TEALE FENNING

wolverine · Century Club Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 393

Has anybody been to that course?

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 6:52 pm Post subject:

It sounds as if you have been according to one of your other posts?
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"Teale Fenning Medical Education" delivering evidence-based, exam-orientated learning since 1997

wolverine · Century Club Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 393

Yes I did. It was generally helpful but not very cost effective! NICE quidelines would not recommend it, I'm sure! I got a bit worried though about how the essays are marked in the exams and how acurate and fare is the mark you get

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:13 pm Post subject:

Can you elaborate?

I can guess what theyt told you!

I must admit I have been slowly changing the advice we give on the Essay Course to address the issue of subjective marking in the Essays. Let's face it whenever a human is involved the marking is open to interpretation. That is why they introduced EMQs. The original aim was to change the whole Part II to EMQs but I think this has been put on hold. They need a few years at least to see how everyone performs.

Anyway, following the Dubai Course and marking the essays from the Essay Writing Technique Course I realised that despite all the good advice we give you people are still not translating their knowledge and our suggestions into high quality = high scoring essays.

Take home message - write less and get to the point. Do not try and write extensive, wordy essays. Take each point and justify your actions.

Most importantly, especially with the new style Essays where you have a specific and limited space in which to write and score, you have to realy study the question and the way it has been split up to ensure you address what the College want and that you get the right stuff in the right place. Not an easy task as the Sept guys will tell you!

I think we hav this sorted already however and the team on this weeks ABC Course will agree I hope. I think we all agreed that you need to paln even more now and think very very carefully before putting pen to paper.

Bubbling has become essential ... not that it ever wasn't Wink

I will be showing how to do this on next weekends Essay Practice Course - our last course before the exam. We have written 36 new essays in the new format and provide some hot topic predictions. Plenty of spaces if anyone is interested.
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"Teale Fenning Medical Education" delivering evidence-based, exam-orientated learning since 1997

wolverine · Century Club Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 393

Well, we did some mock essays (which were ALL with the previous format!!!!!!!! but anyway..) and the marking was done by the examiners who are going to be examining in March/May. In one of them I got a realy low score (3/20) and when we discussed about it I realised that I have included at least 80% of the points that they were scoring! I asked for a second opinion from another examiner and he kindly apologised and corrected to "at least 13". Is there any back up or I'm totally depending on the mood that the examiner is going to be on that particular time that he gets my paper in his hands?

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 3:55 pm Post subject:

The only back up is a formal complaint and a request for a remark.

You will not need to do this anyway my friend as you are a guaranteed pass Wink

One question I would aks, and one you should have asked yourself, is why did he score you so low in the first instance? Was it just bad marking or were some of your marks not so easy to see / find?

We go on and on about impressing the person marking your paper. The old style introduction was a great way to do this but sadly this opportunity has now gone from the vast majority of essays although it still worked well for the fibroid one where you were asked 'what would affect your management'.

My advice:

1. Keep it all very simple

2. Be direct

3. Read the question and make surte you undestand it

4. Answer the question (and I mean this sincerely as many people read and understand the question and yet still chose to write about what they want)

5. Go for simple, everyday facts that modify what you do in real life

6. Always think about the question as a real clinical setting and ask yourself what you would do and why

7. Justify every single comment you make - say how and why you do the thing you do

Smile

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

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 3:59 pm Post subject:

wolverine · Century Club Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 393

Thank you for your good words and support Nick. I seriously found your course and your input with this forum far more useful! I was so jealous with Abi and Raj who are coming to the course this weekend! I'm on call next weekend (..and my budget is zero) but I'll might swap and make it to London for the essay practice.

wolverine · Century Club Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 393

I didn't go to ask him personally for his marking because I would have said something very rude!!
The other examiner spent about 2 minutes to have a good look on my paper so I believe that the points were not that hidden!

Nick Raine-Fenning · Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:14 pm Post subject: