Hello fellow medics,

I hope you are all well in whatever part of the World you reside. Bringing happy and calm non pandemic vibes your way.

Today I wanted to just sit back and tell you why I do what I do….that is mentor and tutor CSA/OSCE skills. It is nice to reflect on the tutoring away from all the medical blogs!

The fun part of medical school

I don’t want to say OSCE skills came ‘naturally’, no one naturally knows how to communicate effectively or take bloods without practice. However, clinical skills and OSCE skills were the more ‘exciting’ part of medical school for me and what I enjoyed learning about. Fast forward to now, my job as a GP and a clinical educator has allowed me to ‘practice’ and refine these skills leading to me having the expertise to teach and mentor.

I am quite damn good at teaching

This one I can say comes naturally. I naturally like teaching, this may be medicine, this may be non medical things. I would say communication is one of my strengths and therefore I am able to articulate what I want to say and bring joy into learning. I have always partaken in teaching, but over the last 2-3 years, it has been my primary focus…and so far…I have a good pass rate for my tutees :) 100%.

Communication is key

It would not be much fun teaching something that was not relevant. Communication skills and OSCE skills in general are important for all doctors whatever you speciality or background. Having these skills are the difference between a successful consultation and a poor one, even if you have the greatest medical knowledge.

It doesn't feel like work

Working with medical students or medical graduates is such a fulfilling part of my day. Seeing someone in front of me excel and get more confident is absolutely amazing.

So that is why I do what I do!

Please get in contact if you would like any help with your clinical exams - this may be a reminder of the common conditions with less emphasis on OSCE practice OR pure OSCE practice. It is completely up to you how you want to do about it. We can do history skills, drug charts, examination skills - your choice.

Best of luck with the upcoming exams - whether that be medical school or the UKFPO.

L x