The Medic Life

Let's talk OSCEs...

Hi Everyone!

Today's post is all about useful clinical OSCE resources. Whilst I have a 'resources' page on my blog where you can find a list of (nearly) all the books and online resources I have used throughout medical school, this post covers, in more detail, the resources I use for preparing for my clinical OSCEs. I hope you find some (if not all) of these resources helpful during your preparation for OSCEs!

Disclaimer: As mentioned above, these resources are for clinical OSCEs. I have personally used these books and online resources when preparing for my OSCEs. Whilst I have found them to be useful, you may find that something else works better for you.

OSCEs for PLAB and Medical Students (x)

This book contains practise scenarios for OSCE stations such as history taking, giving information, obtaining consent etc. For each scenario, there is a brief outline of the scenario for the student/Dr (similar to instructions which would be found outside an OSCE station), information for the 'patient', an examiner mark sheet and notes at the end which include things such as differentials, management plan, top tips etc. One of the best things you can do in preparation for clinical OSCEs is practise communication stations and this book contains the perfect scenarios to do so.

The OSCE Revision Guide For Medical Students (x)

This book contains a vast amount of OCSE preparation material. It doesn't just focus on history taking and examinations but also includes things such as clinical procedures, data interpretation, management of major emergencies etc. I could go on forever about just how useful this book is but if you want to find out for yourself, OSCEstop (the organisation behind this book) has a website where you can access a lot of the content from the book for free. So if you want to look at some of the content before purchasing it, you can find it at OSCEstop.com.

OSCE Cases with Mark Schemes: A Revision Aid for Medical Finals (x)

This book contains more history taking scenarios for possibly every single speciality you can think of. It also contains scenarios for breaking bad news, medication counselling, providing information about procedures etc. It's great to use during group revision sessions. When preparing for OSCEs, practise makes perfect and this book really does help you excel in those communication stations.

Focused History Taking for OSCEs (x)

I have found this book to be extremely useful for clinical placements as well as exam preparation. There are history taking templates for possibly every single symptom you may come across. I look over the relevant templates in this book when I am due to start a new rotation and use it in the run up to OSCEs to make sure I'm asking all the right questions for the presenting complaint.

Geekymedics.com

This website is great for all things OSCE! There are guides for pretty much everything you can think of including history taking and examinations, interpretation of lab and radiology results, different procedures, ECG interpretation etc. The list is endless! I also find their youtube channel extremely helpful when I'm learning a new physical examination. The demonstrations help me understand exactly what I should be doing and always act as a quick reminder when I haven't performed a particular examination in a while (especially before OSCEs).

Mockosce.com

This is a website I came across early on when I was trying to find history taking scenarios to practise. Although it doesn't have scenarios for every single topic, the ones it does have are good to practise with.

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If you don't like anatomy so much, here's what you need...

Anatomy isn't my favourite topic. I came to that realisation quite early on in semester 1. It was only at the end of semester 2 (right before the OSCE's) that I finally found a good combination of resources to use. Having never used diagrams and pictures to learn before, I was surprised to find that these things actually helped me learn the anatomy content. I know everyone learns differently so what works for me might not necessarily work for others but I've found the following things really helpful in overcoming my dislike for anatomy:

Netter's Anatomy Colouring Book (Click here to buy Netter's Anatomy Colouring Book)
This colouring book is great for revising anatomy because it's engaging and fun. Initially, I was only using it to colour things in when I couldn't bear to read another word in an anatomy textbook. However, closer to the exams, I found it really helpful to learn the origins, insertions, arterial supply, innervation etc. of muscles because these things are summarised in tables. Also, it helped with learning bony landmarks. I'll write more about how I used this book to make notes when I do a post on my note taking.

Netter's Anatomy Flashcards (Click here to buy Netter's Anatomy Flashcards)
I chose these flashcards over the Gray's Anatomy ones and I have no regrets. I wasn't fond of the Gray's Anatomy textbook so I knew that I probably wouldn't like the flashcards either. These are great to take into my anatomy sessions to help identify structures and answer questions.

Human Anatomy - Colour Atlas and Textbook (Click here to buy this textbook)

This book contains pictures of prosections which is really helpful when preparing for the OSCE's. I was panicking before the OSCE's because I couldn't identify anything on the prosections. It saved me from having to imagine structures and prosections I'd seen very early on in the year because I had these pictures right in front of me.

Teachmeanatomy.info

This website is amazing! It explains everything clearly and concisely so it's great to use when making notes. You can also get a Teach Me Anatomy app which is just as good! Both the website and app contain clinical relevance boxes which link the anatomy content to clinical practice. There's also multiple choice questions to help test your knowledge.

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When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

When Breath Becomes Air was written by Paul Kalanithi - a training neurosurgeon who was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. He died in March 2015 and the book was completed by his wife, Lucy Kalanithi. Published posthumously, it was the number 1 bestseller of The New York Times and The Sunday Times. I have read numerous books and whenever someone asks me what my favourite book is, this is the one I always name. I've been a fan of true stories - reading things such as A Child Called It and Belonging - since my early teenage years. These true stories all hold different meanings for me. Out of all of these books, When Breath Becomes Air has undoubtedly had the most significant impact on me. I read it shortly before starting medical school after receiving my A level results. The lessons I learnt from the words of Paul Kalanithi will always stay with me.

This story shows the vulnerability of doctors. It shows that at the end of the day, doctors are humans and like everyone else on this earth, face disease and death. There is a swapping of roles as Paul Kalanithi, a doctor, becomes a patient. He reflects on the numerous patients he's operated on and the impact he had on those patients. More importantly, he writes about his experience as a patient, having to make important decisions about his treatment, career and personal life. This book made me question the invincibility that people often associate with doctors. Their knowledge and experience isn't a barrier against disease. They aren't able to hide from disease and death but when it does come, it seems that much more unbelievable. This book focuses on the inevitability of death but more importantly, it focuses on life and the purpose of living.

It seems that however much I try to praise this book, I can't do it justice. I cannot find the words to explain how meaningful this book is. The lessons it holds and the questions it makes you ask yourself are invaluable. As a medical student, it made me think about the doctor I wanted to be. It made me think about my purpose as a future doctor but also as a human being. Paul Kalanithi has touched many people with his words as an incredible neurosurgeon and an incredible human being.

Click here to buy When Breath Becomes Air

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