The MRCS examination (and its equivalents) requires a broad spectrum of knowledge which the candidate is expected to have assimilated at the end of basic surgical training. The examination comprises MCQs, a clinical exam and a viva voce and is an entrance requirement for higher surgical training. The new edition of this popular title has been updated and expanded (especially in the Orthopaedic section) to provide a concise but comprehensive and well illustrated coverage of the key information required by surgeons approaching the end of their basic training.