Hints and Tips for the Exam
This is a very commonly tested finals OSCE station. Note that you will probably be required to fill out death certificates for at least two separate clinical scenarios in a 5-minute OSCE station, so you should practise pacing yourself accordingly in your study groups.
You are unlikely to get much practice at this task during any of your clinical attachments, so the best way to practise is by photocopying blank death certificates and setting each other example scenarios to complete within 5 minutes. Another option is to find out whether it would be possible for you to visit the bereavement office at your teaching hospital and spend a couple of hours going through some clinical histories and corresponding death certificates. In addition, you should memorise the criteria for referral to the coroner and the conditions that must be fulfilled before you can complete a death certificate.
Listed below are three example OSCE scenarios to get you started:
- 1A: Aspiration pneumonia caused by E. coli
- 1B: Complete anterior circulation territory cerebrovascular accident (not stroke)
- 1C: [BLANK]
- 2: Diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer’s disease
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