Time is precious, especially in the NAC-OSCE. Naturally, the thought of navigating 8-minute stations feels quite overwhelming, that's because we perceive them as being restrictively short, condensed, and inadequate for taking a comprehensive history or physical from a simulated patient. But, I am here to challenge our common perception and reassure you that 8 minutes is more than enough time to successfully complete a station. It is all a matter of perception.

Last summer, I worked with an IMG who possessed superior study tactics for preparing for the NAC-OSCE. Today, I'll share one of their ingenious approaches. In order to get a sense of how long 8 minutes actually felt and boost their productivity, this IMG measured out part of their regular daily activities in 8-minute intervals. Here are a couple examples: they took timed 8-minute showers and they did their morning workout in 8-minute segments (8-minute reps for weights, 8-minute reps of push-ups etc.). What they came to realize is that 8 minutes is quite long especially when exercising.

Yes, lot's can be accomplished in 8 minutes:

You can walk 1 km.

You can prep a meal.

You can boil an egg.

You can make coffee.

You can listen to two of your favorite songs.

You can empty or fill a dishwasher.

You can read over 2000 words or approximately 8 pages of a novel.

And you can successfully complete an 8-minute NAC-OSCE station.

Why not give this study tactic a try? Breakdown one or more of your regular daily activities into 8-minute intervals to get a fresh perspective on how long 8 minutes actually feels.

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