What are these?
These checklists were designed as a bridging tool for practicing OSCEs after you have learned the signs and examination techniques you are looking for. Formal OSCEs require the timely execution of a rehearsed performance which is not well practiced on the wards, and as a medical student I found it cumbersome to practice with an open book of Talley and O’Connor or scrolling through a long Geeky Medics website. Such resources are excellent to learn an exam or procedure but not ideal to use as a reference material. As a result I developed most of these checklists, as many of my peers did, in order to practice more fluidly without reading an entire paragraph to see what I had missed. They are as concise as possible, easily accessed and bookmarked, can be copy-pasted and do not have ads, cookies or log-ins required.
They may also be useful as rubrics for informal practice or as a quick-reference before you go and see a patient for which you have never done the required exam – always remember the clinical scenario and add or remove techniques when you are seeing real patients.
Who are the checklists for?
The checklists reflect what I would consider the “bare minimum” to pass a 2nd or 3rd year postgraduate OSCE in an appropriate time frame. While I have tried to make them as concise and essential as possible, you may find that your particular school/examiner requires a certain sign to be elicited or a combination of exams to be performed. For this reason I have tried to make the site as simplistic as possible so that the checklists can be copied and pasted into a Word document and edited or printed as might fit your purposes.
If you do not know how or what an examination technique is, please consult your clinical educators, Talley and O’Connor, Geeky Medics or a simple google will probably head you in the right direction.
I have a suggestion/have found a mistake on page x.
If you have found a spelling/grammatical/factual inconsistency, have a suggestion for an exam or procedure, or simply have very strong opinions on what should/shouldn’t be included in a checklist, please email feedback@medchecklist.org. I promise I am friendly and will consider any and all correspondence.
Disclaimer
The checklists are in no way intended to be substitutes for any aspect of medical education, nor do they constitute medical advice. The information on this website is solely the opinion of the author and does not guarantee any clinical performance.