TEALE FENNING

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 7:28 pm Post subject: An outline of our OSCE Courses

This information is on our main site but I thought I'd paste a link here so you could ask any questions you may have.

From 2007 we will offer three courses for the OSCE; OSCE Secrets, the brand new OSCE Gold, and our highly recommended OSCE Circuits Course.

The vast majority of applicants want to do Circuits. This is completely understandable and we now repeat our Circuits Course at least two or three times so we can get you all on it!

However, you can do a series of stations badly and not improve. What you need is to see how a station should be done - a gold standard if you like. In addition you need to have a basic understanding of what is involved in the actual exam - very few people do.

The exam consists of 12 stations, 10 of which are active or more specifically 'scoring' as there are no real rest stations only preparatory ones which means you are still working! Of the 10 stations, 4 involve role play and this is what is offered in most OSCE Courses. However, this leaves 6 other stations. 4 of these involve a discussion with an examiner, the so-called structured viva, and the remaining 2 are prepartory stations where you may have to consider an audit, a protocol, a set of notes, a patient information leaflet etc.

The OSCE is quite diverse therefore and whilst you have to focus on role playing you cannot ignore these other areas. There are rules, structures, tricks, approaches etc (call them what you will) that you can apply to improve your mark.

This is the crux of our OSCE Secrets Course. This course has been extremely well received over the last 3 years and helped around 85% (79% - 93%) of candidates pass. We spend the weekend discussing and demonstrating role play in a variety of situations including tricky situations such as breaking bad news, the angry patient, the medical complaint, etc. We also discuss result interpretation and spend an afternoon going through the preparatory stations. Essentially we cover each and every possibility so that you are well prepared for any eventuality.

The new OSCE Gold Course is to be launched in April 2007. This course has been developed in response to requests for us to show you how to do a perfect role play or how to present your case note review, patient info leaflet, or prioritisation to an examiner. The weekend is spent doing basic histories until these are second nature to you and we then expand on these in a variety of more complex scenarios including the obligatory breaking bad news and angry patient situations. We then show you how to talk to the examiner in the structured viva or how to present to them following a preparatory station.

You can then test what you have learned on the OSCE Circuits Course. This 2-day course comprises four different modules; gynaecological role play, obstetric role play, structured viva, and preparatory stations. You do these in small groups and receive immediate feedback that is supplemented by detailed, comprehensive marking schemes and candidate information.

We like to think of the OSCE Secrets & OSCE Gold Courses as the equivalent to our Essay Writing Technique Course and the Circuits Course comparable to our Essay Practice Course. Essentially one tells you what to do and the other allows you an opportunity to test that knowledge.

We offer three different courses as we feel each one is necessary and offers unique advice and experience. We recommend you do all three courses for maximum effect but understand this may not be financially or practically possible especially if you plan on doing other courses.

Please be reassured that only a handful of our candidates who have done two or more of our courses have not passed the exam and we can almost always predict who this will be! Shocked

From next year we will offer personalised feedback at the end of the OSCE Circuits Course to ensure you can focus on the areas you need to.
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"Teale Fenning Medical Education" delivering evidence-based, exam-orientated learning since 1997

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 1:55 pm Post subject:

Just a short note to say I have updated the information above for 2007 when we will launch our new OSCE Gold Course.

This Course will involve a weekend of gold standard demonstrations to ensure you have seen the best and worst ways to address the questions you will be asked in the OSCE.

There will be ample opportunity to get involved and have a go and hopefully some of you will also show us 'how to do it' Smile

carpeaqua · Joined: 24 Sep 2006 Posts: 19

Dear Nick,

Thank you for the information. I think that will help a lot of candidates to understand the gold standard. However, for a candidate like me who is far from UK, it is still too difficult to reach.... Hope I can have chance to join theory and circuit altogether in one go.

Will look forward to your courses.

Regards,
CA

p.s. Could you check my PM dated 14 Nov? If not, please do so.

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:03 pm Post subject:

Hi carpeaqua

Anyone can "reach the gold standard" - namely 20/20 for a station!

No one is perfect and you do not have to be to do well in this exam as many of our recent OSCE candidates will agree Wink

Regarding PM - I''ve mailed you.

humera · Joined: 08 Aug 2006 Posts: 27

Nick,
I understand from the description of the OSCE Courses that u recommend to do all three courses, but in case one has to decide only two which two will u suggest.
Humera.

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 12:25 pm Post subject:

That's a good question and an easy one to answer.

I would recommend you do either OSCE Gold or OSCE Secrets and the Circuits Course.

OSCE Secrets gives you an excellent overview of the Exam and how you are being tested - it's one of my favourite Courses. OSCE Gold shows you how to put this into practice - how to speak to an examiner (regardless of whether they are pleasant or aggressive Wink

), how to handle a role player (again, happy, sad, or demanding), and how to read and present case notes and emergency boards.

Secrets and Gold are similar therefore but with different emphasis. We do think all three courses are complimentary otherwise we would not offer them. Most candidates want to do Circuit after Circuit but you can do this every day until the exam and still not do well if you are doing it badly! We specialise in enhancing your technique and general communication skills which will help you in each and every station regardless of the question, role player, or examiner! Essentially the same thing we do for the Essays but this time it is about speaking not writing. To be honest if you have done a few of our courses you will already be well ahead of the game - you just don't know it yet Wink

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"Teale Fenning Medical Education" delivering evidence-based, exam-orientated learning since 1997

drhatta · Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Posts: 32 Location: Malaysia

Hi Nick,
Sorry to ask you this Question again
but in case of an Overseas candidate who has never worked in the UK, decides to only two (between the Gold or Secrets), which one will u suggest (+ the one of the Circuits, of course)
( I think this was asked during the Malaysian Course) Confused

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:43 pm Post subject:

Hi - no problem - you can ask whatever you want as often as you want!

I would go for OSCE Gold and a Circuits Course as you rightly say.

Best wishes

N