This exam is for clinical knowledge. The whole preparation for the exam is based on practice. Don’t read any books, don’t go back to your previous exam notes, only you need to see more cases and practice like in an exam situation. You should have at least 2 months for preparation.
The exam consists of 2 days, the first day is for reporting (long and rapid reporting) and the second day is for VIVA.
Study plan:
You should have a balanced plan for all three components of the exam, long and rapid reporting, and VIVA.
– Practice the cases by writing answers yourself, you should be very fast in typing.
– Shorten your time limit more than the exam (ex: solve a long reporting exam in 1 hour only, rapid reporting exam in 20 minutes only).
– Practice 5 rapid reporting exams daily.
– Practice 1 long reporting exam daily.
– Practice 10 VIVA cases daily.
– Join a study group to discuss cases daily.
Strategy inside the exam:
For long reporting:
1 case in 10 minutes only.
* Give more time for findings, they should know how you get the diagnosis. Negative findings is very important also.
* Interpretation is like the general idea of the case and the broad title for your differential diagnosis.
* Put only 2 or 3 maximum differential diagnoses and better to mention why you didn’t choose them for primary diagnosis.
* Go beyond only referrals in the management section. Dig deep inside the case management.
For rapid reporting:
Have your first run in 10 minutes, pick the very obvious 10-12 abnormalities. The second run is for zooming and windowing to pick the subtle abnormalities.
* Stick to your checklist. Don’t write down odd diagnoses not consistent with RR exam.
* Stick to your answer pattern: side, site, sort.
For VIVA:
Keep calm. Whatever happened inside, it is just an exam.
* Have your approach for each case, don’t start fishing.
* Speak clearly with audible tone.
* Start by the positive finding and its relations.
* Start by lines and tubes.