Its In The Bag

For the Paediatric Clinical Examination 2014

Lit Kim Chin & Jono Kaufman
IN GENERAL
Its nice to have your own bag
Its fine to borrow someone from previous years
By exam day your bag should fit you like a glove

Stuff should be easy to find (by you and your bulldog) and hard to drop/spill
Individual items vs in a container for your neuro/developmental kit
Get things ready at the door once youve read the stem
e.g have approp growth chart and distractor toy out for every case
e.g eye exam, get your opthalmoscope and neuro kit out

Lots of things that can double up, dont have unnecessary stuff in there
e.g 100s and 1000s in a container = rattle
e.g toys for distraction = toys for neuro/developmental exam

Some stuff annoying/expensive: buy in bulk and divvy around
e.g neuro tips
e.g blocks

Bags can get heavy, dont stuff 5 books into yours then hurt your neck lugging it
around the wards!
If possible have your bag accessible to you on the wards: every kid can have a short
case done on them, and practice makes perfect
e.g the mild asthma kid gets a full resp exam
e.g the fully recovered febrile convulsion gets a developmental exam
BAGS
CONTEMPORARY: THE SOFT LAPTOP BAG
e.g http://www.crumpler.com/au/laptop-bags


TRADITIONAL: THE BRIEFCASE OR DOCTORS BAG
Custom foam inserts from Clark Rubber cut to specifications for brief cases



You can use whatever bag works for you
WHAT TO HAVE IN YOUR BAG
Remember your examiners will only have a stethoscope
Remember you might be confronted with a crying/unco-operative child: be flexible
Seamlessly pulling out the right tool/toy that gets the above child smiling looks good

WRITING MATERIALS
Manila folders +/- clipboard
Cue cards
Pens a few
To highlight different coloured pens, highlighter
KID DISTRACTERS
Flashy light squishy toy e.g. penguin, ball
A boy toy: car
Colouring in books, Thomas the Tank Engine/Dinosuars (kids with ASD)
Blank paper and textas (show the examiners what the child drew!)
Bubbles
Stickers
TOOLS
General Use
o Stethoscope
o Timer: e.g kitchen timer (Count down/Count up)
o Tape measure (1.5m, 2m)
o Disposable tape measures
o Growth charts
Laminated
Non-permanent markers
Alcohol wipes
Neuro Kit
o Tendon hammer
o Eye chart with string
o Penlight
o Red hat pin
o Cotton wool
o Neuro tips
o Tongue depressors
o Tuning forks (x2, or just a 256)
o Opthalmoscope (and spare batteries?)
o Otoscope and covers
o Rattle (or make one with 100s and 1000s in a container)
o Pediatric blood tube with vegemite/toothpaste
Developmental Kit
o Vision
Snellen, finger puppet
Little red car, red string ball, red nose, flashing light
(Or use something thats familiar to the patient their toy,
recognition of carer etc)
o Hearing
Rattle, squeaky toy, bell
o Fine motor
8 blocks, scribble book, sultanas and 100s and 1000s
Testing hand/fine-motor function
o Zipper, key, lid of bottle/jar, plastic cutlery
o My Soft Book, custom make your own

** MAKE SURE YOU ALSO KNOW WHAT YOU CANT HAVE IN YOUR BAG**

WHERE TO BUY STUFF
Medical Equipment: Melbourne Uni Co-Op bookshop Grattan St
Medical Equipment: online: https://www.medshop.com.au/
Windmill Educational Toys & Equipment in Mont Albert for blocks
http://www.windmill.net.au/
$2 shops, toy stores
Or just borrow

BOOKS & RESOURCES
Clinical Paediatrics for Postgraduate examinations - Pass Paediatrics Series
Examination Paediatrics by Wayne Harris
Other clinical cases books
ECG folder
Radiology

Other peoples notes: dont always need to reinvent the wheel, modify to suit



EXAM ATTIRE
Its a serious exam, so you want to be taken seriously

Match what the examiners wear, but err on the slightly more conservative side
But we are paediatricians carrying a bag of toys, so you dont have to be too beige
Suit is not essential, but most people wear one
Tie is not essential, but a lot of people wear one

vs

Dont wear your exam outfit for the first time at the exam: practice a few times in it


Happy Studying.