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How to improve OSCE performances....

Hi. I'm a third year student who did poorly (may have to resit test if i do less than excellent in part 2) in their recent OSCE. What can I do to improve?

I practiced with different friendship groups, went to mocks and used masterpass + macleods. I allowed plenty of time to study and treated them very seriously. Has anyone else worked hard for OSCEs only to scrape by or fail? What did you do to improve? I have already booked an appointment with my clinical adviser.

Prior to this exam I cleared all assessments confortably including an OSCE in year 2.

Thanks for your time.
Reply 1
Avatar for Catchetat
Catchetat
15
i had a similar experience.

what's your feedback for your osce?

you will want to improve on those points
Reply 2
Avatar for Helenia
Helenia
20
What went wrong? Did you run out of time? Did you panic and get muddled up? How did you think you'd done when you came out - were you surprised to only just scrape through?

On the surface, it would seem like you're doing most of the right things, so I think you need to get some feedback to try and work out what went on.
Original post by Helenia
What went wrong? Did you run out of time? Did you panic and get muddled up? How did you think you'd done when you came out - were you surprised to only just scrape through?

On the surface, it would seem like you're doing most of the right things, so I think you need to get some feedback to try and work out what went on.


Panic like you wouldnt believe.I knew i botched it after the exam! Also misunderstood that the aim of a history is to get a diagnosis and not spit out closed questions. Additionally i wrongly intepretated 2 stations and consequently failed. I didnt have a good day at the office.
Reply 4
Avatar for Helenia
Helenia
20
Original post by Howardsternfan9
Panic like you wouldnt believe.I knew i botched it after the exam! Also misunderstood that the aim of a history is to get a diagnosis and not spit out closed questions. Additionally i wrongly intepretated 2 stations and consequently failed. I didnt have a good day at the office.


Well then, at least you know what happened. Anyone can have a bad station or two, but you have to not let them get to you and try to start afresh at every station (easier said than done - I needlesticked myself in one station, freaked out a bit and consequently managed to fail handwashing which was the next one!)

With history taking, you have to find a balance between allowing the patient to talk and tell their story, and asking the relevant questions. Are you taught about the "communication cone" at your medical school? Start with open questions as far as possible, and then pick up on what they say and try to narrow it down. As you now realise, closed questions are not the way forward (in real life as well as in OSCEs!) They often don't allow you to get the story as well as if you just let the patient talk with a bit of prompting/direction - and the OSCE actors will have been briefed to do that more than normal patients!

I can't help much with misinterpreting the station without really knowing what went on. Just make sure you read the instructions outside the station, and listen to exactly what the examiner is asking you rather than just spewing out whatever you know about a particular topic.
Reply 5
Avatar for avecmon
avecmon
7
With regards to improving OSCE performance, has anyone been to this in the past and perhaps comment on its usefulness?

Third year OSCE practical training day by The RSM http://www.rsm.ac.uk/students/trd19.php

It looks helpful as it would be extra practice - but the programme says there will be 4 students per station which kind of suggests that they might be teaching you the examinations as opposed to letting you practice, which is what I would prefer most given it will be a week away from my real OSCE!

So anyone able to offer a review/comments about this course?

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