Following confirmation that the Federation of the Royal College of Physicians of the UK, of which RCP is a partner, had communicated incorrect MRCP(UK) Part Two exam results to a group of candidates who took the exam in 2023, the Registrar of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), Dr Omar Mustafa, has written to all RCP members.
Writing to all members of the Royal College of Physicians, Dr Omar Mustafa said:
Yesterday’s news that almost 300 of our colleagues were issued with the wrong 2023 MRCP(UK) Part 2 exam result is devastating. While MRCP(UK) is administered by the Federation of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK on our and the Scottish colleges’ behalf, the RCP is a key partner in that arrangement, and we apologise unreservedly to all the doctors affected.
There are so many questions that still need to be answered about how this issue was allowed to happen and that is why we are insisting on an independent review of the full exam process. We must do everything we can to ensure that our processes are as robust as possible so that something like this can never happen again.
The Federation’s immediate focus is on directly supporting the candidates affected, which we will of course be supporting from the RCP. The doctors affected are at different stages in their careers in the UK and internationally. We must work through this individually with them, their supervisors and employers. Every effort will be made to make sure that they are given support, including from a senior physician one to one, and that the impact on their career aspirations is minimised.
Telephone and email helplines have been set up – please do share these details with anyone concerned:
- email: Part2_2023enquiries@thefederation.uk
- telephone: +44 203 0751515 (8am–6pm (UK) Monday to Friday, and 9am–4pm (UK) Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 February).
This is devastating news for our early career colleagues and as the RCP registrar, an educator, and training programme director, my heart goes out to them. Working with our Resident Doctor Committee, I will be encouraging laser focus on this issue with a thorough and independent review. We will use the RCP’s full network – regional and global advisers, and college tutors – to give on the ground support.
We will keep you updated on next steps and please bear with us as we focus our efforts on supporting the doctors directly affected. In the meantime, my email is open.
Dr Omar Mustafa
Registrar
Dr Omar Mustafa
Registrar, global vice president / associate global director for Middle East and North Africa
