📘From Day One to Exam Day: Your Ultimate Guide to Studying for IDCCM

(Compiled by Dr. Prof. Srishti Jain – For internal circulation)

This guide contains everything you need to prepare, complete, and excel in your IDCCM exit examination.

📌 1. What You Must Complete Before the Exam

🔒 Mandatory Requirements (Must be done before submitting exam form):

✅ Training Completion Certificate (from your center) after 1 year.
✅ Online 4C Course Certificate
(Only the online version is accepted; must be completed within 2 years before exam form submission)
✅ ACLS Certificate
(Recognized by AHA or IRCF – valid up to 2 years before the exam)
✅ Airway Workshop Certificate
(Mandatory unless you hold a diploma/MD in Anaesthesia)
✅ Minimum 60% attendance in STEP Program
(Compulsory as of Dec 2020)

📝 Submit all above certificates along with your exam form.

📚 2. Core Academic Expectations During Training

📖 In-Training Academic Progress

Maintain a logbook documenting:
- ICU cases
- Procedures performed
- Journal clubs
- Seminars
- Emergency calls
Update LOG book under guide supervision.
Participate in academic discussions, rounds, CMEs, and conferences.

🔍 3. Exam Format & Preparation

✍️ Written Exam

Conducted twice a year (March & August)
Format: Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

🩺 Practical Exam (2 Heads – Must Pass Both)

🧠 Head 1: Clinical Case Scenarios – 80 Marks

Two typical ICU cases (40 marks each)
Be ready for:
- Case analysis
- Clinical reasoning
- Diagnosis & treatment plans
- Communication with relatives

✅ Minimum Passing: 40/80

🔧 Head 2: Six Workstations – 120 Marks

Station	Skills Assessed
ACLS	Resuscitation algorithms, megacode handling
Airway Management	Intubation, ambu-bag, supraglottic airway, tracheostomy
ECG & Imaging	Interpretation of ECGs, CXR, CT scan, labs
Mechanical Ventilation	Setup, alarms, weaning strategies
Hemodynamic Monitoring	Central lines, arterial lines, cardiac output monitoring
Drug Table	ICU pharmacology – antibiotics, sedation, vasopressors

⚠️ Note:

You MUST pass ACLS and Airway stations individually.
Even if your total marks are ≥60%, failing in either ACLS or Airway = FAIL in the entire practical exam.

✅ Minimum Passing: 60/120

📘 4. Topics You Must Master

Here’s a breakdown of topics and conditions you must confidently understand and manage:

🫁 Respiratory

ARDS, COPD, severe asthma
Ventilation modes, settings, alarms
Chest trauma, smoke inhalation

❤️ Cardiovascular

Shock types & management
MI, arrhythmias, post-op cardiac care

🧠 Neurology

Coma, CVA, GBS, brain death, head trauma

🧪 Renal, Metabolic, Nutrition

AKI, electrolyte disorders, RRT
Acid-base balance, fluid therapy, TPN

🧫 Infections

Sepsis, tropical diseases, HAIs
Antibiotic stewardship

🩸 Hematology & GI

DIC, transfusions, liver failure, GI bleeds

🍼 Obstetrics & Environment

Eclampsia, HELLP, amniotic embolism
Burns, poisoning, snake bites

🛠 5. Procedures & Interventions to Practice

Endotracheal intubation
Central & arterial line insertion
Percutaneous tracheostomy
ICD insertion
Mechanical ventilator setup
RRT basics
ABG analysis
Fiberoptic bronchoscopy (if available)
Communication: breaking bad news, family counselling

🎓 6. Final Tips to Succeed

🗂 Keep your logbook & certificates updated bi weekly.
🎤 Practice case presentations & vivas with peers and faculty.
🎯 Revise ACLS protocols & airway techniques thoroughly.
📚 Focus on real-world ICU logic, not just theory.
🧘‍♀️ Stay calm, rest well before the exam, and believe in your training.

📝 Groundwork > Grand Theories

(For all Trainees)

Having all the protocols and checklists is only half the work.
What truly counts is your daily discipline and involvement on the floor.

📌 **Here’s what you must do starting today – every single day:**

✅ Study One Concept Daily
– Just one. But know it well enough to teach it.
– Start from basics: ABG, shock types, ventilator modes, sedatives.
✅ Do One ICU Procedure or Assist
– Don't just observe – ask to assist in lines, intubation, codes.
– If none are happening, discuss the technique with your senior.
✅ Interpret One Chest X-Ray, ECG, ABG
– Build this into your routine; no exam is cleared without this.
✅ Logbook = Daily Habit
– Waiting till the end = disaster. Update cases, procedures, learnings every day.
✅ Ask Questions. Always.
– You’re not expected to know everything.
– You’re expected to be curious, involved, and proactive.
✅ Speak to One Patient Family (with guidance)
– Practice communication. It’s a vital skill tested in the exam – and in life.

