Cardiothoracic Surgery (FRCS oral)
Sit your FRCS viva after rehearsing every answer out loud
Rehearse FRCS Cardiothoracic Surgery viva scenarios out loud against a senior examiner who probes your reasoning. Get instant, examiner-style feedback on every answer — as many times as it takes to sound fluent.
What is the FRCS viva, and how do you practise for it?
The FRCS viva is an oral exam where you defend your clinical reasoning out loud to a senior examiner. The most effective preparation is repeated spoken rehearsal — with MedMock you practise viva-style questioning against an AI examiner and get instant, examiner-style feedback on every answer.
Last reviewed June 2026
You can know the medicine and still freeze in the room
The FRCS viva rewards fluency under pressure. It is not enough to know the answer — you must articulate it clearly and in a structured way, while a senior examiner interrupts and probes further.
That ability comes only from rehearsing out loud against someone who challenges you. Yet willing seniors are scarce, mock vivas are rare, and rehearsing silently develops none of the fluency you need on the day.
FRCS viva practice, on demand
The JCST Intercollegiate Specialty Board exit exam (FRCS CTh Section 2) for UK cardiothoracic surgical trainees — examiner-led oral vivas across cardiac and thoracic critical conditions, operative surgery, general / outpatient clinical practice, and the candidate's declared sub-specialty. Anchored at SCTS / JCST / ESC-EACTS register with three-phase clinical → anatomy → pathology arcs.
MedMock gives you a senior examiner who probes your reasoning, available 24/7. Pick a question, have a genuine spoken conversation, and get instant, examiner-style feedback the moment you finish — scored against what genuinely matters in the FRCS. No rota conflicts, no study partner, no waiting your turn. Simply practise whenever you have ten minutes.
How it works
Choose a question
Pick from the real FRCS questions — all 8 of them, or let MedMock surprise you the way exam day will.
Have the conversation
Speak naturally, out loud. The AI examiner listens, follows up and probes further, exactly like the viva.
Get instant feedback
The moment you finish, you get specific, examiner-style feedback and a score — what you did well, what cost you marks, and precisely what to fix before the next attempt.
Why candidates practise with MedMock
Practise out loud, any time
No study partner, no booking, no rota clash. Open MedMock at 6am or midnight and run a full question in minutes.
All 8 questions, endless variations
You will never simply memorise answers. Each run is different, so you build the real skill — adapting in the moment.
Examiner-level feedback in seconds
Know exactly where you lost marks and how to address it, instead of guessing why a mock session went poorly.
Turn nerves into muscle memory
By the time you sit the FRCS, the format feels familiar — because you have already done it dozens of times.
A fraction of the cost of courses
Avoid the hundreds of pounds you would spend on a one-off exam course, and practise unlimited scenarios instead.
Practise anywhere, from your phone
On a break, during the commute, between jobs on the ward — your preparation goes wherever you do.
Practise every station
MedMock covers the questions you will face in the FRCS viva. Rehearse each one until it feels routine.
Cardiac Surgery – Critical Conditions/ICU/Trauma
Examiner-led viva on acute cardiac surgical management: post-op low cardiac output, tamponade, mechanical circulatory support escalation, cardiogenic shock, peri-operative MI, sternal complications, cardiac trauma. Probes registrar-grade thresholds, ICU/ECMO reasoning, and surgical anatomy.
Cardiac Surgery – Operative Surgery
Examiner-led viva on operative cardiac surgery: CABG conduit and sequencing, valve repair vs replacement, aortic root surgery (Bentall, David), redo sternotomy, peripheral cannulation, myocardial protection. Probes operative reasoning, anatomy and surgical principles.
Cardiac Surgery – General Clinical
Examiner-led viva on elective and outpatient cardiac surgical practice: stable angina referral, asymptomatic severe AS, MR timing, AF ablation, IE MDT, prosthetic valve surveillance, peri-operative anticoagulation. Probes ESC/EACTS-anchored reasoning, heart-team integration, Montgomery consent and long-term planning.
Thoracic Surgery – Critical Conditions/ICU/Trauma
Examiner-led viva on acute thoracic surgical management: oesophageal perforation, massive haemoptysis, lung and airway trauma, empyema, persistent air leak, post-resection complications. Probes Pittsburgh / ATS-BTS stratification and ICU escalation.
Thoracic Surgery – Operative Surgery
Examiner-led viva on operative thoracic surgery: lobectomy (open / VATS / robotic), sleeve resection, pneumonectomy, chest wall resection, oesophagectomy approach (Ivor-Lewis, McKeown, transhiatal), mediastinal surgery. Probes operative reasoning, segmental anatomy and reconstruction.
