The College is delighted to announce the appointment of three new chairs to lead the Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists examination. 

 

Dr Roger Sharpe has been appointed Chair of FRCA. Dr Emily Simpson takes on the role of Chair of Primary, whilst Dr Claire Means has been appointed as Chair of Final.  

Dr Sharpe has been an examiner for 12 years and was previously chair of the Primary FRCA. He has a strong interest in medical education, he has held various education roles in his career and has an MA in Clinical Education from the Institute of Education.  Roger feels that his time as an examiner has been one of the most satisfying and rewarding commitments and he has dedicated much time to this endeavour.  Dr Sharpe says, “I am committed to ensuring inclusion and diversity of leadership roles to ensure the best examiner faculty to meet the future challenges.” 

Dr Simpson was previously Chair of the OSCE where she led a large team dedicated to the development of that component, in particular simulation, and was an active member of the examinations review group. She says, “I consider the group of examiners as one of our exam’s biggest assets and I recognise that these are colleagues who voluntarily dedicate their time and expertise to construct and provide a robust and valid exam for our anaesthetists in training.” 

Dr Mearns was previously joint lead for the Final FRCA MCQ, leading on the development of that exam towards a Single Best Answer question format.  Claire understands the key role examiners play in the development of exams and says, “Our examiners are a really precious and valuable resource and need to feel valued.  I would like to work closely with the college to ensure the best exam productivity and examiner experience.” 

The College is also pleased to announce the appointment of Vice Chair of Final, Dr Arun Krishnamurthy.  

Roger, Emily, Claire and Arun received the RCoA President’s Award in September 2021 for their tireless work on the exam during the pandemic, which entailed changing the OSCE and SOE components to online exams in order that they could continue to be delivered despite government restrictions.