📘 MCQ BOOKS FOR CRITICAL CARE EXAMS (IDCCM, EDIC, FFICM)

1. MCQs in Critical Care Medicine

Authors: Dr. Sandeep Aggarwal & Dr. Gunjan Chanchalani
Highlight: 1000+ MCQs tailored for Indian critical care exams
Link: Amazon

2. 1000 MCQs in Intensive Care

Author: Dr. Pradeep Rangappa
Highlight: Case-based, image-based, and EDIC-style MCQs
Link: KSG Publications

3. Critical Care MCQs: A Companion for Intensive Care Exams

Authors: Steven Lobaz et al.
Highlight: 450 MCQs with evidence-based explanations
Good for: EDIC, MRCP, IDCCM
Link: Amazon

4. Critical Care Medicine MCQs: Practice Book

Editor: Dr. Kapil Zirpe
Highlight: 668 MCQs across 28 chapters, updated with imaging & research
Link: Amazon

5. Intensive Care Medicine MCQs: Multiple Choice Questions with Explanatory Answers

Authors: Steve Benington, Ruth Herod, et al.
Highlight: Divided into 3 mock papers, includes SBAs & true/false
Great for: FFICM Part 1, EDIC
Link: Amazon

6. Multiple Choice Questions in Intensive Care Medicine

Author: Steve Benington
Highlight: 300 MCQs with referenced answers
Bonus: Mini-reviews alongside each answer
Link: Google Books

7. Single Best Answer Questions for the Final FFICM

Authors: Keith Davies et al.
Highlight: 240 SBAs in 8 mock papers, covers FFICM curriculum
Link: Amazon

8. Passing the Final FFICM: High-Yield Facts for the MCQ & OSCE Exams

Author: Muzzammil Ali
Highlight: Integrated textbook + MCQ prep, covers core exam facts
Link: Amazon

✅ Summary Table (Quick View)

S.No	Title	Author(s)	Target Exam
1	MCQs in Critical Care Medicine	Aggarwal & Chanchalani	IDCCM, IFCCM
2	1000 MCQs in Intensive Care	Pradeep Rangappa	EDIC, IDCCM
3	Critical Care MCQs	Steven Lobaz et al.	EDIC, MRCP, IDCCM
4	Critical Care Medicine MCQs: Practice Book	Kapil Zirpe	IDCCM, FNB
5	Intensive Care Medicine MCQs	Steve Benington et al.	FFICM, EDIC
6	Multiple Choice Questions in Intensive Care Medicine	Steve Benington	FFICM, EDIC
7	Single Best Answer Questions for the Final FFICM	Keith Davies et al.	FFICM Part 1
8	Passing the Final FFICM	Muzzammil Ali	FFICM Part 1 & 2

Absolutely! Here's a consolidated list of OSCE and Viva preparation books for Critical Care Medicine, complete with direct Amazon India purchase links:

📘 OSCE & Viva Preparation Books

OSCE in Critical Care Medicine – I

Authors: Atul Prabhakar Kulkarni & Shilpushp Jagannath Bhosale
Overview: Covers various systems including respiratory, neurology, nephrology, microbiology, hemodynamics, drugs, biochemistry, and case scenarios with nearly 330 questions and model answers.
Purchase Link: Amazon India

Essentials of Critical Care Practical Examinations
- Authors: Saurabh Kumar Das & Nang Sujali Choupoo
- Overview: Compiles 112 OSCEs related to data interpretation and diagnosis, tailored for students preparing for exams like IDCCM.
- Purchase Link: Amazon India
Case-Based Review in Critical Care Medicine
- Author: Atul Prabhakar Kulkarni
- Overview: Presented in a case-based, question-and-answer format, this book covers various disorders and includes numerous OSCE practice questions.
- Purchase Link: Amazon India
OSCEs for Intensive Care Medicine
- Authors: Peter Hersey, Laura O'Connor, Thomas E. Sams, Jon Sturman
- Overview: Features over 100 practice questions organized into eight mock OSCE exams, mapped to both the FFICM and CoBaTrICE curricula.
- Purchase Link: Amazon India(Amazon India)
Viva and Structured Oral Examinations in Intensive Care Medicine
- Author: Jeyasankar Jeyanathan
- Overview: Provides a brief topical overview of critical care in a question-and-answer format, designed to prepare readers for various European certification examinations in critical care medicine.
- Purchase Link: Amazon India
The Final FFICM Structured Oral Examination Study Guide
- Author: Eryl Davies
- Overview: A definitive guide tailored for the Final FFICM Structured Oral Examination, offering broad coverage of the clinical curriculum with sample questions and concise answers.
- Purchase Link: Amazon India
OSCEs for the Final FFICM
- Authors: Raj Nichani & Brendan McGrath
- Overview: Includes in-depth coverage of past FFICM exam material, providing invaluable resources for trainees preparing for the OSCE examination.
- Purchase Link: Amazon India(Amazon India)
Questions for the Final FFICM Structured Oral Examination
- Authors: Kate Flavin, Clare Morkane, Sarah Marsh
- Overview: Provides model answers with summaries of relevant evidence, covering 91 topics drawn from previous exam sittings.
- Purchase Link: Amazon India

Some More TEXT BOOKS - Considered to be Bibles for 1st time CCM Trainees

1. Washigton Manual Of Critical Care

2. Deshpande's Mechanical Ventilation Clinical Application, 3rd Edition - 2025 - Must Read for Ventilator Graphics

https://amzn.in/d/6vRF5Yl

Also there are many more books, these are just the minimum reads that are MUST!

🧠 You’re Not Just Studying for an Exam — You’re Becoming an Intensivist.

Books will help.
Workshops will polish.
But your daily presence in the ICU is your real teacher.
Every alarm, every ABG, every line – is a lesson.
Make it count.

Srishti Jain

CRITICAL CARE

Monday, 24 March 2025