MBBS3 Tips & FAQ

Welcome to the FAQ page for MBBS3. For other years please look here.

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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Writtens:

I would begin the year by using mini Kumar & Clark to understand what happens in each disease. However, I noticed that a large focus of the questions were on diagnostic criteria, gold standard investigations and management which is covered best by Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine (a.k.a cheese & onion). Do not start with the Oxford Handbook, as this book doesn't explain things thus it may leave you very confused.

For Psychiatry, I recommend Psychiatry PRN, written by the same person who runs Extreme Psychiatry. It is genuinaly an amazing book for Rotation B. For Neurology, I recommend a MCQ booklet I wrote. For data interpretation, particularly during the Chest and Abdo rotations, I recommend this book which covers it brilliantly!

Whilst these books may feel too light, the emphasis is consolidating your clinical skills in MBBS3. Nevertheless, if you like extra detail use the Lecture Note series in Abdominal, Cardiology, Neurology and Respiratory medicine. Remember the emphasis is on common conditions, so know these inside out.

OSCEs:

Masterpass and Macleod's are the best textbooks to use. Masterpass is not sufficient to pass as it has insufficient detail and occasional mistakes. Macleod's however is very good in that it details clinical findings and really explains what they mean. Also, I recommend this website or my OSCE Android app (I'm obviously biased), as it covers most of the potential stations in the OSCE.

Histories

• You will usually be asked to give differentials (aim for at least three) and to support your top differential. This usually happens at the warning bell (but occasionally at the end)
• Aim to ask about ideas, concerns and expectations EARLY in the consultation. These open questions will often get patients to really convey what they've presented for
• You should NOT be asked for management steps i.e. investigations or treatment, except in the Pathology & Therapeutic stations
• If a patient is presenting to A&E, strongly consider that this may be an emergency diagnosis. In contrast, if a patient is presenting to the GP, this may be a long term issue
• Spend the vignette time thinking of differentials for a given presenting complaint in this age & gender. Try to split them into different systems (cardiovascular/respiratory/abdominal/other causes). 
• Always consider emergencies or malignancies as a cause, asking the relevant red flags to rule these in and out!
• Ruling things in/out and being safe are much more important than getting the diagnosis. In fact, you can get the right diagnosis and fail a station

Exams

• They usually ask for differentials towards the end. When practising, try to pretend to have signs or list the things you'd expect for a given diagnosis
• Remember that patients will be presenting with stable diagnoses, do not suggest someone has acute appendicitis
• Say what you actually see/feel/hear. Doing it correctly is much more important than getting the diagnosis at this stage! 
• Always introduce yourself and wash your hands before & after. These are important and easy marks

Procedures (e.g. venepuncture)

• It is generally better in my opinion to imagine there is an actual patient as this makes you more likely to remember the steps
• Always introduce yourself and wash your hands before & after. These are important and easy marks

For information on each book, hover over the book and read my comments!


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