Thank you for your interest in writing questions for the... revision service. I hope this guide will clarify the type /... – Guidance for authors

Thank you for your interest in writing questions for the... revision service. I hope this guide will clarify the type /... – Guidance for authors

Emedica Stage 2 Online Revision Service – Guidance for authors
Thank you for your interest in writing questions for the Emedica online
revision service. I hope this guide will clarify the type / format of question we
are looking for. If you have any further queries, please contact us at
[email protected]
Payments and copyright
Payment is £175 per complete batch.
1 EMQ batch = 10 EMQ topics each with 3 scenarios / questions
1 SBA batch = 15 SBA questions
1 SJT batch = 10 Situational Judgement Questions
Payment will be made by bank transfer within 5 working days of your questions
being accepted, acceptance of payment transfers ownership of copyright and
publication rights to Emedica.
We ONLY use original questions for the Emedica online revision service. We
DO NOT pay for actual exam questions, and cannot use questions taken from
any other source. We will ask you to confirm in writing that all questions
you submit are your own work and NOT taken from any other source
Initial Sample Questions
If you are interested in writing questions for our service, please write 1 sample
question for each question type that you are interested in. We will review these
and either accept you as an author for our service, or suggest changes that
need to be made.
Upon acceptance of a sample, we will send you a writer’s agreement clarifying
transfer of publication rights and will commission you to write full batches
covering specific topics. Commissions are subject to fixed submission
deadlines. Examples and correct layout of each question type are provided
below. If you have any further queries, please email us: [email protected]
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Guidelines: Single Best Answer (SBA)
Each question has 1 topic with 5 answer options, only 1 of which is the
correct answer. A complete Batch of SBAs consists of 15 questions, each
question should have a concise explanation for revision.
Questions should be submitted in WORD format (.doc). Text should be in
ARIAL 12 point font.
Example SBA
A 44 year old woman presents with sudden onset of shortness of breath
and palpitations. On examination she has a tanned appearance to her
skin, white nails and extensive bruising. She also has an irregularly
irregular pulse and swollen ankles. Her blood glucose is 13.8.
Which ONE of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Primary sclerosing cholangitis
B. Haemochromatosis
C. Hepatocellular carcinoma
D. Viral hepatitis
E. Primary biliary cirrhosis
The Correct answer is B: Haemochromatosis. This is a condition in
which excessive iron is deposited into organs. It can be inherited
in an autosomal recessive manner or acquired. In the hereditary
form symptoms usually occur after the age of 40. Symptoms
include skin pigmentation, shortness of breath and palpitations,
swollen ankles, bruising and white nails. Treatment is by regular
venesection.
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Guidelines: Extended Matching Questions (EMQ)
1 topic with 3 clinical scenarios relating to it. There should be 8 options in the
possible answers (A-H). The answer for each scenario should appear
immediately after the question. Answers should start “The correct answer is A:
Erythema multiforme followed by the explanation – see the example below.
1 Complete Batch of EMQs consists of 10 questions like the one below, each
with 3 scenarios / stems.
Each question should have a concise explanation for revision.
Questions should be submitted in WORD format (.doc). Text should be in
ARIAL 12 point font.
Sample EMQ
Regarding rashes seen in children:
A. Erythema marginatum
B. Erythema multiforme
C. Thrombocytopenia purpura
D. Henoch Schonlein Purpura
E. Discoid eczema
F. Psoriasis
G. Scabies
H. Allergic rash
For each clinical scenario, select the most likely cause. You can use each
option ONCE, MORE than ONCE, or NOT at ALL.
1. A 4 year old girl presents with vomiting and fever. She has a
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widespread rash affecting her arms, legs and trunk. The rash consists of
red rings with a central pale region.
The correct answer is B: Erythema multiforme. The lesions described are
target lesions, which are typical in Erythema multiforme, which affects the
arms legs and trunks. It is a self limiting illness.
2. A 6 year old boy presents with a purpuric rash over his buttocks
and extensor surfaces. He was last seen in the surgery 1 week ago with
a cough and treated with amoxicillin.
The correct answer is D: Henoch Schonlein Purpura (HSP). HSP presents
with a palpable purpuric rash typically over the buttocks and extensors
surfaces. It affects boys more than girls. It often follows a respiratory
infection.
3. A 3 year old boy presents with a widespread rash over both arms. He
has severe pruritis worse at night. His older sister has similar symptoms.
The correct answer is G: Scabies. Scabies is caused by sarcoptes scabei,
which is a mite. Pruritis is normally worse at night, and it is easily spread to
close contacts. On examination, track marks may be seen. Treatment is with
permethrin, and the whole household should be treated.
