Ask any questions below that you have on the exams! Also leave your tips on the year, for students to come and answer other people's questions.
A full list of useful textbooks used can be found at the bottom of this post. I recommend borrowing them over purchasing them. That said, I get money if you use purchase them through the Amazon links below (which helps fund the website/apps/books). Thanks guys!
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OSCEs:
Masterpass for Final Years covers the stations really well. However (biased), I would recommend using this website or my OSCE Android app which has most the stations. Mark sheets for many of the stations can be seen below! Please ask questions :)
- Anatomy: take some time to learn the common surface anatomy landmarks as demonstrated during the surface anatomy work shops. Additionally, know the attachments and functions of the large muscles and location of the chest and abdominal organs. You may be asked some clinically important landmarks. Also take some time learning from the models and bones in the Dissection rooms. It's really important in surface anatomy to talk to the model asking them their name/age and making sure they know what you'll be doing and for them to let you know if they want you to stop. Offer them tea/coffee for being so helpful (which you don't need to actually get)!
- Ethics: Be able to explain and apply ethical principles like capacity, justice, non-maleficence, beneficence and autonomy
- Explaining: Always check how much they know first before explaining things in small bite sized chunks. Ask them if they need understand things so far.
- Exploring (confidentiality): These patients have come to talk about another patient registered at the GP practice. It's important to explore what they're worried about and ask them about their ideas, concerns and expectations. Spend some time telling them how grateful you are that they have come in: "I am glad you have chosen to come talk to us and made us aware of the situation. Whilst we can't disclose confidential information, helping sort out your concerns is our utmost priority and we would like to help in anyway we can. What things could we do that you'd find helpful/Do you feel bringing [the patient] in with you for us to talk altogether would help?"
- Basic Life Support
- Blood Pressure
- Body Mass Index
- Explaining Inhaler Technique
- Explaining Peak Flow
- Focussed History Take
- Handwashing
- Subcutaneous Injection
- Urinanalysis
Writtens:
I recommend revising solely from the lecture slides in MBBS2 as that's where the questions will directly come from. I have made some question booklets based on these slides too which can be seen below.
The questions contained in these booklets are also available in my Medicine MCQs Android app.
For information on each book below, hover over the book and read my comments!
If you don't see a list of books above, you may need to disable your ad blocker. Finally if you have any questions, please just ask below!
16 comments
commentsHi, I'm a KCL student taking OSCEs and saw your brilliant website! Do you know where I can find a mark scheme for a 'focused' history please? I know it's different to the general history but I can't find anything official to tell me. Much appreciated, thank you!
ReplyHi there.
ReplyFor the Ethics station, what should we expect/ prepare for? Because KCL havent given us that much information about what is in the ethics station.
Expect a video showing a situation in clinical practice. Then you'll be asked a series of questions. It's important to have knowledge on core principles of ethics: confidentiality, capacity, justice, autonomy, beneficence and non-maleficence and know how to apply them. If you understand how they apply and analyse the situation based on these principles you should be fine! If you have any more questions, ask :)
ReplyHi there.
Reply1) In the choking station when do we ask for help, if we have to at all?
2) In the recovery position station, when do we ask for help, if at all?
Choking: According to the resus council guidelines, you don't need to initially ask for help if they are still actively coughing. However typically, they will soon progress to an ineffective cough in the OSCE. When this occurs you still do not need help, so long as they are conscious. This is managed with back blows/abdominal thrusts as per the guideline. If they fall unconscious (which they probably will in the OSCE), then you would now begin the assessment of the unconscious person (basic life support).
ReplyBasic life support: You should call for help immediately (just shouting help) the moment you see a patient on the ground whether they are unconscious or not. This is done alongside assessing for hazards.
After this once you have assessed that the patient has not had at least 2 breaths in 10 seconds (using the look & feel method), then you would immediately call for a crash team/ambulance before beginning CPR. It is possible the item may have dislodged in the fall, which is why you check the mouth and assess for breathing.
If the patient is breathing, then you would put them in the recovery position (particularly if you were planning on leaving) and then go get help.
For the recovery position station, I heard you have to pat them down for any broken bones, see if there is a spinal injury and then check for distention of the abdomen. Is this true? If so, are there any other steps needed to be done before putting in the actual recovery position Thank you
ReplyYou do not need to do any of this as a second or third year! What you have described would be done by someone who has had emergency medicine training (as part of 4th year), but even then not in that order. For second year, if you have a patient that is UNCONSCIOUS but DEFINITELY breathing, you would put them in the recovery position and call for help. For proof that this is the case, refer below to the Resus council guidelines for the most up to date information on Basic Life Support and the recovery position.
Replyhttps://www.resus.org.uk/resuscitation-guidelines/adult-basic-life-support-and-automated-external-defibrillation/#sequence
Hi! The focussed history is usually a more simple history such as pain or other focussed histories e.g. abdominal or others. You can use mark sheets for the histories found on the History tab for help. What you have to do is ask about the presenting complaint using something like SOCRATES and also about past medical history, drug history, family history and social history.
ReplyThe diagnosis is usually something you're quite familiar with. You don't have to be as thorough as the mark sheets you will see on the History tab.
Please ask if you have any more questions!
Hi there. We have only learnt blood films very recently. What should we expect in the osce if this does come up? Thank you
ReplyWill the anatomy stations/ histology stations be multiple choice (apart from Surface anatomy)?
ReplyFor the organ anatomy, how difficult and precise are the questions? or are you expected to have just a general understanding? e.g. for liver anatomy would you need to learn all the blood supply, etc. Or for the abdomen know all the layers of the abdominal wall, etc, with innervations???
ReplyExpect an unmanned station, where you have a paper with multiple choice questions to fill out based on slides of blood films to look at under a microscope. I would revise common things and things you wouldn't want to miss - which is essentially what you would be taught e.g. anaemia, blood cancers, splenectomy, sickle cell etc. It shouldn't be incredibly difficult as long as you have a basic idea of blood film interpretation. Hope that helps!
ReplyYes they should be unless they've changed since my year. Don't forget to be nice to the patient in surface anatomy!
ReplyHave you seen the models they have in the dissecting room? I would go through these and be able to label each structure. I wouldn't go as far as learning the blood supply and innervations - however you will need to know these for your writtens. However I wouldn't take these stations lightly either as they were quite difficult. Know that you could also potentially get bone anatomy - structures found on bones/what attaches where etc. Also know some clinical details surrounding these structures as described in the dissection books.
ReplyPlease contact me directly via Facebook if this isn't sufficient information!
Do you know how likely it is that radiology will come up? And histology? I feel quite unprepared for both as not sure what to revise
ReplyInterpreting radiographs (i.e. x-rays) is a third year and beyond skill. Whilst it is listed as something you may be examined on (therefore I can't say for certain it won't come up), I don't know of anyone who has had it ever including last year. In terms of knowledge for the anatomy stations (surface/organ/bone), King's will teach you sufficient to pass the station so go over what you have learnt this term. There are certain things which come up commonly.
ReplyFor further questions, I would suggest you contact me directly using Facebook :)