私は2013年の 9月にこの試験を初めて受験し、１６ステーション中１５のステーションをパスして合格しました。試験勉強にあてた本格的な期間は約六ヶ月でした。これも主観になりますが、この試験はものすごく難解な試験です。 ８分の間に問診、診察、診断、説明の全てを行わなくてはなりません。時間の余裕は全くありません。コンサルテーションの内容も臨床医として安全で理にかなっている必要があります。これを達成するには、流暢な英語力、適切な言葉選び、系統だった問診能力、広範囲の医学知識、などが必要とされます。私の経験から言うと、タスクを見た瞬間に、「あ、これは初めて見るタスクだな」と感じた場合は、おそらくそのステーションはうまくいかないことが多いでしょう。どんなタスクが来ても、「あ、これは見たことがあるタスクだな」というぐらいでなければ、そのステーションはうまくいかないでしょう。つまり、それだけ多くのケースを経験しておく必要があるのです。それを十分に承知していたので、試験に向けては猛勉強して準備しました。机上の勉強だけではなく、何人かの同僚とシュミレーションの練習を何度も繰り返しました。私のいるクイーンズランド州には、クイーンズランド・ヘルスのもとで働いている外国人医師のための対策コースがあり、CIMGと呼ばれていますが、そこにも通いました。それらがあって合格に至ったのですが、ものすごく難解な試験だと言わざるを得ません。さらに、昨今は合格率が下がっているようで、合格の基準が厳しくなっている風潮があります。この試験の難解度はますます上がっているようです。
これから受験を考えている医師たちには大きく立ちはだかる壁のような試験ですが、周到な準備を重ねれば、合格は見えて来るでしょう。
ところが、なんとこの試験を受けなくても、General Registrationを取得する方法があります。それはまた後ほど紹介します。
Next is about AMC Part2 Clinical Exam. This exam is about assessing an applicant who plays doctor roles in settings of doctor-patient simulation and its clinical consultation proficiency. It consists of 16 stations in which tasks of five fields such as general medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology and psychiatry are posed. Among those 16 stations, passing 12 stations is the passing grade of this exam. Paediatrics and Obstetrics/Gynecology have 3 stations each and if you fail all 3 stations of either department, you are marked as fail of this exam instantly at that point (even if you pass all other stations). In one station, you have 2 minutes to read the task out side the room, then you have 8 minutes to complete the task in the room. Tasks normally require history taking, examination, diagnosis and explanation, all of them in that limited time. In the consultation room, there are a simulation patient (sometimes real patient) and assessor. You proceed the task with that patient in each station. Please see details at the AMC website.
I first tried this exam in September 2013 and passed it with 15 stations' pass. Practical preparation period for this exam was about 6 months. This is also my subjective view though, this exam is basically very very difficult. In the 8 minutes, you have to do history taking, history taking, examination, diagnosis and explanation, everything. There is no one single second you can waste. Furthermore, content of the consultation as a clinical doctor needs to be very safe for patients and rationale. In order to reach this level, you should have fluent English ability, proper choice of words, systematic history taking ability, wide range of medical knowledge, etc. As a rule of thumb, if you felt "Oh, this task seems new to me" when you read the task, that station wouldn't go well. You need to be always "Oh, I know this task", otherwise the station wouldn't go well. I was very much aware of the difficulty of this exam beforehand, therefore, I studied so hard. Not only reading on a table, but also practicing role plays over and over with my colleagues. In Queensland, there is a preparation course, called CIMG, which is designed to teach overseas doctors working under Queensland Health and I commuted to it. By doing those, I managed to pass it. Nevertheless, I have to say again this exam is a difficult one. Moreover, the passing rate of this exam has been apparently lowered nowadays and it seems that the passing standard has been getting more strict than before. The difficulty of this exam is being up and up.
For those who are planning to sit this exam, it is as if a formidable high wall looking down on you. Nevertheless, if you continued to persevere in preparation, passing would be closer to you.
And surprise surprise, there is a way where you don't need to sit this exam to get the general registration. It is to be explained in this blog in due course.
 |
| Yamanto |