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Guidelines: Situational Judgement Test (SJT) / Professional Dilemma
Questions
There are two types of questions – Section 1 and Section 2. A complete Batch
of Situational Judgement questions consists of 10 questions of one type. Each
question should have a concise explanation for revision.
Questions should be submitted in WORD format (.doc). Text should be in ARIAL
12 point font.
Section 1 SJT questions.
This consists of a scenario with 4 or 5 options, and there should be an answer
with a brief explanation for the ranking. (Please refer to the example provided)
Section 2 SJT questions.
This consists of a scenario with 7 possible options, with the correct answer
being the 2 or 3 options that TOGETHER, make the best combined response
to the scenario. (Please refer to the example provided)
Example SJT (Section 1)
You have just started a job as a medical F2 in a new hospital. Your wife has a
chest infection, and is not yet registered with a GP and has asked you to
prescribe antibiotics.
Rank the following options 1-5, 1 being the most effective / best option, 5 being
the least effective / worst option:
A. Prescribe the medication as a private prescription, and arrange for her to
register with a GP the following week.
B. Tell her to register with a GP locally.
C. Prescribe the medication on a hospital take home prescription with her
details on it.
D. Prescribe the medication on a hospital take home prescription with one
of your patient's details on it. Collect the medication from the hospital
pharmacy.
E. Ask one of your work colleagues to write a prescription on a hospital
take home script without seeing your wife.
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The preferred answers are:
1. B. Tell her to register with a GP locally. The GMC Good Medical Practice
guidance states that “Wherever possible, you should avoid providing medical
care to anyone with whom you have a close personal relationship.” Your wife
could be seen as a temporary resident and register with a local GP.
2. A. Prescribe the medication as a private prescription, and arrange for
her to register with a GP the following week. The GMC guidance does
allow for you to prescribe for those close to you if absolutely necessary, or in
an emergency, but your wife still needs to register with a GP for her future care.
In this case, the prescription is for antibiotics for a chest infection. If the
prescription was for controlled drugs, or benzodiazepines, it would be unwise to
prescribe for family. This is better than option C as it does not involve you
doing anything wrong.
3. C. Prescribe the medication on a hospital take home prescription with
her details on it. Take home prescriptions are for patients being seen in the
hospital only. You should not abuse your position of responsibility. This is still
better than option E as you are not encouraging or involving anyone else in
doing something wrong.
4. E. Ask one of your work colleagues to write a prescription on a hospital
take home script without seeing your wife. This is worse than option C as
you are not only doing something wrong, you are implicating a work colleague
in the situation when they are not responsible for the patient or their follow-up.
This is unfair to your colleague – he has not seen the patient, yet he would be
responsible for any adverse events, and may get in trouble for misusing
hospital resources.
5. D. Prescribe the medication on a hospital take home prescription with
one of your patient's details on it. Collect the medication from the
hospital pharmacy. This is fraudulent, and dishonest. This could lead to you
losing your job, and potentially your GMC registration. This is the worst option
as it has the most potential for harm.
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Emedica Sample SJT (Section 2)
You are an FY2 doctor working in General Medicine. The son of a patient who
was recently admitted asks to see you privately on the ward. He expresses his
gratitude for the care given to his mother. He offers you an envelope with thirty
pounds cash in it. Choose the three most appropriate actions to take in this
situation.
A. Thank him for his gesture, saying it is very kind of him.
B. Tell him that he should keep his money.
C. Ask him not to tell anyone about this.
D. Suggest that he donate the money to the ward, as everyone helped care
for his mother.
E. Suggest that he buys chocolates for the ward staff with the money.
F. Take the money, and buy chocolates for the ward staff with it.
G. Inform the ward staff about his gratitude for the care received.
The preferred answers are:
A. Thank him for his gesture, saying it is very kind of him.
D. Suggest that he donate the money to the ward, as everyone helped
care for his mother.
G. Inform the ward staff about his gratitude for the care received.
By thanking the relative for his gesture (of offering you the cash), you are
recognising that he is trying to do something nice. It does NOT mean that you
have accepted the money. Suggesting he donate the money to the ward allows
everyone to benefit, and the money could be used to help patients as well as
staff. Letting all the staff know that the care received was good will improve
team and individual morale. Option B could offend or upset the son, who is
trying to show his gratitude. Option C is a poor option as it implies you are
trying to cover up something wrong. Option E and F do not acknowledge the
contribution of others to the son.
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