Aim Our objective was to explore the use of social media networks and online resources for the purpose of MRCPCH exams revision among paediatric trainees using a purpose-designed webbased survey.

Method A cross-sectional web-based survey was undertaken. A link to the survey was posted on a Whatsapp MRPCH revision group which was set up by paediatric trainees at a large tertiary hospital in London.

Results A total of 9 trainees participated in the study. Of these trainees 100% used social media for their professional development as well as revision tool. The social media applications most frequently used were Facebook and WhatsApp. 55% of trainees had never used a revision support group whereas others had previously used sessions set up by the London School of Paediatrics or in medical school to pass finals. All 9 trainees were using an online revision resource with the most popular being PasTest (88.9%) in comparison to OnExamination (22.2%) and 123Doc (22.2%).

When asked about joining the revision WhatsApp group, all trainees agreed that it provided good peer support for exams (100%) and 44% felt it was useful to compare themselves to other juniors. 66% of trainees stated that it was good to be able to help others with learning but only 33.3% felt it was a convenient way to revise.

Conclusion Both social media and and online resources are frequently used by trainees for the purpose of exam revision, with Facebook and WhatsApp most frequently used for this purpose. These findings suggest that social media networks and online resources are becoming increasingly important in junior doctors training as they strive to pass MRCPCH exams.