Top tips from a candidate
Deepthi Lavu successfully passed her SCA. Here, she provides her perspective on the experience and top tips for SCA candidates.
Consultation toolkit
This toolkit is an educational resource developed by the North West England Deanery GP School, and updated for the SCA. It's designed for GP registrars to use, working with their educational supervisors, to prepare for the SCA.
About case content
The case information for each consultation will be provided in the reading time before the start of that case. For some cases it may be obvious as to the content of the consultation, but in some cases it will not be. The ‘purpose’ of the consultation may therefore not be apparent in advance.
Cases will reflect real life general practice and are based on real patient consultations. The selected cases in each exam will be those that reflect the prevalence of conditions encountered in General Practice. There may be some cases on clinical areas you will not have encountered in your surgeries but you will have the skills from your workplace consulting as well as your background knowledge in order to complete the case.
The SCA assesses a sample of general practice capability areas that candidates are expected to have mastered through their workplace-based assessment programme (WPBA). This means the criteria for both examinations (SCA and WPBA) are aligned and transparent. In developing the capability areas of WPBA, a candidate will become familiar with the capabilities assessed in the SCA. It is important to remember that each case will not include all these capability areas. However, they will be covered across the entire examination.
Each SCA examination day will differ, and the twelve cases cannot be predicted in advance. The RCGP will use cases from a bank of hundreds, all of which are mapped to the curriculum.
Role players
In order to provide a realistic representation of patients in the UK, we make every effort to match role player appearance to the patient descriptions provided in the candidate case notes, including patient ethnicity. However, there may be circumstances where we are unable to cast role players whose appearance fully meets the patient description for that case. In this situation, please approach the case based on the description provided in the candidate case notes, rather than on the appearance of the role player, taking into account any cultural or clinical considerations specific to the patient which are described in the case notes.
Candidates can be assured that role players are trained to accurately portray the medical conditions, cultural contexts, and communication styles specified in each case, regardless of their own background.
Blueprint
A ‘blueprint’ has been developed to ensure the spread of each assessment is representative and not focussed on any one area of practice. The blueprint uses some of the same names as the clinical experience groups in WPBA; these will be familiar to candidates and educators.
This case selection does not represent a ranking of the value or importance of that area to the SCA or to future general practice, and candidates should prepare equally for all groups.
Blueprint list of Clinical Experience Groups:
- Patient less than 19 years old
- Gender, reproductive and sexual health, including women's, men's, LGBTQ+, gynae and breast
- Long-term condition, including cancer, multi-morbidity, and disability
- Older adults, including frailty and people at the end of life
- Mental health, including addiction, smoking, alcohol, substance misuse
- Urgent and unscheduled care
- Health disadvantage and vulnerabilities, including veterans, mental capacity, safeguarding, and communication difficulties
- Ethnicity, culture, diversity, inclusivity
- New presentation of undifferentiated disease
- Prescribing
- Investigation / Results
- Professional conversation / Professional dilemma
Case examples
These consultations were created as an educational resource for GP training, to provide examples of typical GP consultations, such as they may appear in the SCA.
Please note:
- These specific cases and the actors involved will not appear in the SCA.
- All cases in the SCA examination will last 12 minutes, however some of these consultation clips are longer than this.
- The doctors in these consultations were either newly qualified or still in training and are playing a simulated role, assigned to them for educational purposes. They had no prior warning about the content of the case.
- Their performance is not accompanied by grading or with judgement about standards.
- These videos were not recorded using our assessment platform. All consultations for the SCA will be conducted via Osler-online, a bespoke examination platform. Consultations will be conducted in GP practices and will be remotely invigilated.
We want to acknowledge and express gratitude for the contribution of all the participants in producing this educational resource.
- All the clips are remote video consultations. You may wish to cover the images and listen to the sound only, as if they were telephone consultations. Some SCA consultations will be by telephone.
- Watching each case, you might consider the SCA marking and standard setting. Has the trainee done enough to pass in each domain for this case?
- There are two examples for some cases. Notice the different approaches offered by each doctor. Are both reasonable?
- We have reproduced the trainee notes for each case, below.
- You may wish to roleplay the case yourself first, before considering the notes below or watching the clips.
- Each case is followed by notes and questions. These are not intended as a complete checklist of expected actions: They are offered as guidance to the priorities and challenges in the case and approaches that may be taken for each. Above all, they are to support the cases as an educational resource for GP Training, with questions to support reflection and discussion.
- Here are some generic questions you might consider:
- Before the consultation starts, what is notable in the case notes?
- As the consultation unfolds, what are the issues that might be addressed?
