Just passing the Fellowship Clinical Examination (OSCE) was a relief, so being told he had been awarded the Buchanan Prize was a nice surprise for ACEM trainee Dr Michael Humphreys.
“I was at work just preparing for handover when I saw the email come in,” Dr Humphreys says. “To be honest, I was shell-shocked. I had to get my colleagues to read it for me.
“Passing the exam was a relief so winning the prize was just an extra validation that all the hard work paid off.”
Dr Humphreys was awarded the Buchanan Prize for his success in the 2019.1 Fellowship OSCE. The Buchanan Prize is awarded to the candidate achieving the highest score in the OSCE.
Dr Humphreys paid tribute to his colleagues and senior leaders at Princess Alexandria in Brisbane for his success.
“It is really good for the department,” Dr Humphreys says.
“We’ve got three DMTs here and other senior consultants involved in the examination process, so spending a lot of time with all of them was very helpful. A big thanks to them all.”
And his advice to future trainees?
“Practise, make sure you use your time appropriately,” Dr Humphreys says.
“Practising with a range of other trainees because everyone has different strengths, weaknesses, so it is good to practise with all different people – junior consultants who have come through the exam recently, DMTs, senior consultants.
“The more people you can practise with, the better.
“When it comes to the exam, I think the main thing is to stay calm. Each station is a different station. Take it as it comes.”
“When it comes to answering questions, say what you would say when you are at work. Be natural. It is not all about what some textbook might say, it is what you do every day.”
Love for emergency medicine
Dr Humphreys says he loves the variety of work in emergency medicine.
“Like a lot of other emergency physicians, I have a short attention span,” he says. “I like that every day I come into work, it is a new department with new patients.”
How to prepare for the Fellowship Exams
ACEM provides an extensive range of online resources featuring past papers, past exam reports, and much more. These are all located on eLearning under ‘Resources for Trainees’.