Thoracic Surgery – General Clinical
Examiner-led viva on elective and outpatient thoracic surgical practice: lung cancer MDT pathways, oesophagogastric cancer staging and neoadjuvant therapy, mesothelioma, pleural disease, pneumothorax pathways, chest wall deformities. Probes NLCA / NOGCA / NICE-anchored reasoning and patient-centred planning.
Sub-specialty – Cardiac Surgery
30-minute examiner-led sub-specialty viva for candidates who declared Cardiac at application. Sub-specialty depth: TAVI vs SAVR, robotic mitral, valve durability, aortic root, redo cardiac, mechanical circulatory support programmes, adult congenital. PARTNER-3, Evolut, FREEDOM, EXCEL, NOBLE, SYNTAX cited at decision-points.
Sub-specialty – Thoracic Surgery
30-minute examiner-led sub-specialty viva for candidates who declared Thoracic at application. Sub-specialty depth: lung cancer surgical pathways (sub-lobar vs lobar; sleeve vs pneumonectomy), oesophagogastric cancer (CROSS, FLOT, salvage oesophagectomy), mesothelioma, lung transplant, chest wall reconstruction. NLCA / NOGCA / IASLC / ISHLT cited at decision-points.
Example scenarios
A sample of the scenarios you will practise — each plays out as a live, spoken conversation, not a script to read.
“A 65-year-old man, six hours post-elective triple-vessel CABG, has a cardiac index of 1.6, wedge pressure 22, lactate 5.2 and rising, on noradrenaline 0.4 µg/kg/min and dobutamine. TOE shows no effusion. Walk me through your management.”
“A 68-year-old woman is listed for redo CABG and AVR. Her LIMA is patent to LAD from her first operation. Talk me through your operative strategy, including conduit choice, cannulation, and myocardial protection.”
“A 72-year-old man with stable angina, EF 55%, has triple-vessel disease on angiography (SYNTAX 28). He has type-2 diabetes. Walk me through the heart-team conversation, citing the evidence base.”
“A 25-year-old man is referred from gastroenterology after upper-GI endoscopy with suspected distal oesophageal perforation. CT confirms left pleural contamination. Pittsburgh score 5. Discuss your management.”
“A 60-year-old has a 3.5 cm peripheral RUL adenocarcinoma, no nodal disease on EBUS, FEV1 78% predicted. Discuss your operative plan, including the case for sub-lobar versus lobar resection.”
“A 67-year-old presents to your lung MDT with a new 2 cm spiculated RUL nodule and lymphadenopathy at station 4R on staging CT. Discuss your workup pathway and MDT decision.”
“A 70-year-old has severe aortic stenosis, EuroSCORE II 4.2, frailty score 4, suitable femoral access. Discuss TAVI versus SAVR with the heart team.”
“A 62-year-old has a T3N1 mid-oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Discuss neoadjuvant strategy (CROSS vs FLOT), surgical approach and the role of salvage oesophagectomy if response is poor.”
FRCS practice — your questions answered
How realistic is MedMock's FRCS practice?
Every scenario is built around the real FRCS viva format and the domains examiners assess. You speak out loud and the AI examiner probes your reasoning, so it feels far closer to the day than reading notes or rehearsing silently.
How does the feedback work?
As soon as you finish a question, MedMock gives you instant, examiner-style feedback and a score — highlighting what you did well, what cost you marks, and exactly what to work on next.
Can I practise specific FRCS questions?
Yes. You can pick any of the 8 questions to drill a weak area, or run a mixed set to simulate the real exam.
Do I need a study partner or a fixed time slot?
No. That is the point — MedMock is available 24/7 and you practise alone, out loud, whenever it suits you. No coordinating diaries, no waiting for a course date.
Is MedMock right for me if I am sitting the FRCS?
If your FRCS exam involves speaking — defending your reasoning to an examiner — then spoken rehearsal is exactly what MedMock is built for.
How much does it cost?
Far less than a one-off exam course, with unlimited practice. Everyone starts with a free trial — no card required — so you can see how it works before paying. See current options on our pricing page.
Disclaimer: National medical recruitment formats and Royal College examination criteria are subject to change annually. While Medmock strives for absolute accuracy based on the latest HEE/NHS England cycles, always consult your official applicant handbook or Royal College website for the definitive, up-to-date station requirements for your specific cohort.
Ready for your FRCS viva?
Rehearse real FRCS scenarios out loud and get instant, examiner-style feedback.
- Instant, personalised feedback
- Real voice-to-voice conversation
- Unlimited attempts, endless variations
Be ready for your FRCS viva before you walk in
Start rehearsing FRCS viva scenarios out loud today, get instant feedback, and turn exam-day nerves into something you have already done a hundred times.
Practise the FRCS viva