Hello fellow medics,

I hope you are well and looking after yourselves. What a start to 2021? Despite what may be happening in your part of the country or World, we need to think forward and pass these exams to start the next journey of your career- working in the Foundation Programme.

The Part 2 CSA is online, which requires similar skills to face to face but also some different/additional ones. Working as a GP in the pandemic, I have been doing remote consultation (telephone and video) for 90% of my consultations. With this has come a lot of reading and discussions around what makes remote consultation successful - so lets get to the 5 TOP TIPS for the online CSA!

1) CHECK YOUR TECHNOLOGY

Before any exam you would check you had your pen and stethoscope. It is no different in this exam, preparation is key. Check your technology works, check your internet bandwidth, check Zoom is downloaded, check you can use Zoom and feel comfortable going in and out of calls. Check the camera and microphone. All these factors are so important for you to stay focused and not to waste time trying to sort out your camera during a station, you need 100% concentration.

2) EYE CONTACT - LOOK AT YOUR CAMERA

This can be tricky, but essentially you want to maintain eye contact when asking questions or talking to the patient. My advice would be to look at the camera when speaking at the patient, but when the patient is answering to look at their picture (to pick on cues etc). It may even be a mixture of the two (looking at camera and looking at the picture). You want to just feel comfortable whatever you decide to do. The examiners understands this is a difficult scenario so will hopefully be understanding.

3) LET THE PATIENT FINISH

Having personal experience of this, what can happen if the internet connection is not great - is that there is a delay and you end up speaking over each other. The best way to avoid this is to make sure the patient has finished their sentences completely. You can get a hint they have finished by what they have said, the tone of the voice and body language. Even leaving a few seconds before you speak can help. Even if you do speak over the patient, stop and listen.

4) SAME VERBAL AND NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Even when using online modes of consulting, all the same verbal and non verbal communication skills that you have practiced and learnt apply. You still have to actively listen, still have to show to the patient through non verbal cures that you are listening. This has not changed, In fact due to the barrier of not being there in person- you have to make it MORE obvious. Do not sacrifice your empathy and communication skills.

5) DRESS THE PART

This is a professional exam, and so dress the part. Look and feel like a doctor and act in a way you would in an OSCE. Introduce yourself, be polite. Don’t be distracted by what is around you. Your attitude should be based on a doctor and with that comes ‘professionalism’ throughout the whole OSCE.

EXTRA BITS-

• PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE using Zoom - friends, family, the neighbour. Practice being on screen. Even record yourself so you know what you look and sound like!

• LIGHTING - The sun has to be facing you, not the other way round. The examiner and actor wont be able to see your face otherwise (not ideal).

I hope you found these tips useful and it gave you some pointers to make you feel relaxed in the OSCE. You did not want to be distracted by technology matters when in an OSCE (saying that, even if there are issues, it is also fine, they will have people on hand to intervene- so DO NOT PANIC!).

Best of luck with your revision, stay focused and strong.

You got this :)