What topics are covered?

Medicine for Finals covers	Surgery for Finals covers
Cardiovascular medicine	The acute abdomen
Heart sounds and murmurs	Colorectal operations
Myocardial infarction, heart failure	Inflammatory bowel disease
Renal medicine	Surgical quiz / slide-based OSCE
Neurology 1	Examination of the neck: typical cases: surgical approach to the thyroid
Neurology 2: examine the cranial nerves: typical cases	Examination of the breast
Diabetes	Breast disease
Diabetic emergencies	Arterial disease
Respiratory medicine	Varicose veins
Respiratory emergencies	Surgical equipment
Endocrinology	Lumps and bumps, skin lesions
Hyperthyrodism	Fluids and electrolytes
Hypothryoidsm	Examination of the hip
Acromegaly and Cushing's	Examination of the knee

What are the course times?
Both courses start promptly at 9am with registration from 8:30am. Please arrive before 8:45am at the latest. The Medicine course finishes at 5:30pm and Surgery at 4:45pm.

Is it lecture based or is there some practical?
Both Medicine and Surgery for Finals use a variety of educational methods. Short lectures present key concepts and tried-and-tested approaches to the examination. These are interspersed with slide quizzes, based on typical material from OSCE's, and videos of examination of different systems. The practical component includes opportunities to test your existing knowledge and skills - for example by listening to recordings of cardiac murmurs and by constructing a model of the inguinal canal.

Will there be actual patients there?
No, students practice examination technique in pairs - for example, checking peripheral thyroid status and visual fields. There are also opportunities to check-out your own examination systems against a gold standard, using videos of patients.

Are the courses designed to help with written exams or are they just for the clinical exams?
Students generally report that they find the courses helpful for both written and clinical exams. Last year a significant number of students said that they wished they'd attended earlier, probably because the courses enabled them to identify what they already knew and were good at and where their learning needs were. Finding and "blind spots" helped them to focus their revision.
There are plenty of quizzes using x-rays, ECGs and clinical slides and also plenty of opportunities to review important background knowledge and clinical skills eg check that you understand the anatomy of the inguinal canal, the mechanism of a third heart sound, causes of a third nerve palsy and the manifestations of demyelinating disease, for example. There is a big overlap between what is asked about in written and clinical exams, so to that extent the course addresses both. But the course doesn't address issues of exam technique for the written papers. There is a significant focus on clinical exam technique as this is the area that previous students have found overall the most stressful part of finals.

Dress code on the day?
The dress code is informal and stethoscopes are not needed.

Can you advise me on where to stay?
We suggest you contact the local tourist board in the area and ask for some advice on where to stay. Please do not leave it too late to book your accommodation.

What are the arrangements for car parking?
In most cities it is easier to use public transport than to drive. No arrangements have been made for car parking, but most venues are close to public pay and display car parks.

Do I need to bring lunch?
No, a cold sandwich-style lunch is supplied along with coffee, tea and mineral water at breaks and registration.