young_doc
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A few things i'd like to mention about my experience:
-I didn't underestimate the exam, but i feel like over-estimated my own abilities. My physical exams ended up often sloppy, and i forgot little parts of the PE in every case. (like doing CVS exam without listen to the carotids in stroke, or doing Neuro exam and checking motor but not sensory, or forgetting Fundoscopic exam in headache, or not doing straight-leg test in back pain, or not doing psoas/obturator sign in RLQ pain, etc). I spent so much time practicing the Questions and write-up, that i fell a little short on the physical examination. If i fail, i definitely know why  I just hope that the little parts of the PE that forgot in every case won't add up enough to fail me.
-Otherwise the center was good, the SP's were good, the proctors were good.
-I ended every encounter early. I'm fluent in English, and tend to talk fast, and think fast. But thinking back now, if i had done the physical exams properly, i probably wouldn't have ended the encounters early.
-SP's were very nice to me, in that even if i asked open-ended questions, they gave me crucial information! For example if i just asked "is there anything else", they say "yes i had an affair a month ago..etc". Which was VERY nice of them to do so 
-The Days INN by the test center in Houston had ants and roaches in the rooms, so definitely not for everyone.
-I wore gloves instead of washing my hands to save a little bit of time
-I typed all my notes. Just because i could then go back and change things or re-write things. Which i admit i did quite a lot.
-Overall i think my d/d and workups were all pretty good, except for one case.
-I introduced myself properly, draped, showed concern and willingness to help, counselled on almost everything (a few times i forgot though). And sometimes i gave more counselling than i probably needed to. Like i told everyone >50 yo they should get a Colonoscopy, regardless of the chief complaint.
-Otherwise, like everyone says, this test is just like it's says in FA, or in the USMLE video. FA is what i used. But PLEASE do NOT make the same mistake i made, don't just practice your Questions and write-up, practice you physical examination as well. I over-estimated my abilities, and even though i know how to do a good PE, under the pressure of the test i did horribly. So practice your PE under pressure.
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| nadiabarati
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Thanks a lot for the nice post. I'm sure you'll pass.
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| Moziz
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You'll definitely make it.
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| smal
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good luck,am sure u did good
can u plz tell me if we r supposed to do any test on a painful hand?if the SP moans in pain while touching it,should we go ahead and try doing any test-strength,sensory,reflexes or joint movement related to the muscle group?
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| young_doc
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Thanks guys.. i appreciate the support.
Smal, i can't comment much about your question because i didn't face such a situation. But the rule-of-thumb is to NOT repeat painful maneuvers. So i guess you can try your best to do motor/sensory/DTR...but if it's really painful to the patient, then that's probably the SP's way of telling you to just avoid that part of the PE.
Another thing i'd like to mention is what i'd do different if i could go back in time:
-take another 20-30 seconds longer outside the door when you see the chief complaint, and write down a bunch of d/d's right away. So for example in "Fatigue", just quickly jot down depression, hypothyroidism, cancer... etc. That way when you're about to do your PE, you won't forget to check thyroid, or lymph nodes...etc.
Even though we all know to check for those things in a fatigued patient, when you're in that room and under time constraint with the patient just staring at you judging your every move, you tend to forget certain things.
The same goes with any other Chief complaint. I just used fatigue as an example!
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| nadiabarati
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good poits thanks again. Yes I also think that 1 minute, before entering the room , is gonna be very useful to write DD.
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| mytime
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Young_doc.........so goo dto read ur exp. It sounds so similar. All we can do is wait...........sad wait or happy wait so lets be l8r and see. GOOD LUCK, buddy!
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| CocaCola
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hi young-doc...
if PE was only problem then you will surely pass!
with a few minor exceptions my experience paralleled yours
let us know when you get your red screen
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There is one thing we can do, and the happiest people are those who can do it to the limit of their ability. We can be completely present. We can be all here. We can give all our attention to the opportunity before us!!!
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| CocaCola
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even the same crappy hotel
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There is one thing we can do, and the happiest people are those who can do it to the limit of their ability. We can be completely present. We can be all here. We can give all our attention to the opportunity before us!!!
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| young_doc
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Thanks MyTime & CocaCola!
Mytime, we shall wait together! g'luck to ya
CocaCola..i still get goosebumps thinking about all the creepy-crawlers at that Days Inn..lol 
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| vanshita
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GOOD LUCK
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| smal
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goodluck young_doc for ur results am sure u'll do good,
could u plz tell me this-if we r allowed to use/does it seem appropiate to use words like cancer,endoscopy,spinal tap and arthrocentesis.............explaining the meaning of these,during patient encounter.
i am confused becoz,before i began my CS study i went to this kaplan session(open house) which said never use-CA,LP,endoscopy words.......say things that r not frightening.but am begining to see cases where they r necessary.
what is ur opinion.
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| young_doc
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Tx Vanishta, Smal
Smal: in certain cases i feel it's important to use those words. I don't understand why Kaplan says not to. What i did was just look at the expression of the SP for example when i said "endoscopy". If they looked lost, then i explained what it is. If they looked like they followed me, i just kept going. I don't like to assume that the SP (or even my patients in real life one day) don't know anything. I would personally feel insulted if my doctor never used big words and talked to me as if i didn't know anything!!!!!! But that's just me So do what you will feel comfortable with.
As for the Cancer, again i feel it's important to say that word. A women that smoked for 40 years and is now coughing blood.. well i don't think it would be fair to her if i didn't tell her there's a chance she might have cancer. I think it's our duty to inform them if there is a chance that it's cancer, in order for them to understand the seriousness of the situation, and that follow-up tests are really important. (because as you'll see...they might ask you questions like "can i go on a trip next week and postpone the tests? )
But hey Kaplan may be absolutely right, and i might fail because of my choice of words... so keep in mind that this is just my opinion GOOD LUCK to ya!!!
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| smal
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thanks for answering that for me.its not that we r going to give the D/D in c/o pneumonia to be lung Ca,but a pt with weight loss,dark stool and F/H of colon Ca,i'd definetly want to make him aware of the possiblity.
thanks again
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remedy for weakness is not brooding over it ,but thinking of strength.
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