All station types
CPSA · OSCE station
Clinical examination
Perform a focused, system-based physical examination and present your findings.
A focused, system-based examination. Fluency comes from a fixed routine (inspection → palpation → percussion → auscultation, or look/feel/move for MSK) practised until automatic. Southampton flags abdominal examination as a common weak point.
A structured approach
Set up
- 1Wash hands, introduce, confirm identity & consent, expose appropriately, offer a chaperone
- 2Position the patient correctly (e.g. 45° for cardiovascular)
Examine (fixed routine)
- 1General inspection from the end of the bed — then hands → face → neck → the system
- 2Inspection → palpation → percussion → auscultation (or look → feel → move → special tests for MSK)
- 3Compare sides; watch the patient’s comfort throughout
Finish
- 1Cover the patient; thank them
- 2State the completing steps you’d add (e.g. “I’d also check obs, examine the other systems…”)
- 3Present findings systematically and give a differential
What the examiner wants
- A slick, systematic routine with no obvious omissions
- Correct technique (e.g. tactile vocal fremitus, hepatomegaly palpation)
- Sensitivity to patient comfort & dignity (professionalism marks)
- Accurate findings and a sensible interpretation
OSCE tips
- Practise until the sequence is automatic — hesitation reads as uncertainty.
- Always say what you’d do *to complete* the exam (obs, other systems, relevant bedside tests).
- Narrate positive and relevant negative findings when presenting.
- Abdominal exam is a known weak spot — drill it.
Marking domains
Every station is scored against these. The ones this type leans on most are highlighted.
Data gathering
Right questions, focused examination, relevant investigations.
Clinical reasoning & management
Plausible diagnosis, sensible investigations, safe evidence-based management.
Communication
Active listening, clear explanation, exploring concerns (ICE), shared decisions, safety-netting.
Professional behaviour
Rapport, respect, empathy, handling challenge, honesty.
Patient safety
Recognising and responding to safety-critical issues; escalation.
Topics that appear
CardiovascularRespiratoryAbdominalCranial nervesPeripheral nervesCerebellarThyroidBreastHand / rheumatologyMSK (hips/knees/shoulders)VascularFundoscopyDRETesticular
Examination guides
Full routines + key signs, in Finalist — no need to leave.
Cardiovascular examinationRespiratory examinationAbdominal examinationCranial nerve examinationUpper limb neurological examinationLower limb neurological examinationCerebellar examinationThyroid status & neck examinationHand & wrist (rheumatological) examinationPeripheral vascular (arterial) examinationKnee examinationShoulder examinationHip examinationGALS screen (Gait, Arms, Legs, Spine)Breast examination
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