Eyes & ENT · History

Flashes, floaters and a shadow in one eye - Rural GP

MediumYear 5 · Curtin style · 10 min + 2 min reading · 4 tasks

2 min reading · 10 min station · reminders at 2 min

Station - Instructions for candidate

You are a junior doctor working in a general practice in Merredin, 300 km east of Perth.

Neil Fraser, a 61-year-old farmer, has come in during seeding because for three days he has seen flashes of light and new floaters in his right eye, and this morning a shadow appeared in his vision. He has no pain. The practice nurse has checked his vision and observations; her findings are available from the examiner if you request them. There is no ophthalmologist in Merredin; the nearest is in Perth.

Your tasks are to:

  1. Take a focused history.
  2. Request any relevant investigations and interpret the results provided.
  3. Explain your provisional diagnosis to Mr Fraser.
  4. Outline your initial management to Mr Fraser.
  • You do NOT need to examine the patient yourself; the practice nurse's findings are available on request.
  • You do NOT need to summarise your history to the examiner.
  • You do not need to write a referral letter in this station.

This is a 10-minute station, with 2 minutes of reading time.

Ask the examiner

Say what you would examine or request, the way you would in the station. Nothing is named until you ask for it.

Whatever the examiner recognises is revealed below. Or pick a numbered item to reveal it blind.

Investigations

Ask for a category the way you would in the station: “Can I have the obs and a set of bloods?”