CANDIDATE ORIENTATION

© NAC / MCC Orientation 2015

NAC Exam ][ The National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) exam

assesses the competence of candidates; specifically the

knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for entrance into

postgraduate training in Canada.

The NAC exam may include problems in:

□ Medicine □ Surgery

□ Pediatrics □ Obstetrics and Gynecology

□ Psychiatry □ Preventive Medicine and Community Health

Confidentiality

Upon registration for this exam, you signed a document

attesting you would NOT disseminate or reveal to others

the exam materials and content. This means that you

CANNOT discuss or disclose exam content at any time, in

any way, even after the exam is over. Examples of

breaches in confidentiality include, but are not limited to,

comparing patient responses with your colleagues, sharing

content with future exam candidates and posting

information online.

Breaking confidentiality and disseminating exam content

can lead to candidates being denied a standing on the

exam and being reported to regulatory authorities and to

other medical organizations, and being barred from taking

MCC exams in the future.

][

Duration ][ The exam duration is about 3 hours.

Plan to be at the exam site for a minimum of

6.5 to 7 hours.

No external contact will be permitted during the

exam and sequestering period.

No conversations about the exam will be

permitted.

Candidates will not be dismissed until the time

specified on the information sheet.

Items to bring ][ Reflex hammer

Stethoscope

White lab coat without a university or hospital logo

Items that are NOT permitted:

Cell phones, pagers, media players, laptops

Electronic devices for internet access, transmission,

reference or recording purposes (includes smartwatches)

Electronic stethoscopes

Pens, pencils, pen lights

Paper, books, notebooks

Bags, briefcases, wallets, keys

Coat check ][ A coat check will be provided at the site to store your

personal items during the exam and sequestering period.

However, as storage space will be limited, we ask that

you please leave all large bags, handbags and

unnecessary personal belongings at home.

NOTE: While every effort will be made to store your

belongings safely, the Medical Council of Canada (MCC)

cannot be held responsible for theft or damage.

Candidate notebook ][ Do not open until the examination begins.

Inside, you will find a sheet of bar code ID labels

and 16 blank pages for your use during the

examination.

You will be given 1 notebook and no additional

pages can be added.

Never rip out any pages; your

notebook must be returned intact

at the end of the examination.

Introduction to the OSCE][ What is an OSCE?

Objective Structured Clinical Examination

A form of performance-based testing used to measure

candidates’ clinical competence.

During an OSCE, candidates are observed and

evaluated as they go through a series of stations in

which they interview, examine and treat standardized

patients (SPs) who present various types of medical

problems.

The NAC OSCE clinical stations are 11 minutes in

length.

Candidate instructions ][ At each clinical station, there is a written

statement (Candidate instructions) that:

Introduces a clinical problem.

Directs the candidate to appropriately interact with

a standardized patient (SP).

Specifies the task, such as obtaining a focused

history, conducting a focused physical examination,

and/or addressing the patient’s concerns.

Indicates whether there are examiner oral

questions at the 8-minute signal.

Your badge has a station number that indicates

your start station.

Candidate instructions are posted outside each

station.

READ everything carefully.

Pay attention to the statement which explains

your task.

A copy of the instructions will be available inside

the room for your reference.

[ Important reminders ]

[

Standardized patients (SPs)

are trained to simulate

patients’ signs and

symptoms in a reliable and

consistent manner.

Treat them as you

would real patients.

Hand 1 bar code label to the examiner as you walk

into the room (instructions on the door).

Examiners observe and assess your performance

with preset rating sheets.

Physician examiners, SPs and labels]

Physical examinations ]

Carry out any maneuvers necessary for

assessing the presenting problem.

Examiners only give credit for tasks

completed satisfactorily!

[ You will be expected to use the hand sanitizer that

will be available in every physical examination

station. You may be prompted by the examiner.

Be sure to drape the standardized

patients (SPs) appropriately.

Physical examinations

Examiners may intervene to:

ask you to reread the instructions.

The intent is to remind you to refocus on the task and to

save you time.

stop you from performing genital, rectal, vaginal, breast

or other invasive examinations.

If such examinations are appropriate, all you need to do

is clearly inform the examiner.

Help the examiner score by:

telling the examiner what you are doing (e.g., inspection).

describing any findings.

Include findings that are normal.

][

][ Signals

A signal indicates the beginning and the end of each

station.

The 8-minute warning signal will indicate:

EITHER that your time with the patient is over and the

physician examiner will begin to ask you questions.

OR if there are no questions (as indicated on the candidate

instructions), that you still have 3 minutes remaining with the

patient.

After each final signal, you will have 2 minutes to move

to the next station and read your instructions.

Physician examiner oral questions may follow the

warning signal. They:

are related to the patient you just saw.

ask about matters like diagnosis, management

decisions, and/or your response to an ethical issue.

Candidate instructions on station doors will indicate

whether there are oral questions at the 8-minute signal.

If there are no oral questions, you will have the

full 11 minutes with the patient.

[ ]Examiner oral questions at 8 minutes

[ Before leaving, you must follow the sign-out procedure.

When it is your turn, hand in your:

candidate notebook (all pages intact)

ID badge

unused bar code labels including the backing sheet

Signing out ]

Congratulations! At this point, the exam is over!

Sign out on the sheet.

Candidates may be required to remain on site before or

after the exam for security reasons.

The length of time depends on the time zone.

There is no access to personal belongings or telephones during this

time.

No conversations about the exam will be permitted.

Exam conditions still apply during sequestering.

You must only speak the language of the exam (English or French)

during sequestering.

Sequestering[ ]

REMEMBER: Breaking confidentiality can lead to being

denied a standing on the exam and/or being barred from

taking MCC exams in the future.

If you encounter issues during the exam that you

believe may significantly affect your results, you

MUST:

1. Immediately communicate your concern to a Senior

staff member or the Chief examiner.

2. Submit a message through your physiciansapply.ca

account detailing the incident immediately following

the exam.

MCC review of your concern is possible only if candidates

provide notification of the concern/problem in this manner.

Please visit MCC’s website for further information.

[ Reporting concerns ]

Read the instructions carefully.

Complete the specified task.

Demonstrate your clinical skills.

You receive credit for tasks completed satisfactorily.

Treat the SPs as real patients.

DO NOT leave without signing out.

DO NOT divulge or disseminate any exam content,

even after the exam is over.

[ ]Final review of important points

Your group leader and the support staff are

there to answer your questions and guide you

from station to station.

Try to relax and stay focused on the exam.

The purpose of the exam is to provide a fair

and accurate assessment of your clinical skills.

Focus on the exam ][

Bathroom breaks

Before the exam begins

After the exam is over

Urgent need: notify staff

][

Results will be made available to you in your

physiciansapply.ca account, 6 to 8 weeks

after the exam date.

RESULTS

Through your online account, you will be

able to:

view your results documents.

share them with other organizations.

][

Before you start the exam:

If you are unwell or have extenuating circumstances

which may negatively impact your performance today,

and wish to withdraw from the exam, please notify a

staff member as soon as possible.

If you choose to start the exam, it will count as an

attempt, even if you cannot finish.

IMPORTANT ][