Station - Instructions for candidate
You are a medical student on placement in a general practice in Kwinana.
Majok Akol is a 34-year-old man attending a general practice in Kwinana with a six-month history of an intermittent right groin lump that appears when he lifts pallets at work and disappears when he lies down. He has no observations or investigation results available at the start of the station.
Results provided:
Ultrasound of both groins
Ultrasound of both groins: a small right inguinal hernia is seen with movement on coughing and reduces when supine; no femoral hernia, collection or enlarged lymph nodes. Left groin is unremarkable.
Your tasks are to:
- Take a focused history of the presenting complaint and relevant background.
- Perform a focused examination of both groins, the external genitalia and the inguinal lymph nodes. Describe to the examiner what you would like to examine; findings will be provided.
- Request any appropriate investigations. Results will be provided by the examiner if appropriately indicated.
- State the most likely diagnosis and two to four relevant differentials, with brief justification.
- Outline the initial management plan, including analgesia, referral and safety-netting.
- Explain the diagnosis and agreed plan to the patient in plain language.
- Please explain and obtain consent before describing an intimate examination, and offer a chaperone.
- You do NOT need to write a prescription or perform a procedure today.
- You do NOT need to summarise your findings to the examiner.
- Investigations will be provided only when appropriately requested.
This is a 15-minute station, with 2 minutes of reading time.