Examination Medicine: A Guide to Physician Training by Nicholas J. Talley, Simon O’connor Read Free Book Online Page A

probably best avoided. Carry your exam clothes onto the aeroplane with you. Check, however, that there is nothing in your exam bag that will disturb the airport security people. They are easily alarmed.
    • It is important that clothing used in the exam fits properly. The examiners were alarmed to see a candidate whose suit was either borrowed from a smaller person or had not kept up with his weight gain. When he bent over to examine the patient his shirt and trousers separated and the examiners thought he must have had a previous career as a plumber.
     

HINT

1. Remember your bag lock combination number.
2. Do not place your bag on a sink (or behind you on the floor).
3. Make sure all your batteries are charged.

    During practice sessions, it is always a good idea to place equipment in the same pockets each time. In the exam, you do not want to be fumbling at this crucial time – it will only create a poor impression. Consultants, other than cardiologists, carry their stethoscopes or put them in their coat pocket; rarely do they place them around their neck. This seems a sensible policy for aspiring consultants also. Candidates who do carry a briefcase into the test (and many neurologists carry one everywhere) can usually place it on the patient’s bedside table and leave it open so that its contents are easily accessible.
    Some candidates take beta-blockers on the day of the test to remain calm. An interesting story from the Lancet highlights this very situation. A Scottish physician refers to a British censor who had the habit of counting the temporal pulse of candidates: if he found that the pulse rate was less than 60 beats/minute, he would take this fact into account when giving his mark (M G Bamber. Dope test for doctors. Lancet , 1980. ii:1308). We are unaware of a similar practice in Australasia. However, candidates intending to use these drugs should give themselves a dose during a practice session. One doctor who did not do this learnt to his horror during the actual examination that beta-blockers caused him severe bronchospasm (he failed).
    Nervous individuals with a tendency to sweat can have problems. One candidate (now a professor), who was balding and wore glasses, found that during times of intense anxiety rivers of sweat would roll down from his forehead and fog up his glasses, washing them from his nose. His solution was antiperspirant (unscented, of course) applied generously to the forehead (he passed).
    Dress is important. The medical establishment is well known for its conservatism, and the nonverbal messages that your appearance gives should not be forgotten when dressing. Traditionally, men and women wear a conservative suit and men a noncommittal tie. Almost all examiners wear suits and ties (or perhaps a bowtie). In fact, a suit (for both men and women) is a sort of uniform and by far the easiest thing to wear. The most important thing is not to wear something that will make you feel self-conscious and distract you from performing well in the exam itself.
    Other important considerations for men are having short tidy hair, a neatly trimmed beard if you cannot bear to shave it off, and a neutral smell. Dress formally, with care to project an air of quiet efficiency. White coats are never worn. However, being well dressed is no guarantee of success. There is a story of two male candidates, wearing grey suits and with recently cut hair, who were viewing with satisfaction a third examinee whose long hair was tied neatly in a bun and who was dressed in a flowing Kaftan-like garment – they felt their own success assured with such competition. However, it turned out that they were unsuccessful and their colleague passed.
    Preparation is the key to success. Like an Olympic athlete, obtain plenty of sleep in the week before the ordeal; take no alcohol or tranquillisers in the 48 hours before it; and do not study during the final 24 hours. Make sure that you eat something before the examination and