Submission and approval of a research synopsis by the Research Evaluation Unit (REU) are mandatory for all FCPS-II candidates from 2025 onwards.

All trainees must attend the Research Methodology, Biostatistics & Article Writing (RMB&AW) workshop before initiating their synopsis writing. This workshop is essential for understanding research submission requirements and ensuring compliance with CPSP guidelines.

FCPS-II trainees (Straight Track) inducted from July 2024 onwards must submit a supervisor-approved synopsis to the REU at least six months before their scheduled IMM examination. Sub-specialty trainees in Medicine and Surgery must submit their synopsis within the first six months of the third year of residency.

Trainees must choose a research topic in consultation with their supervisor. The topic must be relevant to the field, innovative, and feasible within the training period.

The research synopsis must be written in the trainee's own words using clear and precise language. Plagiarism should not exceed 19%, and AI-generated content must remain below 30%.

Trainees must submit one hard copy of the synopsis along with required documents, including a supervisor-signed covering letter, non-duplication certificate, and paid fee receipt, to the REU headquarters or regional CPSP centers. A soft copy in Word format portal along with all required documents must also be uploaded on the e-portal.

The date of submission of your hard copy to the REU Department will be considered as your official synopsis submission date.

For second fellowship trainees, synopsis submission is not required. However, the research article topic must be emailed to the REU and uploaded on the e-portal.

The initial evaluation report of the synopsis is provided within six weeks of submission. Candidates can request for further clarification or schedule virtual or in-person meetings if needed.

Failure to comply with research guidelines, including late submission, incomplete documentation, high plagiarism, or incorrect referencing, may result in delays in approval and subsequent examination eligibility.

The synopsis evaluation process involves multiple levels of review, including assessments by a Research Analyst, Statistician, and Bibliographer, before final approval by the Head of the REU.

The research study design and sample size calculations must be justified with appropriate statistical methods, ensuring validity and reliability of results.

Trainees are encouraged to use reference management tools such as EndNote or Medeley to maintain accurate citations and formatting in accordance with CPSP guidelines.

Candidates must ensure that their research work adheres to ethical principles and obtain ethical approval from the relevant Ethics Review Committee (ERC) before initiating data collection.

Any changes to the approved synopsis, including modifications in study objectives, methodology, or sample population, require prior approval from the REU.

Data collection can only begin after the synopsis has been formally approved by the REU. Retrospective data collection, as well as data extraction from hospital records, is strictly prohibited.

Each trainee must publish at least one original research article in an HEC-approved W, X, or Y category journal as the first or second author. The published article must be uploaded on the e-portal at least three months before the FCPS Part II examination.

Each trainee must submit their own research article; co-authoring a single article with another trainee for fulfilling the examination requirement is not allowed.

Candidates should be mindful of journal selection, ensuring that their chosen publication aligns with CPSP's approved list of HEC-accredited journals to avoid rejections or complications in the examination process.