- What are the challenges?
- What did the doctor do well? What might you learn from their approach?
- What might you do differently if you undertook this consultation?
- Notice the approaches to communication seen in the clips. Consider the clarity of explanations offered. Notice the use of time.
- Consider the effectiveness (or otherwise) of the consultation being conducted remotely.
- How do you think the patient is feeling during and at the end of the consultation?
Video examples of SCA cases
Instructions to candidate
- Christine Davis
- 47 years old
- Normal smear three years ago
- IUS in situ one year ago
- Pregnancies 21 and 23 years ago
- NHS Health Check two years ago: BP 122/67; BMI 25; Q risk 1.8
- Never smoked tobacco
Questions for discussion and notes
- Is there any helpful information in the case notes, to read before starting the consultation?
- What might be the cause of Christine Davis’ symptoms?
- She is worried, how might you explore that? What are her priorities, and how might these be incorporated into your actions/explanations?
- With a symptom like memory loss with multiple possible causes, how do GPs effectively focus our time for data gathering?
- Should a ‘GP COG’ or other brief memory assessment be completed now?
- How do you ensure the patient is safe, or evaluate risk?
- Is there any advice you might offer about how she can manage her symptoms, or optimise her health?
- Does uncertainty about the cause of her symptoms remain at the end? How might you communicate uncertainty to the patient, if so?
- What might you plan to do next?
The purpose of this case is to explore memory loss. It is unclear as to the exact cause of the symptoms. There may be aspects of cognitive decline. However, menopause may be contributory as may anxiety and overwork. An examination including memory assessment and investigations including blood tests would be useful next steps. Patient-centred acknowledgement of uncertainty is important.
Instructions to candidate
- Name: Alice Brenner
- Age: 20
- Seen five weeks ago by another GP who wrote notes as below:
- Oligomenorrhoea, acne.
- No hirsuitism, BP 122/65. Non smoker. Alcohol 6 Units per week.
- BMI 21
- Issued: Duac Gel at night.
- For bloods and ultrasound of her pelvis
- Last week: Ultrasound scan of pelvis: Multiple small cysts on both ovaries consistent with polycystic ovaries. Otherwise normal study.
- One month ago: Blood results: LH, FSH, Testosterone, Prolactin, SHBG, TFTs: All normal
Questions for discussion and notes
- Is there any helpful information in the case notes before starting the consultation?
- How might you effectively explain these results and check understanding?
- Given she has PCOS, what management options should you consider, including acne treatment, contraception, CVD risk, etc.? What might you advise her about self-care?
- How might you discuss the possible impact on fertility?
- Are there cues about how she is feeling, about her skin and her life in general? How might you respond?
The purpose of this case is to explain results and a new diagnosis of PCOS sensitively and effectively to a young woman who has concerns about her skin and possible future fertility. There may be a considerable amount of information to be shared. This should be balanced with responsiveness to her cues and priorities.
Instructions to candidate
- Name: Elisa Fillipeck
- Age: 72
- Social and family history
- Married
- Lifelong non-smoker
- Occasional alcohol on special occasions
- No FH of Ovarian/Breast cancer
- Current medication: Duloxetine 60mg once daily in the morning
- Past medical history:
- 20 years ago: Diagnosis of anxiety with depression, treated with a variety of antidepressants
- 3 years ago: Pelvic discomfort, diagnosed with a cystocele and had a colporrhaphy
- 2 years ago: Seen again by gynaecologist for pelvic discomfort, referred to the pelvic physiotherapist and prescribed oestrogen cream – neither helped
- 4 months ago: Saw gynaecologist again for pelvic discomfort and a CT of her pelvis and abdomen was arranged
- 1 month ago: Saw GP who changed her anxiety/depression medication to duloxetine
- Last week: Letter from gynaecologist
District General Hospital
Dear General Practitioner
Elisa Fillipeck, Cherry Tree Farm
Dear Doctor,
Thank you for referring this lady for what looks like a 3rd opinion into her pelvic pain.
I understand she has long standing pelvic discomfort which she describes as a dragging sensation and discomfort when going for walks or on standing for extended periods.
She has had surgery to treat a cystocele, pelvic physiotherapy and used oestrogen cream, none of which have helped.
She asked for another opinion as her friend has had similar symptoms and was diagnosed with cancer.
She was very anxious but I could find no abnormality on examination and more to reassure her than anything else I organised a CT scan of her abdomen and pelvis. This was completely normal.
