The OSCE Revision Guide for Medical Students

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Don’t worry about making mistakes during the OSCE – you haven’t got time to panic. Stay calm, take a deep breath and continue as you were. Read the instructions carefully before you enter the station. It sounds silly, but people have been known to do the wrong examination in OSCEs (e.g. upper limb instead of lower limb neurological examination). If you don’t do what you’ve been asked, you just won’t get the marks.

We aim to release free practical scenarios that medical students can use to practice towards their OSCEs.It can be easy to just wipe all memories of a bad OSCE out of your brain. However, if you write those errors down you can review them for your next exam and ensure you don’t make the same mistakes again. Talking to your coursemates about their experience can help too – no one said that you can only learn from your own mistakes. Always be polite, empathetic and honest to your patient. Listen to them carefully and let them speak. Thank them and the examiner at the end of the station. After all, they’ve given up their free time to help you. A significant amount of marks are often awarded just for demonstrating these generic communication skills, so don’t neglect them! These blueprints show how the relevant standards of proficiency and associated skills and procedures may be tested in either the CBT, OSCE or both parts.

OSCEs or Objective Structured Clinical Exams are the ‘practical’ exam of medical school. It aims to prepare you for the clinical and communication aspects of becoming a doctor. They can seem really difficult and stressful, but with enough practice, you are likely to score well. I hope these tips are helpful and make you feel a little less worried! Concise, to the point and the key to passing any OSCE stations whether you are looking for a pass or a distinction. This book should be possessed by every medical student starting their clinical years.”Always begin and end a station with washing your hands! Not only is it just good clinical practice, this gives you vital and easy marks. The online subscription contains all the information in the book in an online format plus additional online-only content:

Test specifications show how the test is designed, what it will assess and how, and how results will be produced and presented. It is actually much more reliable to look for fasciculations when the tongue is resting in the mouth, rather than when it is protruded.”You may not be feeling very confident during your OSCE, but pretend you are! Stand up straight, smile when appropriate and speak loudly and clearly – being too apprehensive can give the impression you don’t really know what you’re doing and make the patient nervous too.