The Clinical Cases in Paediatrics: DCH Clinical Examination textbook by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has been written primarily for postgraduate doctors preparing for the UK DCH examination. Overseas doctors preparing for the DCH clinical examination will also find this book useful.

The DCH examination assesses candidates in all aspects of the doctor-patient interaction. It is recommended that candidates appearing for the examination should have completed a short period of paediatric training, as the scenarios for, and the standards required from, candidates to pass the examination are developed with that in mind. While it is difficult to precisely define the standard against which we are assessing candidates, we do expect them to display a special interest in paediatrics.

We also believe this book could be used as a guide to common doctor-patient interactions alongside established textbooks to enable self-directed study and professional development. We hope the clinical cases approach will help doctors reflect on their daily clinical interactions, and that they will find the 'top tips' provided within the chapters helpful in their clinical practice.