I have let her know the result. I have not planned to see her again.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Neena Jha
Consultant Gynaecologist
Questions for discussion and notes
- Is there any helpful information in the case notes, to read before starting the consultation? How might you integrate the information gathered at previous consultations as well as the current presentation of the patient in order to formulate a treatment plan?
- How do you think the patient is feeling about her pain and about the investigations so far? Why do you think it is particularly hard to bear this pain? What are her wishes and preferences about next steps, and how can we involve her in planning for these?
- What treatment options are possible and/or evidence-based?
- What follow-up might you suggest? How might continuity of care help?
The purpose of this case is to support, manage and advise a patient who has ongoing symptoms of pelvic pain with all physical causes excluded, sensitively and empathically.
Instructions to candidate
- Name: Gerry Freeman
- Age: 82
- Social and family history:
- Retired telephone engineer
- Married with 2 adult children
- Past medical history:
- Patient at this practice for 40 years
- Hypertension diagnosed 34 years ago
- Ankle swelling 20 years ago
- Cramp 7 years ago
- Atrial fibrillation 6 years ago
- Moderate OA knees 4 years ago
- Current medication:
- Quinine 200mg once a day
- Ramipril 10mg once a day
- Furosemide 20mg once a day
- Apixaban 5mg twice a day
- Omeprazole 20mg once a day
- Results from 2 months ago:
- FBC, U+E normal
- Creatinine clearance 98 mL/minute (normal)
- Photo submitted earlier that day by the patient
Questions for discussion and notes
- Is there any helpful information in the case notes, to read before starting the consultation?
- Is the picture helpful? What is your differential diagnosis for the rash, before you start the consultation? What information do you need to establish the cause of the rash?
- How might you establish risk and decide upon urgency of next steps?
- What should you decide/advise about his medication?
- What are his concerns and priorities, and how might these be taken into consideration? Are there solutions you might explore to help with his social situation and support his wife?
The purpose of this case is to recognise a petechial rash, the need for urgency in arranging investigations, the safety (or otherwise) of continuing long-term medication and an empathic consideration of his home situation with suggestion of solutions that might help.
Instructions to candidates
- Email from district community nurse dated today:
Dear GP
I have just seen Mr McLean as part of my routine visit to see his wife. He has had diarrhoea for the past few days.
- Afebrile, Tongue dry, abdomen soft and non-tender
- BP 120/70 sitting (BP 110/60 standing) All other findings normal
- Blood glucose from finger prick 7
- Urinalysis normal with no ketones.
I asked him to give you a call as he wasn’t his normal happy self.
Thanks,
District Nurse
- Name: Steven McLean
- Age: 75
- Past medical history:
- Type 2 diabetes diagnosed 10 years ago
- Essential hypertension diagnosed 10 years ago
- On carer's register (wife has dementia)
- Current medication:
- Metformin: 500mg tablets two tablets every morning and evening
- Candesartan: 8mg one daily
- Atorvastatin: 20mg one daily
- Summary of attendance at Practice Diabetic Clinic 3 months ago:
- Doing well with no symptoms. Recent Diabetic retinal screening - normal. Foot check - normal. BP 146/82 (stable)
- Routine bloods: electrolytes normal. GFR 55 (CKD3) has been at this for around 2 years. HbA1c 53. Liver function tests normal, cholesterol normal
- Continue medication
Questions for discussion and notes
- Is there any helpful information in the case notes, to read before starting the consultation? For example, note the difference in blood pressure readings in the case notes: Is this significant and if so, what should be done about it? Is this man at risk of Acute Kidney Injury?
- Do you suspect a diagnosis of Gastroenteritis?
- Is there a need for further examination and/or investigation? If so, what is the urgency of organising these?
- What should you decide/advise about his medication?
- What management steps will you suggest now?
- What are your patient’s priorities and concerns? Are there any considerations in his social situation that need to be addressed? What flexible solutions might you offer for him and his wife?
The purpose of this case is to assess and safely manage an acute illness in a vulnerable patient with diabetes, on whom his wife is dependent for care: To recognise the medical risk including possible kidney injury, the need to stop medication temporarily (sick day rules) and advise the patient regarding self-care including rehydration. To consider his social situation and priorities, while ensuring safety of next steps, including follow-up.
Webinars
RCGP SCA preparation webinars for ST2s and ST3s
We are delighted to launch a free two-part webinar series for RCGP candidates who are preparing to take the SCA exam. The webinars are aimed at ST2 and ST3 members, and we encourage attendance at least three months before you anticipate sitting the SCA.
Training and preparation courses
We offer preparation courses which have been specifically designed by examiners and GP experts to assist GP registrars in passing the SCA examination. Please note, these courses have delegate fees attached.