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UWS OSCEs

Hayden

Getting busier
Emeritus Staff
Do you get reading time beforehand? One thing I really like about our OSCEs is that we get the scenario and reading time beforehand, and we can write notes to take into the real station with us.
 

Matt

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
Yeah, we get 2 minutes to move between stations which ends up meaning about a minute to read the station scenario before we go in. We can make notes during that time if we want.

Personally, I don't think it really helps me but I can appreciate other people would be grateful for it.
 

Shizzy

Staff
Administrator
Woah that sucks =(

We get 5 minutes in the station then you're kicked out for a further 2. Then you go to a rest station for 7 minutes. Then you go to a reading station for 7 minutes. Then you're in again!
 

Matt

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
How is reading time really that helpful, though? I don't understand. I figure your OSCEs must be a bit different if they're only 5 minutes though, I find 8 minutes really short!
 

Shizzy

Staff
Administrator
How is reading time really that helpful, though? I don't understand. I figure your OSCEs must be a bit different if they're only 5 minutes though, I find 8 minutes really short!
Mmm, well those were our first ones, which were pretty much a bunch of different histories/situations.

We have more practical OSCEs coming up and they'll most likely be longer... =\

Reading time is ok. It gives you a while to think about what you're going to do/say. 1 min just seems a bit rushed to me. Also a bit of a break between stations is nice to have a little breather and drink (they set up water for us at each rest station, haha, what are we 3?)
 

Matt

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
A 5 minute history is pretty short though. What sort of stuff do you have to do?
 

Shizzy

Staff
Administrator
A 5 minute history is pretty short though. What sort of stuff do you have to do?
Its never a full history, only a segment. For instance here are 3

  • You are an ED doc. Take a history to allow you to treat this pt. Pt had cut himself with a jigsaw on the wrist. You had to get presenting complaint (dur hur), HxPC, extent of damage, his allergies (allergic to pain some pain meds) and his major concerns (ugh).
  • Take a detailed history of presenting complaint HxPC. Patient had abdominal pain. Had cholecystitis.
  • Patient is being discharged today. Has been diagnosed with cancer. She wants to discuss it with you. (was all about feelings etc etc, how shes going to cope, not realy a Hx)
I have heard from 2nd years that comming up our OSCEs will invovle (may still only be 5mins)

  • You are a doc. Teach the med student how to do an ECG on this patient.
  • You are the cardiologist. An intern has said this Pt may have a murmur. Confirm/deny. (show how to auscultate, ignore rest of cardio exam)
  • This pt needs an injection. Do it. (read chart, check arm band etc etc, mix correct amount of drug, use correct needles/method, inject)
  • etc
I think our OSCEs in year 1/2 are short like this. In 3/4 they are longer (10mins maybe)
 

Matt

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
Fair enough. I could see how those could work.... although the communication station would be a bit rough to do in 5 minutes :p
 

Hayden

Getting busier
Emeritus Staff
Do you get reading time beforehand? One thing I really like about our OSCEs is that we get the scenario and reading time beforehand, and we can write notes to take into the real station with us.

It helps me immensely. I write down exactly what I am going to do, and a couple of things I am likely to forget when doing it.

Helps especially for things like "counsel the patient on the benefits of breastfeeding" - I write down everything I can think of and look at it towards the end of the actual station.

Less helpful for a station that relies heavily on examination.
 

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Matt

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
I guess. Though anything I'm likely to forget in the history I'm not sure I'd have remembered earlier in reading time :(
 

rusty_rouge

Member
I guess the extra time allows you to gather your thoughts a bit - personally I felt rushed throughout the entire OSCE, it was a bit of a whirlwind.

I like the sound of the rest stations in between each - gives you a chance to calm down. I felt that my first station was terrible, and it kind of put me off track for the entire thing, because I didn't really get a chance to shrug it off so that it didn't colour the rest of the stations. Ah well. Hey Matt, are you aware of whether we get the results before stuvac/exams? Would be really helpful if we could.
 

