CANDIDATE ORIENTATION

© NAC / MCC Orientation 2014

NAC OSCE Examination ] [ The National Assessment Collaboration (NAC)

examination assesses the competence of candidates;

specifically the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential

for entrance into postgraduate training in Canada.

The NAC examination may include problems in:

□ Medicine □ Surgery

□ Pediatrics □ Obstetrics and Gynecology

□ Psychiatry □ Preventive Medicine and Community Health

Confidentiality

Upon registration for this exam, you signed a document

attesting you would NOT disseminate or reveal to others

any content of the examination. This means you CANNOT

discuss or disclose exam content with others at any time, in

any way, even after the exam is over. Examples of this

include comparing patient responses with your colleagues,

sharing exam content with future exam candidates, and

posting case information or exam questions online.

Any breach in confidentiality of exam materials may lead to

disciplinary and legal measures, including invalidating your

results and preventing you from participating in future

examinations.

] [

Duration ] [ The examination duration is about 3 hours.

Plan to be at the examination site for a minimum

of 6.5 to 7 hours.

No external contact will be permitted during the

examination and sequestering period.

No conversations about the examination will be

permitted.

Candidates will not be dismissed until the time

specified on the information sheet.

Items to Bring ] [ Reflex hammer

Stethoscope

White lab coat without a university or hospital crest

Items that are NOT permitted:

Cell phones, pagers, media players, laptops

Electronic devices for internet access, transmission,

reference or recording purposes

Pens, pencils, pen lights

Paper, books, notebooks

Bags, briefcases, wallets, keys

Coat Check ] [ A coat check will be provided at the site to store your

personal items during the examination and sequestering

period.

However, as storage space will be limited, we ask that

you please leave all large bags, handbags and

unnecessary personal belongings at home.

NOTE: While every effort will be made to store your

belongings safely, the Medical Council of Canada

(MCC) cannot be held responsible for theft or damage.

Candidate Notebook ] [ Do not open until the examination begins.

Inside, you will find a sheet of bar code ID labels

and 16 blank pages for your use during the

examination.

You are only issued 1 notebook and we cannot

add additional pages.

Never rip out any pages; your

notebook must be returned intact

at the end of the examination.

Introduction to the OSCE ] [ What is an OSCE?

Objective Structured Clinical Examination

A form of performance-based testing used to measure

candidates’ clinical competence.

During an OSCE, candidates are observed and

evaluated as they go through a series of stations in

which they interview, examine and treat standardized

patients (SPs) who present various types of medical

problems.

The NAC OSCE clinical stations are 11 minutes in

length.

Candidate Instructions ] [ At each clinical station, there is a written

statement (Candidate Instructions) that:

Introduces a clinical problem.

Directs the candidate to appropriately interact with

a standardized patient (SP).

Specifies the task, such as obtaining a focused

history, conducting a focused physical examination,

and/or addressing the patient’s concerns.

Indicates whether there are examiner oral

questions at the 8-minute signal.

Your badge has a station number that indicates

your start station.

Candidate instructions are posted outside each

station.

READ everything carefully.

Pay attention to the statement which explains

your task.

A copy of the instructions will be available inside

the room for your reference.

[ Important Reminders ]

[

Standardized patients (SPs)

are trained to simulate

patients’ signs and

symptoms in a reliable and

consistent manner.

Treat them as you

would real patients.

Hand 1 bar code label to the examiner as you walk

into the room (instructions on the door).

Examiners observe and assess your performance

with preset rating sheets.

Physician Examiners, SPs and Labels ]

Physical Examinations ]

Carry out any maneuvers necessary for

assessing the presenting problem.

Examiners only give credit for tasks

completed satisfactorily!

[ You will be expected to use the hand sanitizer that

will be available in every physical examination

station. You may be prompted by the examiner.

Be sure to drape the standardized

patients (SPs) appropriately.

Physical Examinations

Examiners may intervene by:

asking you to reread the instructions.

The intent is to remind you to refocus on the task and to

save you time.

stopping genital, rectal, vaginal, breast or other

invasive examinations.

If such examinations are appropriate, all you need to do

is clearly inform the examiner.

Help the examiner score by:

telling the examiner what you are doing (e.g., inspection).

describing any findings.

Include findings that are normal.

] [

] [ Signals

A signal indicates the beginning and the end of each

station.

The 8-minute warning signal will indicate:

EITHER that your time with the patient is over and the

physician examiner will begin to ask you questions.

OR if there are no questions (as indicated on the candidate

instructions), that you still have 3 minutes remaining with the

patient.

After each final signal, you will have 2 minutes to move

to the next station and read your instructions.

Physician examiner oral questions may follow the

warning signal. They:

are related to the patient you just saw.

ask about matters like diagnosis, management

decisions, and/or your response to an ethical issue.

Candidate instructions on station doors will indicate

whether there are oral questions at the 8-minute signal.

If there are no oral questions, you will have the

full 11 minutes with the patient.

[ ] Examiner Oral Questions at 8 minutes

[ Before leaving, you must follow the sign-out procedure.

When it is your turn, hand in your:

candidate notebook (all pages intact)

ID badge

unused bar code labels including the backing sheet

Signing Out ]

Congratulations! At this point, the examination is over!

Sign out on the sheet.

Candidates may be required to remain on site before or

after the examination for security reasons.

The length of time depends on the time zone.

There is no access to personal belongings or telephones during this

time.

No conversations about the examination will be permitted.

Examination conditions still apply during sequestering.

Must only speak the language of the exam (English or French)

Sequestering [ ]

REMEMBER: Any breach of examination

content or lack of cooperation could invalidate

and/or prevent access to future

Medical Council of Canada examinations.

If you encounter issues during the examination

that you believe may significantly affect your

results, you MUST:

1. Immediately communicate your concern to the Chief

Examiner.

2. Submit a message through your physiciansapply.ca

account detailing the incident immediately following

your examination.

MCC review of your concern is possible only if candidates

provide notification of the concern/problem in this manner.

Please visit MCC’s website for further information.

[ Reporting Concerns ]

Read your instructions carefully.

Complete the specified task.

Demonstrate your clinical skills.

You receive credit for tasks completed satisfactorily.

Treat the SPs as real patients.

DO NOT leave without signing out.

DO NOT divulge or disseminate any examination

content, even after the examination is over.

[ ] Final Review of Important Points

Your group leader and the support staff are

there to answer your questions and guide you

from station to station.

Try to relax and stay focused on the

examination.

The purpose of the examination is to provide a

fair and accurate assessment of your clinical

skills.

Focus on the Examination ] [

And finally,

Bathroom Breaks

Before the examination begins

After the examination is over

Urgent need: notify staff

] [

Results will be made available to you in your

Physiciansapply.ca account, 6 to 8 weeks

after the exam date.

RESULTS

Through your online account, you will be

able to:

view your results documents.

share them with other organizations.

] [