ABSTRACT
The actual clinical examination mainly serves to confirm the hypothesis. The majority of cases will be completed by looking at scans and discussing the management plans. The subsequent history taking depends upon whether the given case is one that has not had definitive intervention vs. a case that has already been previously treated. Practicalities dictate that most patients appearing in these exams will have been already treated. Students can take the opportunity at this stage of history taking to pick up deficits even before they perform the actual examination. Examples include the pattern of dysarthria or speech deficits, involuntary movements such as tremors or hemifacial spasm, the presence of nearby walking sticks or hearing aids, posture and movements. In the current FRCS exam, short cases do not have patients present and will often consist of photographs of clinical signs or investigations to work backwards to the clinical evaluation.
