6 REASONS YOU NEED MY HELP FOR OSCE SUCCESS

6 reasons you need my help for OSCE SUCCESS!

Now without sounding like I am giving a sales pitch, i want to tell you why you might need me in your revision journey.

1) Knowledge of NHS

Whether UK is your home or a new place completely, you have spent atleast the last 5-6 years in a different country with a different health system. This means that your medical training may differ from the UK process. The OSCE’s in the UK/ throughout the World are similar but those slight deviations might be the difference between a pass and fail.

2) In one place

Being an IMG, your university friends now may be scattered around the country or even the World. So it can be difficult to have that consistent person to revise with. In an ideal situation, you would have a variety of people to do OSCE revision with. Included in this “OSCE revision buddy system” should be someone who has knowledge about the NHS, OSCE and medical exam format.

3) A non judgemental environment

Revising with someone who doesn’t know you is easier. Not knowing all the common causes of chest pain wont lead to the feeling of humiliation in front of your friends (which will only hinder your learning process). It is better to have a respectful working relationship with someone outside of your social bubble.

4) Consistency

Having consistency is vital. The knowledge that you have allocated one hour a week with one person whose sole person is to help YOU pass this exam is satisfying. It allows you to frame your revision, not have fears of cancellation at the last minute or getting detracted with friends. I wont allow us to spend an hour googling the difference between a UMN and LMN lesion…

5) Planned revision

The sessions are pre planned and organised, and so before you even enter the video session, we will have a plan of action so you will know what section of work you will be working on. Meaning you can start ticking off items on your revision plan. With all this said, things will change, and we will go at the pace that suits YOUR learning.

6) Constructive feedback

Revising with friends is great, I am an advocate of this. The one issue can be receiving constructive feedback or any feedback for that. Friends can find it difficult correcting you from fearing of insulting you. There is an art to feedback to make people progress and not a) feel bad about themselves b) avoid coming to you for further practice.

I hope this has given you an insight into how I will benefit you in the next step to being a doctor in the UK.

Remember - I am not the only person you will revise with (or maybe I am- which is also fine). Whatever the dynamic, having consistency and structure is the vital component I provide.

Please feel free to send me an email if you have any questions.

Positive vibes.

WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO START REVISING FOR YOUR OSCE?

Why is it so difficult to start revising for your OSCE’s?

Why is it that sometimes we just can’t seem to start revising..? We have the pens, the books..the computer…now lets start. Mind blank.

This is a very common theme amongst many medics. It can be over whelming, and the longer you try to tackle it, the harder it can be to start.

Here I have outlined some reasons why and hopefully this will allow you to take a step back, reflect and make this revision process more “fun” (well not fun, but less traumatic)

1) “there is too much to learn and keep in my brain”

• Bite size : approach it by systems i.e Respiratory system for 1 week. This means the history, the examination, the interpretation of results, the difficult consultations etc. Approaching it as “bite size” will make the task less daunting.

• choose the order of topics logically ie, respiratory and cardiology are closely related so would make sense to choose these topics together when revising.

Other examples are :

- Gastroenterology + renal/urology medicine
- neurology and musculoskeletal

2) “Where do I even start"?”

• Have a time table of how you will “generally” approach the topics. Remember this will change as time goes by. You may be ahead of the time table…or may be behind (which is fine too). One great idea is to have a buffer of 1-2 weeks of no planned revision before exam, in case you fall behind. Don’t have a revision plan that takes you to the day before the exam.

3) “There are topics I just hate looking at”

• Focus on those topics you hate. Yes, you heard me. Those horrid topics that give you anxiety, you focus on them, get good at them, and stop avoiding them, as its “sods law” they will be in that OSCE.

4) “I just spend hours looking at one page..”

• Don’t spend ages on a topic giving you anxiety. Don’t waste time spending hours going round and round on how to analyse the anion gap…ask someone or switch off and go back to it later (and no doubt, it will make sense)

5) “It is just such a boring and time consuming thing to do right now, I want to go out and enjoy the sun!”

• enjoy revising. Yes this is hard to believe. Make those practice OSCE sessions a fun time. Have snacks, regular break, switch off in between and enjoy. Obviously you have to get down to revising, but this is a time of embracing your communication skills, learning about what doctor you want to be, and having a chance to read around topics (which you wont get time to do, when running around on the wards as a junior doctor).

6) “the stress of how much this exam costs puts me under so much pressure”

• yes, this exam is expensive. This is along with maybe training abroad.. BUT the cost of the exam is not the reason you HAVE to pass, it is the great achievement at the end of all of this. Do not let the cost anxiety inhibit your ability to revise- trust me, this wont be your last expensive exam (they get pricier the more qualified you get!)

Best of luck in your revision, stay focused and happy :)

OSCE revision- The best online websites and books!

OSCE revision: The best online websites and books

Hello everyone,

I hope you are staying well during these random times.

I can imagine it being so difficult focusing your mind on OSCE revision- you don’t know when or if there will be an exam in 2020.

Nonetheless, as I have suggested in previous posts - its better to stay up to date than forget some basic facts.

Here I have a short list of some websites and books that are best for revision. Remember stick to one/two from each section! Happy revision and stay safe.

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Online tools:

• Geeky Medics

  This website covers all aspects of the written and clinical exam. It has information and mark schemes to print off and is a great resource to work from. It is up to date, relevant and easy to navigate.

• OSCE STOP

  Great website, again with lots of information and references. Clean and easy to follow and has all the information in one place.

• Patient.co.uk

  Now, this is a surprising one I hear you say. The reason I LOVE this website and used it for all my clinical exams (there have been lots!) is because it talks about medicine in “lay terms”. This is great for getting to grips with avoiding medical jargon, which is absolutely needed in ‘explanation stations’. It has hundreds of patient information leaflets for common diseases and procedures.

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Books:

• Oxford Clinical Handbook of Medicine (known as “Cheese and Onion”!)

  I love this book for a quick reference. When my brother was revising for his UKFPO CA, he would use this as a summary after having a full on day of revision. I would also use it as an aid to testing his knowledge, as all the information is on one page. A great, concise and easy to follow book.

• Oxford Clinical Handbook For Foundation Programme

  For the same reasons above, I recommend this book. It is concise and specific to the Foundation Programme, and so aimed at the right level.

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I hope you find this information useful and beneficial to your learning. I really am a fan of one/two resources in each category to avoid confusion and feeling over whelmed.

Any question, please do email me, I am more than happy to help.

Happy revising :)

SIX COMMON MISTAKES MADE IN OSCE EXAMS

OSCE: 6 common mistakes made in OSCE exams

1) Show off:

Be humble and show humility if you make a mistake or need the patient/actor to repeat information.

2) Run out of time:

Manage that time- which comes with practice, practice, practice.

3) Forget to wash their hands!

4) Being brash with the patient/actor:

Even if you get nervous/make a mistake - be nice to the patient/actor. The examiner and patient/actor will take this into account.

5) Vocalise Panic:

Remember the person marking you is seeing if they would want you as their junior doctor - so “act” with confidence.

6) Don't listen to the patient:

If all fails - listen to the patient. This shows empathy and also - communication skills! There is nothing more off-putting then a candidate missing vital information.