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Thursday, April 1, 2010

Short Case - Useful Tips from (a) Friend(s)

1- i know looking at patient face very important, but look at examiner face more important ah!!!.. if cant see, then listen for voices like 'huh? ermmm' and so on.. dun hesitate to change ur answer haha

2- plz identify questions to say yes to!!
eg: when examiner ask u direct question like- dont u think the spleen is enlarged? plz say YES!!!!
- a quote from a friend, taken from the discussion board of a facebook group where we compile all the questions asked during this final exam.


Yes I believe he is right. As far as I remember, one of my lecturers used to say, "For your level (MBBS) , the examiners will always try their best to pass you. Unlike the post graduate exam. " So if they are asking you, say,"Are you sure?", then it is time for you to reconsider your answer immediately.

Calm down, even if you perform quite badly on the first case (there will be three cases within 30 minutes).

Make sure to use "standard" sentences, such as "I would like to complete my examination by doing neurovascular examination,..bla,...bla..." just like what is written in the textbooks as well as those useful reference books.

Always "back to the basics" whenever you are stuck. For example, if a Paediatric patient presented with a syndromic facies that you are not sure of, just describe whatever you see even though you don't know the diagnosis. Some of my friends (or should I call them fellow doctors by now, albeit unofficially) had had a patient diagnosed as osteogenesis imperfecta, but they failed to provide the diagnosis. However, they managed to describe the facies as well as other signs properly and the examiners were satisfied. Of course I am not sure whether the examiners will pass them or not, because the result is not out yet. But that's the least that we can do rather than kept ourselves silent for the next few minutes during the exam.

Last but not least, practice makes perfect. Must start from the very beginning of the clinical years. Then, once you are in the final year just top it up with the management of the diseases. Do as I say (read:write), not as what I did. I was not so serious with the physical examination when I first entered the final year. I never practiced the whole steps every time I did my physical examination (because in a long case, we have the information about the patient prior so that we can focus on looking for the expected findings) .Instead, I just focused on the area where there's possible findings only (except during end of posting examination). The result is, I still have to keep reminding myself not to miss the steps in the physical examination and have to arrange them accordingly.

***This post is written based on my personal experience, as well as from the advices given by my fellow colleagues and lecturers throughout the last two years. You should know yourself better. Hence whatever is best for you just take it, and leave the rest. And if you don't mind, do correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you in advance...

Alright, now it's time for me to continue struggling... Please pray for my success... =)

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