Matt

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
I guess the extra time allows you to gather your thoughts a bit - personally I felt rushed throughout the entire OSCE, it was a bit of a whirlwind.

I like the sound of the rest stations in between each - gives you a chance to calm down. I felt that my first station was terrible, and it kind of put me off track for the entire thing, because I didn't really get a chance to shrug it off so that it didn't colour the rest of the stations. Ah well. Hey Matt, are you aware of whether we get the results before stuvac/exams? Would be really helpful if we could.

I felt rushed too, but I kinda liked that it was over almost as soon as it began :p All of a sudden I was finished and huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders :)

As far as marks go, yeah, it would be nice to know whether we'd failed the year before we're subjected to end of year exams. Or whether or not we need to keep studying OSCE stuff for the supplementaries (which may or may not exist -_-). I think we will get our marks before STUVac but the medical school is so slow at processing these things that I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't get them.
 

rusty_rouge

Member
[OFFTOPIC]Wow you must really live on here Matt. That was super quick![/OFFTOPIC]

I was thinking that maybe they wouldn't release them, because of uni policy about everyone getting their reults all at the same time (like last year). Interesting point. I want to know if I've failed so I can grieve now! And I hate not knowing how I went (it all passed in a grey blur and I can't really recall much now..)

I'm not sure what's going on with supps - apparently Prof Frankum is an adamant no in regards to them, but the only assessment schedule I can find says yes? And are there supps for the written exams?
 

Matt

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
[offtopic]
Wow you must really live on here Matt. That was super quick!

You have no idea.

[/offtopic]
I was thinking that maybe they wouldn't release them, because of uni policy about everyone getting their reults all at the same time (like last year). Interesting point. I want to know if I've failed so I can grieve now! And I hate not knowing how I went (it all passed in a grey blur and I can't really recall much now..)

I'm not sure what's going on with supps - apparently Prof Frankum is an adamant no in regards to them, but the only assessment schedule I can find says yes? And are there supps for the written exams?

Yeah, I'm pretty clueless as well. And it was such a blur. I really hope the release of those results isn't delayed. It'd suck to pass the final year exams only to find out you have to repeat 'cause you failed the OSCE months beforehand.
 

rusty_rouge

Member
Ergh. The thought makes me feel a little nauseous...
 

_philanderer_

Regular Member
hey guys,

thanks for the insight into the OSCEs, totally terrified by them. Didn't realise this existed until a 2nd year pointed it out.

But yeah, thanks heaps :)
 

Matt

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
Was talking to philanderer about the year 2 OSCEs today. I should try and make a record of them:

UWS Year 2 OSCE, Summative Hurdle?

1. Procedural skills station: Perform a urinalysis (presumably discussing with the patient what the tests means and what the results mean??)

2. Perform a neurological examination of the upper limbs

3. Perform an abdominal examination

4. Take a history from a patient presenting with weight gain and a lump in the neck (+ 3 differentials)

5. Take a history from a patient with haemoptysis (+ 3 differentials?)

6. Take a history from a patient with back pain (who also has lupus) and identify red flag symptoms (+ differentials?)
 

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zvyx

Regular Member
UWS Year 1 OSCE 2009, Formative

1. Take a history from a patient complaining of chest pain (with 4 differentials and leading diagnosis), and branch off into associated symptoms and risk factors.

2. Take a history from a patient complaining of breathlessness (with 4 differentials and leading diagnosis), and branch off into associated symptoms and risk factors.

3. Perform an abdominal examination

4. Perform a cardiovascular examination

meh, ended up forgetting a few steps in the examinations, but histories were alright.
 

Matt

Emeritus Staff
Emeritus Staff
Thanks for putting that up, zvyx. I think you first years lucked out to be honest, normally there's at least one spanner in the works station. Like last year having to remember to do blood pressure on standing for the vitals station..... and arguably the two easiest histories you've been exposed to.

I guess it is just formative and the point is to introduce you to OSCEs rather than really challenge you.... Oh well, hopefully everyone passes it then.
 

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