An Evidence-Based Clinical Textbook in Obstetrics & Gynaecology for MRCOG-2 2021

* High-quality color printing
* Same content as the original book
* Affordable alternative for personal reading
⚠️ Not an officially licensed or publisher-issued edition

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”
—Mark Twain
Surely, none of the obstetrician gynaecologist would desire that not making an effort to acquire MRCOG degree becomes one
of those things they did not do at a time when it would have been possible. Attaining the MRCOG degree has always been the
dream of many doctors. Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG) can be considered
as a gold standard, international qualification in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology and is often thought to represent
the zenith of one’s career. The book “An Evidence-Based Clinical Textbook in Obstetrics and Gynaecology for MRCOG-2”
is an attempt to bring together the fundamental topics related to clinical sciences, which are of prime importance for the
doctors who are planning to appear in MRCOG Part 2 Examination and wish to pursue their specialisation in obstetrics and
gynaecology in the UK.
Getting the MRCOG degree entails passing through a series of a three-part examination in which Part 1 is a written
examination, testing the candidate’s knowledge related to basic sciences. Part 2 examination is a written examination testing
candidate’s clinical knowledge pertaining to the speciality of obstetrics and gynaecology. Part 3 is a clinical skills examination
based on Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). For more details related to the MRCOG examination, kindly refer
to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) website, https://www.rcog.org.uk/.
“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you shall be successful.”
—Eric Thomas
There is no denying of the fact that the MRCOG, especially part 2 examination, is a difficult examination and requires a lot
of hard work and dedication on the part of the candidate. A fact remains that no book can replace the hard work the candidate
would be required to put in. However, this book would definitely help the candidate to study smartly by providing them with
the right amount of knowledge and guide them through the various nuances and finer aspects of the examination, enabling
them to emerge out successfully through the examination.
The second edition of the book “An Evidence-Based Clinical Textbook in Obstetrics and Gynaecology for MRCOG-2” has
been primarily inspired by the success of the first edition. Similar to the previous edition, the second edition has also adopted
an evidence-based approach, especially focussing on the current standards in health care. It helps in the amalgamation of
clinical expertise, patient values, and the best research evidence so that it can be used in the decision-making process for
patient care.
The second edition has been thoroughly updated as per the latest evidence-based guidelines as recommended by the
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG),
Green-Top Guidelines, etc. in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology. The book also covers the updated figures for maternal
and perinatal mortality as described by MBRRACE UK (2019).
The previous categorisation of the book into three parts: general, obstetrics, and gynaecology as well the pattern of previous
sections have been retained in this comprehensive new edition. This new edition comprises of 98 chapters, distributed into 17
sections and is based as per the current MRCOG-2 curriculum available from the RCOG website. Nevertheless, there has been
an addition of several new chapters such as thromboembolism in pregnancy, genetic disorders, postpartum collapse, Zika
virus infection, etc. COVID-19 and its management during pregnancy has also been discussed at length in this new edition.
Addition of online content is another new value-adding feature of this book. The book buyers would get access to more
than 250 questions (in form of EMQs and SBAs), which have been added in an interactive format on an online portal. This
additional content can be redeemed by using the scratch code going inside the front cover of the book. Besides a detailed
explanation, which is provided with each question, an 8–9-hour-long video discussing these questions and other tips and
tricks for clearing the Part 2 examination has also been added. The references of each chapter can also be accessed online
by scanning a QR code. In case the reader wants to obtain more information related to a specific online reference, it can be
clicked to access the actual journal article. This would also enable the reader to access the Green-Top Guidelines available
online and read them in its entirety.viii Preface to the Second Edition
The text in each chapter has been organised in the form of a predefined template, including headings such as introduction,
aetiology/indications, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, management, complications, and evidence-based medicine. A new
heading, titled ‘key features’, has been added to all the chapters in the new edition. This heading would help the reader in
summarising the chapter. Important topics in each chapter have been delineated with help of a specific symbol so that the
reader lays special emphasis on these topics. This style facilitates innovative learning and would enable the readers to quickly
revise just before the examination by taking a glance at the key features and portions of the text indicated with an icon of a
‘pin’.
Writing a book is a colossal task. It can never be completed without divine intervention and approval. Therefore, I have
decided to end this preface with a small prayer of thanks to the Almighty, which I was taught in my childhood.
“Father, lead me day by day, ever in thy own sweet way. Teach me to be pure and good and tell me what I ought to do.”
—Amen
Simultaneously, I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to all the related authors and publishers whose references
have been used in this book. Book creation is teamwork and I acknowledge the way the entire staff of M/s Jaypee Brothers
Medical Publishers (P) Ltd., New Delhi, India, worked hard on this manuscript to give it a final shape. I would especially like
to thank Mr Jitendar P Vij (Group Chairman), Mr Ankit Vij (Managing Director), Ms Chetna Malhotra (Associate Director—
Content Strategy), Ms Pooja Bhandari (Production Head), Kritika Dua (Senior Development Editor), Ashwani Singh (Assistant
Manager), Yogeshwar Pal (Medical Editor and Coordinator), Raj Kumar (Typesetter), Nitin Bharadwaj (Graphic Designer),
Sarvesh Singh (Proofreader), and Ms Seema Dogra (Cover Designer) for publishing the book.
I believe that writing a book involves a continuous learning process. Though extreme care has been taken to maintain the
accuracy while writing this book, constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.
Please e-mail me your comments at the e-mail address: [email protected]. Also, please feel free to visit my website
www.drrichasaxena.com for obtaining information related to various other books written by me and to make use of the free
online resources available for the doctors attempting the MRCOG examination.
Richa