Whether you’re about to face the Divisional Clinical Examination for The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), the viva component of The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists’ (ANZCA) anaesthesia exams, or the clinical or oral examination for one of our many other specialist medical colleges here in Australia, it’s normal to feel a little nervous or anxious about what’s coming up ahead.

Here are five practical skills you need to master to set yourself up for success in your specialist medical college clinical or oral exam.

BEFORE THE EXAM OR BETWEEN CASE STUDIES

DURING THE EXAM

AFTER THE EXAM OR BETWEEN CASE STUDIES

WHAT’S NEXT?

REFERENCES

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Bryant, F. B., & Veroff, J. (2017). Savoring: A new model of positive experience. Psychology Press.

Cleveland Clinic. (2021). How Box Breathing Can Help You Destress. Retrieved 08 May 2023 from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/box-breathing-benefits/

Gallo, C. (2018). 5 Ways to Project Confidence in Front of an Audience. Retrieved 08 May 2023 from https://hbr.org/2018/05/5-ways-to-project-confidence-in-front-of-an-audience

Gallo, C. (2019). How to Look and Sound Confident During a Presentation. Retrieved 08 May 2023 from https://hbr.org/2019/10/how-to-look-and-sound-confident-during-a-presentation

Gawande, A. (2017). Want to get great at something? Get a coach. https://www.ted.com/talks/atul_gawande_want_to_get_great_at_something_get_a_coach?language=en

Hays, K. F. (2009). Performance Anxiety. In K. F. Hays (Ed.), Performance Psychology in Action (pp. 101-120). American Psychological Association. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1chs4mh.11

Hopper, S. I., Murray, S. L., Ferrara, L. R., & Singleton, J. K. (2019). Effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing for reducing physiological and psychological stress in adults: a quantitative systematic review. JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep, 17(9), 1855-1876. https://doi.org/10.11124/jbisrir-2017-003848

InsightTimer. (2020). The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique: Manage Anxiety By Anchoring In The Present. Retrieved 08 May 2023 from https://insighttimer.com/blog/54321-grounding-technique/

Laborde, S., Allen, M. S., Borges, U., Hosang, T. J., Furley, P., Mosley, E., & Dosseville, F. (2022). The Influence of Slow-Paced Breathing on Executive Function. Journal of Psychophysiology, 36(1), 13-27. https://doi.org/10.1027/0269-8803/a000279

Lomas, T., Medina, J. C., Ivtzan, I., Rupprecht, S., Hart, R., & Eiroa-Orosa, F. J. (2017). The impact of mindfulness on well-being and performance in the workplace: an inclusive systematic review of the empirical literature. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 26(4), 492-513. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2017.1308924