Friday, October 14, 2011

Clinical Exam Follies and Triumphs

This week I had the opportunity to invigilate a licensing exam for doctors here in Ireland. Though no one actually said anything to us about confidentiality I am very certain that I am not able to blab about any sort of details. However, I will say that it was a fantastic learning experience to see how different people perform under pressure, how examiners basically set out to shred you to pieces, and how little things can really affect one's rapport with the examiners.

One thing I will take with me for when it come to be my turn on the sharp end of the short-case examination:  if you are told "examine body part [x]" then EXAMINE BODY PART X!!!!!

I was stunned to see people being told specifically to examine one organ or anatomical location to find them faffing around with other systems, only to the irritation of the examiners. The examiners would sometimes have to repeat themselves several times, "stop, examine x!"

There was one candidate who was my hero. She (somehow) remained calm, did very methodical and well organized physical exams, could rattle off differential diagnosis like a champ, answered all the examiners questions clearly and precisely, and was really personable to the patients. I was mentally cheering her on the whole time and wishing I was her. I also felt devastated for the people who started floundering, crashing and burning, knowing all too well the negative spiral of

stressed
mind blank
higher stress
flustered
adrenaline injection
mind completely barren of thought
fear of failure
despair
quavering voice
certainty of failure 
despair
despair
despair.

It was somewhat reassuring (or depressing, not actually sure which) to see that even people who have been doctors for years still get stressed and fumble during clinical exams, it is not just we doclings. 



3 comments:

Kate Theriault said...

I love that comic!

Absentbabinski said...

Aye carumba, makes me remember that OSCEs are never far away and likely to bring the cold sweats and mindless terror that destroys common sense to almost anyone!

PGYx said...

"mind completely barren of thought"

Funny because it's true...