On this page
Study tools
Exam tags
Write your answer
Saved on this device. No marking — you are the marker.
Opening (30 s)
"Irritable Bowel Syndrome — give a one-line definition and the single most important immediate risk."
Model: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a Disorder of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) defined by the Rome IV criteria as recurrent abdominal pain at least one day per week in the last three months, associated with two or more of: (1) relation to defaecation, (2) associated change in stool frequency, (3) associated change in stool form (appearance) — in the absence of alarm features or structural disease. P
Station 1 — Pathophysiology (2 min)
Explain the mechanism chain from cause to clinical features and one major complication.
Station 2 — Clinical diagnosis (2 min)
Classic presentation, atypical groups, named bedside signs, and what you examine for red flags.
Red flag cue: Unintentional weight loss of more than 5 percent of body weight over 6 months - exclude GI malignancy, IBD, malabsorption
Station 3 — Investigations (2 min)
First-line tests, definitive tests, and any named score with exact components.
Station 4 — Emergency management (3 min)
ABC priorities, first drugs with dose and route, procedures, and when to escalate to ICU/theatre.
Station 5 — Definitive / long-term care (2 min)
Stepwise definitive therapy, monitoring, complications of treatment, follow-up.
Station 6 — Special populations (2 min)
Child / pregnancy / elderly / immunocompromised / renal impairment — what changes.
Station 7 — Evidence & pitfalls (2 min)
Landmark trial or guideline name if standard; three classic exam traps.
Station 8 — Rapid-fire pearls (1 min)
Five high-yield facts a candidate must not forget under time pressure.
Examiner pass criteria
- Speaks in mechanisms and numbers, not vague lists
- Gives at least one exact dose or threshold
- Names escalation criteria
- Avoids dangerous delays (imaging when unstable, etc.)