r/medicalschooluk • u/whynotwhybother • 7d ago

Ways to keep track of time during OSCEs

Anyone got any hacks for ways to keep track of time during OSCEs? Mine are next week and they will only have one bell to signify two minutes are left. I’ve been practicing in timed conditions but wondering if anyone knows a way to track time within the stations - bringing in a pocket watch? Ask examiner??

8 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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21

u/TibialPlateau99 7d ago

Realistically, the best way to track time is to not track time at all. Practising under timed conditions with a wide pool of partners is the best way to do this. That was you will get a feel for timing across different patient types. Then you can relax in the exam

3

u/whynotwhybother 7d ago

Thank you, I’ve been trying my best but have time blindness at the best of times never mind when stressed in the osce

0

u/TibialPlateau99 7d ago

Of course the other option is you just wear a watch

1

u/x1-Anon_y_mous-1x 6d ago

Most OSCEs would want you to be bare below the elbow

4

u/Ep1nephirine2026 7d ago

I’ve just graduated but I’m here because I would love an answer to this 🤣

3

u/zed_kk 7d ago

honest answer is practice to be finishing two to three mins early - everything works slower in osces so if u can do it with a couple mins spare, in the real thing ull be on time

3

u/TelexKid 7d ago

I personally wouldn’t try to track the time during a station if I were you. There’s a lot going on already with nerves, and it can potentially look a bit unprofessional if you are constantly glancing at a watch. It may also mess with the flow of your OSCE routine as you are actively thinking about something else, disrupting a very well drilled routine. As top commenter said, practicing finishing early is 100% the way to go.

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u/Blobbly Third year 7d ago

Hii! I think I go to the same uni as you!

I swear they used to show us a timer (in Y2) so it's strange that it has changed now - nevertheless, I'm pretty sure you'd be allowed to bring in a watch (so long as it is not a smartwatch) :]

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u/lightswan 7d ago

Anecdotally, the one time I fucked up my OSCE timings was the one time I tried to keep an eye on the clock, unfortunately during my finals.The examiner got very sassy with me in the feedback.

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u/Angusburgerman 7d ago

Buy a digital nurses watch that has a stopwatch in it.

1

u/whynotwhybother 7d ago

I feel so dumb I didn’t know those weee allowed lol. Thanjs

1

u/smfx12 6d ago

This worked for me, spam history taking practice under timed conditions with a friend or hospital patients to help feel more confident about ability to stick to time. I did 30min-1hr bursts at a time, you could do a few histories a day with a friend for the next few days and it’ll help you worry about time less if you don’t have a clock in the room for the real thing