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Clinical Skills Assessment. The Exam. How Do You Feel Now?. Ideas. Something I have got to do No way of getting out of it How soon to do it- shall I put it off Would be better to revise in group Going to take a lot of preparation Fit it in with everything else I need to do. Concerns.
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Clinical Skills Assessment The Exam
Ideas • Something I have got to do • No way of getting out of it • How soon to do it- shall I put it off • Would be better to revise in group • Going to take a lot of preparation • Fit it in with everything else I need to do
Concerns • I‘m really scared • I don’t want to travel to London • How will I pay for it ? • How will I pay for the re-sit? • I’ll never be prepared for it/good enough • Is November too early? • How do I book it? • Where do i start revising • Do I need to go on more courses? • Have I given myself enough time to revise?
Expectations Try and reflect as much as it could a normal surgery session.
Reality • It is a pain going to London • It is expensive • It is scary BUT • They are not trying to trick you • Everybody is very pleasant and they try to put you at ease. • Get into the swing of it really quickly
Booking it • RCGP website • MRCGP heading and click on csa, then click on the apply for CSA ,this will give you the dates for when the exam is, • 4x a year September, November, February and May • Taking in November you can apply from 4th October • Taking in Feburary can apply from 6th December • This year costs £1481, have to pay in 1 instalment • Website can be slow dates first open
Where • Purpose built building in Croydon • 3 floors (levels 18-20) • Right outside train station which is on direct line from St Pancras • Travelodge but also other hotels in walking distance • Also few restaurants and coffee shops around • Morning and afternoon session
Structure • Arrive, sign in, show your ID ( passport or photo driving licence) and hand in your mobile • Put in a room with everyone else- given a brief • Once everyone arrives taken to your floor • Put your things in your locker and go to your room with doctors bag • Need BNF, stethoscope, ophthalmoscope, auroscope, thermometer. Patella hammer, tape measure, peak flow and mouth pieces • Remain in same room for whole exam unless home visit or telephone consult • On desk will be all your cases for that session as well as peak flow chart, prescriptions, med 3s, tuning fork and tongue depressors. • Examination couch as well • Buzzer rings to mark start and end of consultation • 2 minutes between each case • Break of 10-15 minutes after 7 cases, water coffee and tea. With all other candidates and cannot speak about exam • At the end they will knock on your door and leave.
Marking schedule • 13 cases- change each day • All of them count • Marked on the 3 domains of data gathering, clinical management and interpersonal skills. • Each domain has an equal numerical score • Marked as clear pass ( 3), pass ( 2), fail (1) and clear fail (0) • Total 9 for each case- 117 overall • Examiner also marks whole case as pass, fail or borderline • For borderline cases score is added and averaged • Based on this they will integrate the scores and produce the pass mark
Actually doing it/ How did it feel • Worst bit was the waiting • No surprises • Nothing came up which you wouldn’t expect in a normal surgery in fact probably a lot more straight forward i.e patient only had 1 problem • Be yourself • Don’t panic even if you muck up a case • If you don’t know something admit this to a patient • Don’t waste time writing prescriptions/ sick notes
On reflection • What went well • never too early to start revising • Get a revision group together- minimum 3 • Have a consultation plan • Videoing • Practising cases with your trainer • Courses: Harrogate, RCGP, HDR mock CSA • Cases- look at general topics and write your own • Picking morning session • Going to the exam with other people- not necessarily on the same floor!! • Watch where you stay • 0% interest credit card
On reflection cont • What went less well • Books- • cases fairly complicated and not all have marking schemes • Make sure you don’t all have the same ones!! • Make sure you are consultating at 10 minutes • What I would change • Attend the mock CSA- need as much practise as possible- I always put it off • Don't be afraid to ask other people for revision sessions • Don’t talk about it once you are out
What do YOU need to do now? • When are you going to take it (may have already booked it) • Revision groups- how many? Where? When? • Resources you will need/use • Courses • Using your revision to also buff up your e portfolio