Doctors are required to recall and provide an enormous amount of information in their clinical exams. In preparation for these exams, much of this information is learnt in the form of lists. It suits some doctors to use mnemonics or other aides-mémoire to facilitate this difficult task. However, when practising for clinical exams, doctors are often told that they sound like they are simply reciting lists.

This can be incredibly frustrating feedback. If you are reciting a list, isn’t it fair that it might sound a bit like a list?! But this feedback would be more helpful if it were a little more nuanced. 

The problem with reciting lists in clinical exams is that you might tick all of the boxes in the list, but you don’t necessarily demonstrate consultant level understanding or perspective. The key to making lists impressive in clinical exams is to not just say what is on your list, but to specify why it is on your list. It is this perspective that can make the difference between a borderline performance and a clear pass. Many registrars argue that they do not need to “clearly pass”, but rather will be happy with any grade – as long as it is a pass. In my next blog post, I will explore why this may not be a wise strategy.