the organs of the male and female
reproductive tracts in the context of their relevance to fertility and its disorders
How to interpret results of investigations commonly performed as part of the investigation of
subfertility
Module 15: Sexual and reproductive health
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Physiology, endocrinology, epidemiology and pharmacology of contraception
Epidemiology and serology of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the microorganisms
involved, the drugs used in their treatment and the pathological features of STIs
Termination of pregnancy, including assessment, Fraser competency, surgical management and
the drugs used in medical termination of pregnancy
Module 16: Early pregnancy care
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Basic sciences pertaining to early pregnancy and its loss, including the endocrine aspects of the
maternal recognition of pregnancy, the luteal maintenance of early pregnancy and the
physiology of fetomaternal communication
Aetiology and histopathology of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and trophoblastic disease
Diagnostic features of ultrasound used in early pregnancy, the epidemiology of pregnancy loss
and the medical agents used to manage pregnancy loss (miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and
trophoblastic disease)
How to interpret the results of investigations used in early pregnancy problems
Module 17: Gynaecological oncology
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Surgical anatomy of the abdomen and pelvis
Cellular biology of cancer, genetic origins of cancer and principles of diagnosis and screening for
gynaecological cancer
Pain pathways, transmission of pain centrally and pathology of pain in gynaecological
malignancy
Epidemiology and aetiology of cancers affecting women
Pathology of and classification systems for gynaecological cancer and premalignant
gyanecological conditions
Principles of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the management of gynaecological cancer and
their effects on gonadal function
Module 18: Urogynaecology and pelvic floor problems
You’ll need to demonstrate knowledge of:
Structure of the bladder and pelvic floor and their innervation
Mechanisms of continence and micturition and principles of pelvic floor support
How congenital anomalies, pregnancy and childbirth, disease, infection and estrogen deficiency
affect these mechanisms
Principles underlying the treatment of bladder and pelvic floor problems and the impact of
other drugs on bladder function
