Just like Internal Medicine, I always have a high degree of theoretical interest in Paediatrics. Paediatrics is very similar to Internal Medicine, it’s literally Internal Medicine in children. There’s a lot of overlap between Paediatrics and Internal Medicine, just that some conditions and presentations are more common in children while others are more common in adults.
I have consistently performed well in my Paediatrics rotations. During my clinical years in medical school, I kept struggling with the clinical assessments. But notably, I passed every single clinical assessment in Paediatrics. In contrast, I failed several of my clinical assessments in Internal Medicine and other specialties.
Later in housemanship, Paediatrics was one of the two postings (the other being Anaesthesiology) which I performed quite well, going through smoothly without any extensions. In terms of theoretical interest, I actually have a slight preference for Paediatrics over Internal Medicine. I even considered the possibility of taking the Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (MRCPCH) exam.
However, an important fact is that I am not suited for hospital-based practice and I really dislike it, so I cannot work in hospital Paediatrics as a Medical Officer. In fact, working in Paediatrics is even more challenging compared to Internal Medicine, due to the need to be ready for neonatal resuscitation at any time as well as the increased incidence of medico-legal issues.
Despite that, I still wish I can be involved in Paediatrics in another way, through Medical Education or General Practice (GP). I know that just like Internal Medicine, Paediatrics is an important part of Medical Education and GP. In January 2024, I found out that a postgraduate qualification is an essential requirement to be a Clinical Lecturer. The question was, should I take MRCP or MRCPCH?
I decided to take the Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians (MRCP), as it’s more “broad spectrum” and thus a bit more useful for Medical Education and GP. It would have been so great if I could take both MRCP and MRCPCH, but the amount of time and efforts required for that is way too much for me.
I took and passed the MRCP Part 1 in August 2024. While I was overjoyed about that, I still didn’t want to forget the MRCPCH. As I looked through the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) website at that time, I found out that the RCPCH actually offers 2 qualifications, the MRCPCH and the Diploma in Child Health (DCH).
Unlike the MRCPCH which involves 3 written exams (FOP, TAS and AKP) and the MRCPCH Clinical exam, the DCH only involves 1 written exam (FOP) and the DCH Clinical exam. MRCPCH and DCH share the same Foundation of Practice (FOP) exam. The DCH is a simpler intermediary qualification that doesn’t require too much time and efforts, and I find it a great qualification to get.
The DCH isn’t recognised as a specialist qualification by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) or UK General Medical Council (GMC). However, the fact is that MRCP and MRCPCH are recognised by the MMC and GMC only if you have completed an approved specialty training programme. Since I am not joining a hospital specialty training programme, my MRCP won’t be officially recognised anyway, much like the DCH.
Even without the official recognition, the MRCP and DCH are still valuable postgraduate qualifications. They provide evidence of my interest, knowledge and skills in Internal Medicine and Paediatrics, which definitely will enhance my credentials for Medical Education and GP.
In October 2024, I transferred to Klinik Kesihatan Ibu dan Anak (KKIA) Limbang. I see Paediatrics cases every day at KKIA Limbang, which deepened my interest in it. With that, I set my minds on taking the DCH in addition to the MRCP. I am confident that I won’t have much difficulties in passing the DCH Clinical exam, which is a simplified online version of the MRCPCH Clinical exam.
Right after I took and passed the MRCP Part 2 in March 2025, I started preparing for the MRCPCH/DCH FOP. Since there’s substantial overlap between MRCP and MRCPCH/DCH, I could leverage my MRCP knowledge to speed up my revision for the FOP. I revised consistently for 3 months. I did a lot of practice questions and read the relevant textbooks extensively.
Unlike the MRCP Part 1 and Part 2 which are held online, the MRCPCH/DCH FOP has to be taken at an exam centre. In Malaysia, the exam centres are in Kuala Lumpur and Kuching. I chose to take the exam in Kuching on 25 June 2025. I find the FOP exam moderately difficult and I am cautiously optimistic of passing it. The results will be released in 2 months. I am hoping for the best!
https://www.daniellimjj.com/2024/04/my-journey-towards-mrcp-uk-part-1.html
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