Before the exam

You are required to report at the location at 8am (for the morning exam).

This year (and probably past years), we were meant to report in the Student Common Room, Undergraduate Medical Education Department situated on the 1st floor on the Education and Research Centre , Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester. There are MANY entrances, be sure you go to entrance 15! It can get pretty confusing otherwise. Gate 15 is on the side/ back side of the hospital, not the front.

Do check if the exam is still held here when you give the exam!

Inside the hospital if you do get lost, follow the ORANGE sign for “Education and Research Centre”. It is quite straight forward.

You will find other students waiting near the entrance. Take the elevator in front to go up, on the 1st floor, turn left, walk through the doors and walk on the right side of the corridor (the cafeteria will be below you) all the way until the end. This is the student lounge.

There will be a bathroom next to the lounge.

The examination coordinator/inspector will brief you on the exam once all the students, examiners, simulators and patients are in. All of this might take up to 9 am.

1. You will be asked to put your phone in a plastic bag with your name on it. You will get this back after the exam.
2. You will also be given a sticker / badge. This will have your name , cycle number and which station you will start off with when on the ward and when you start in the consultation rooms. Put this sticker on your shirt.
3. You will be given stethoscope alcohol wipes to clean your stethoscope with prior to the exam. (Do not worry, you will be given new ones in the necessary stations, use these on the diaphragm each time when you examine new patients.)

After the briefing, you will be taken in a line across the same corridor you came from and into an area and then a room where you will be asked to leave your bags and coats.

Here you will be split into 2 groups. Cycle 1 and Cycle 2.

One cycle will start with the consultation rooms, the other one will be taken to the wards. They are situated next to each other.

Consultation room stations: If you start with the Consultation rooms, is situated next to the deposit room (where you left your coat). There will be 4 doors facing each other and a rest chair (with some play do – for stress relief, and water). You will be asked to stand in a line facing away from the station. When the bell rings, you will be allowed to turn around and start reading the station.

The Ward room stations: will be at the end of the hall. This is an L-shaped area with curtains drawn to separate the cubicles. It looks like a real ward. You will 8 stations and 1 rest station here as well.