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... =)

Unwell

I'm feeling a little bit unwell for the last few hours. Feverish. I'm worried that it might last long enough to affect my revision. Hopefully I will get well soon.

This is one of the reasons why last minute revision is not good for students. If you are the ones with such habit, please break it. You'll never know what might happen to you in future at the crucial moments. Accident may occur, or at least you might end up being unwell just like me. An orthopaedic specialist cum visiting lecturer once shared with us the story of his friend who suffered from sports injury while playing rugby weeks before their final exam. He suffered a blow to his face during the scrum which resulted in basal skull fracture and amnesia. He was lucky to survive and managed to sit for the exam. He passed the exam. He's a specialist now. If I were him, I don't think I will be able to sit for the exam, let alone passing it.

Of course, it is never too late. "It ain't over till it's over" - quote from a song. Keep on struggling with all the resources that you have, within the period of time left. Just make sure not to repeat the mistake. I don't want to be the last minute man anymore. That's for sure.

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To-do list for the remaining 2 days:

1) Obgyn and Ortho physical examination.
2) Travel to nearest teaching hospital to practice on real patients
3) Respi and CVS
4) Abdominal and Neurological
5) Paediatrics - especially Developmental Assessment.

Long Case! (btw, it's my 40th post - deleted ones included)

From tomorrow until Wednesday, we will be sitting for long case examination. Then followed by another three (3) days for short cases examination. My turn for long case will be on Tuesday, whereas for short cases will be on the last day, i.e. Saturday. Hopefully I will perform well for the last two 'papers'. Facebook statuses of my fellow batchmates have already shown aura of nervousness and anxiety especially for those who will be sitting for the exam tomorrow. Me? Surely I am extremely nervous and anxious to the extent that I don't know what else to do. So, I turned to God and prayed hard that I will be given a simple and known case, in a package with kind and cooperative patient as well as good & 'angel'-like examiners. However, I still have to revise more, especially on the aspect of management. Perhaps I should flip through the CPGs for the purpose of covering the aspect of management.

Hints? I don't know much. And based on previous recent history, I don't want to rely much on hints. It didn't work out for the CPC and Theory Paper. Neither it was during OSCE day 1. However, I should not totally ignore them. So, I decided to flip through the case summaries that I have made throughout the clinical years based on the hints, as well as based on "common cases" that have been listed by my seniors.

A friend of mine once told me, "For long and short cases, these three study weeks are not the key. It is either you practiced enough throughout the clinical years or not that really matters". He may be right, but I'm not taking any chance. In fact, there is still time for me to prepare. At least physically and mentally. Should practice more on showmanship and brush up my presentation skills. "There is still hope..." (quoting from the LoTR trilogy).

Basically, that's what I am going to do from tonight onwards until the end of examination. Once I'm done with short cases exam this Saturday, I will take a break for half day before preparing just in case my name were listed in the viva list. Obviously not viva distinction, if you were asking... lolz...

Till then, see you again next time (as if there is anybody reading my rantings... ^^) ~!!!