Executive summary
The landscape of medical exam preparation is being transformed by artificial intelligence. For UK clinicians and trainees, the choice is no longer just which question bank to buy, but which AI assistant to use. Generalist "answer engines" that can now provide citations, like Perplexity, ChatGPT with Search, and Grok with its real-time web access, are excellent for rapid research and concept synthesis, provided you insist on seeing their sources.
For more authoritative clinical verification after completing MCQs, specialised clinical reference AIs like UpToDate Expert AI, Dyna AI, and OpenEvidence offer answers grounded in curated medical corpora. Finally, a new generation of purpose-built exam tools is adding layers of simulation and adaptivity. Platforms like iatroX, with its UK-centric adaptive quiz, BMJ OnExamination’s AI-PACES, and Geeky Medics’ AI virtual patients, are designed specifically for the high-stakes environment of UK postgraduate exams.
Selection criteria (what “good” looks like for exam prep)
- Provenance: Does the tool provide visible, clickable links or citations to primary sources (e.g., NICE, peer-reviewed journals, UpToDate)?
- Task fit: Is the tool optimised for MCQ explanation, or for OSCE and communication skills rehearsal?
- Adaptivity: Does it use learning science like spaced repetition or knowledge-tracing to help you consolidate knowledge and target your weaknesses?
Generalist research AIs (best for rapid concept review—only with citations enabled)
Perplexity
- Why use it: Perplexity is a search-native Q&A engine that provides inline citations by default, making it a strong choice for quick research. Its Pro tier offers access to multiple frontier models like GPT-5.
- Study moves: Use it to ask for guideline-anchored summaries (e.g., “Summarise the NICE thresholds for diagnosing chronic kidney disease; cite the specific sections”). Save the cited links for your flashcards.
ChatGPT with Search
- Why use it: The official web search mode in ChatGPT can return timely answers with links that you can click through to verify.
- Study moves: Use structured prompts (e.g., “Acting as a UK clinical tutor, explain the pathophysiology of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; include sources”). Always avoid relying on uncited answers for exam facts.
Grok (xAI)
- Why use it: Grok is marketed for its real-time search and reasoning capabilities, with its latest models integrating live web access.
- Study moves: It can be particularly useful for finding up-to-the-minute information, such as recent epidemiology or public health statistics. As with all generalist tools, always click through to the primary source to verify the information.
Clinical reference AIs (best for authoritative verification after banks)
UpToDate Expert AI
- What it is: A generative AI assistant grounded exclusively in the trusted UpToDate content library, built “by doctors, for doctors.”
- Use-case: It's perfect for a post-MCQ debrief. You can ask for specific decision thresholds, drug contraindications, or a linked topic review to deepen your understanding.
Dyna AI (EBSCO)
- What it is: A RAG-based chat assistant that works over the DynaMed and DynaMedex databases. It’s a great tool for studying therapeutics and medicines management.
OpenEvidence
- What it is: A powerful medical reference tool that is free for verified healthcare professionals. It excels at aggregating and visualising evidence from major journals like JAMA and NEJM.
- Use-case: Use it to build concise evidence cards for high-yield conditions, focusing on key trial outcomes and effect sizes.
Purpose-built exam tools (simulation & adaptivity)
iatroX (UK-centric, free)
- What it is: A UK-focused platform with a citation-first Q&A tool that helps you understand UK-accepted guidance, an adaptive and spaced-repetition quiz engine mapped to UK curricula, and integrated CPD tracking.
- Best for: Turning your MCQ misses into a personalised, daily spaced repetition queue to lock in knowledge, and for getting fast, cited clarifications to close knowledge gaps during revision.
BMJ OnExamination AI-PACES (with SimConverse)
- What it is: An AI-driven simulator designed specifically for the MRCP PACES communication and clinical reasoning stations.
- Best for: Running timed, OSCE-style stations and receiving rubric-linked feedback to improve your performance.
Geeky Medics AI Virtual Patients
- What it is: A library of conversational virtual patients designed for OSCE and CPSA-style practice, allowing for both voice and typed interaction.
- Best for: Rehearsing your consultation structure, building rapport, and practising your safety-netting language before your mock exams.
How to combine AI with traditional resources
The most effective strategy is a "daily loop":
- Bank Block: Start with your main question bank (Passmedicine, Pastest, or Quesmed).
- Verify: Use a clinical reference AI (UpToDate Expert AI, Dyna AI, or OpenEvidence) to consolidate the facts from the explanations, always checking the citations.
- Capture & Retain: Use an adaptive tool like the iatroX Quiz or another Spaced Repetition System (SRS) to turn your mistakes into a daily review queue.
- Simulate: Twice a week, practise a full clinical station with an AI patient from BMJ AI-PACES or Geeky Medics.
Prompt patterns that upgrade accuracy
- Concept check: “You are a UK clinical tutor. Explain the RAAS system for a medical finals candidate; include the main drug classes that act on it and link to a primary source like a review article or UpToDate.”
- MCQ debrief: “For a question on the management of hyperkalaemia, compare the roles of calcium gluconate vs. insulin/dextrose. Cite the relevant UK guideline thresholds and return the answer as a 5-bullet checklist.”
- OSCE script: “Generate a 7-minute counselling script for a patient starting on a new antidepressant. Use UK spelling, include red flags and safety-netting advice, and provide references at the end.”
Guardrails & exam integrity
- Use AI for learning only. Never use these tools during a live assessment.
- Prefer citation-first modes and make it a habit to click through to the primary source to confirm.
- Keep a study log of your more complex prompts and the sources they returned for later review.
AI Tool Snapshots
- Perplexity: Search-native Q&A with citations.
- ChatGPT + Search: Timely answers with clickable source links.
- Grok: Real-time search and reasoning.
- UpToDate Expert AI / Dyna AI: Clinical-grade answers grounded in vetted corpora.
- OpenEvidence: Free HCP access to evidence digests from top journals.
- iatroX: UK-centric Q&A plus a free adaptive quiz with spaced repetition.
- BMJ AI-PACES / Geeky Medics AI: Simulated patients for OSCE practice.
Calls to action
- Pick one generalist AI (Perplexity or ChatGPT+Search) and one clinical reference AI (UpToDate Expert AI, Dyna AI, or OpenEvidence) to use for verification.
- Add iatroX to your daily routine for its adaptive/spaced repetition review and for quick, UK-specific look-ups.
- Schedule two OSCE simulations per week with BMJ AI-PACES or Geeky Medics AI patients to build your communication skills.