What Exams Taught Me

In conjuction with SPM this week I thought about writting on exams but before I start let me wish All the best to the SPM candidates 2016.All of you might be stressed with your exams and some may think it as a burden or a pain but exams really teaches us something new.Something not just the topics or syllabus which all of us think it test us.But exam really taught us something beyond it.So I'm sharing what I learned from my medical exams.It may vary according to your faculty and course.

So this is what my medical exams taught me

MCQ 

This is multiple choice is a form of an objective assessment in which respondents are asked to select the true or false answer out of the choices from a list.This exam is very tricky as they have negative markings which means for every wrong answer I tick I get reduced by 1 marks.Example I answer 3 question right and 2 question wrong which means my marks will be 1 point.If I'm not sure I can leave the answer blank.What this exam taught me is I should never give a wrong answer to my patients. If you don't know refer them to someone else or just admit that you don't know.Do not give a wrong answer to your patients as it can harm their life

MEQ 

This exam is very interesting as it has 3 parts.The interesting part is that the answers for part 1 is on part 2 and answers for part 2 is on part 3 but we are not suppposed to take all together but answer each part one by one.This exam taught me to be honest in whatever I do because I had all the chance to see the next part and answer the part 1 but it has no use as its not my effort.Honesty is the best policy 

SEQ 

This exam we all are familiar with were you answer the question with an essay.I can write whatever I want in this section and there is no limitation but I must answer what the question want.This exam taught me to compress my knowledge and present it in a clear short compact manner.Because when patient ask you something you can answer how much you want or how long but will the patient understand all of it.So keep it simple compact and have everything your patient wants to know. No point talking alot go straight to the point

OSCE 

This exam is very stressful and I have to answers all the question provided in 5 minutes and I have to be caution on my 1st answer because if my 1st answer is wrong then the following answers will be wrong too so the whole section is wrong.This exam taught me that time is limited in emergency situation and I have to act fast and my first step have to be correct because if I take the 1st wrong step on my patient it could cost his life and I will be wasting more time.Every seconds count

Long case 

This is the exam we medical students are pampered.Why I say pampered is because this is the time we are given 30 minutes to 1 hour to clerk and check our patient in peace.In the ward or real working life we are not given this much of time and have to be super fast.We are given an hour because what comes after the 1 hour is 30 minutes of viva.In this viva medical students will be asked everything about the disease,drugs,patient,side effects and etc.This exam taught me that medicine is wide and huge and I'm treating the patient as a whole not the disease.Treat the patient not the disease

Short case

This exam medical students are given 10 minutes to check their patient completely and come up with diagnosis and management in the 10 minutes given.This exam taught me to work under stress and cope with the stress given and patient will not walk in saying doctor I have stroke.It's my duty to find the problem and the solution in the fastest time and cope with stress and emergency.Don't be dependant on investigtion and superiors and believe in yourself and your cliinical skills.

This is what my medical exams have taught me.All the exams we go through are there for a reason to make us better.Exams teaches us more then topics and syllabus something special is there.I found mine so try finding what your exams have taught you.Pass or Fail is part of life but we must embrace the exams as it tell us where we are

Thank you