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

CurtinYear 510 min + 2 min readingENT & ophthalmologyStandardPre-internship
  • Focused history
  • Request investigations
  • Dx + differentials
  • Initial Mx

Ready

2 min reading, 10 min station, warning at 2 min

Focus the timer and press Space to start or pause.

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.

Practice nurseBP 142/86 mmHg, HR 78 /min. Wears glasses for distance. Vision and field checks done - results available on request.

Your tasks are to:

  1. Take a focused history.
  2. Request any bedside assessments or investigations you would want. Results will be provided by the examiner if appropriately indicated.
  3. State your most likely diagnosis and the differential diagnoses to the examiner.
  4. Explain to Mr Fraser your initial management, including how and when he will be seen and what he should do in the meantime.
  • 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 want out loud, then open it below. Each result stays hidden until you reveal it.

Investigations

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

Generated by AI for practice; check doses and pathways against eTG / AMH before relying on them.