College of Paediatricians of South Africa Diploma in Child Health

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					College of Paediatricians of South Africa

Diploma in Child Health (DCH [SA]) Examination Candidate Guidelines
The DCH (SA) examination consists of three components: Written examination (two three-hour papers) Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE): also called the Comprehensive Paediatric Clinical Skills Assessment (CPCSA) Slide test

A. Syllabus
The Diploma in Child Health is designed to give recognition to competence in the care of children to general practitioners, community service doctors and medical officers who have trained in paediatrics and child health. The examination is not designed to test detailed knowledge of the in-patient care of children, nor minutiae of management of rare conditions. Practitioners in the community should have an understanding of hospital paediatrics to enable them to know when to refer and what to expect. Hospital practitioners should have a good understanding of social and community paediatrics and of other services in order to facilitate improved communication and an integrated child health service. The aim is to test primary care paediatrics, particularly the following aspects: (a) Diagnosis, management, epidemiology and prevention of common and important acute and chronic medical, surgical and psychological disorders of childhood; with particular reference to their management and primary care. (b) Principles of health surveillance; (c) Normal physical, mental and emotional growth and development. (d) Minor paediatric abnormalities and their management. (e) Prenatal and perinatal care as it affects the subsequent progress of the infant. (f) The care of the newborn. (g) The early detection of abnormalities and their management, including genetic counselling. (h) Promotion of child health, health education, immunisation and screening procedures and their evaluation. (i) Infant feeding and nutrition. (j) The effects of social environment on child health, including accidents and child abuse.


(k) Assessment and long term management of children with chronic illness, disabilities and children with special needs. (l) Principles of co-operation with social agencies. (m) Adoption, fostering and legislation relevant to children. (n) Principles of educational medicine. Educational and other problems in normal and special schools. (o) Management of paediatric emergencies. Candidates are required to have completed a minimum of six months hospital experience in Paediatrics and Child Health before sitting the examination as it is unlikely that a candidate would be successful without this experience.

B. The Examination Written Examination
The Written Section consists of the following two sections: a) Written Paper I (3-hour paper) - 20 short notes type questions b) Written Paper II (3-hour paper) - 5 case-scenario-based short answer questions Paper 1 (Short answer questions) Instructions: 1. Answer each of the following FIVE (5) questions in separate books. 2. Each question has 4 sub-questions. Answers to each sub-question should be approximately 100-150 words (not more than 1 page) in length. Each subquestion is worth 5 marks. The whole paper is worth 100 marks. 3. The aim is to check your ability to express objective knowledge with precision. Each question has a standard model answer and the marks awarded depend on the number of correct points mentioned matching the model answer. Examples: a) Consent to medical treatment in children. b) The typical cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings in tuberculous meningitis. c) Clinical presentation and management of tinea capitis. d) Approach to a well 6-week-old child who presents with persistent conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia e) Advice you would offer to parents on toilet training their child.


Paper 2 (Scenario-based questions) Instructions: 1. Answer each of the following FIVE (5) questions. 2. Each question to be answered in a separate book. 3. Each question is worth 40 marks. The whole paper is worth 200 marks. Example: A professional nurse at a nearby clinic refers Linda, an 8-month-old girl, to your hospital. The nurse’s diagnosis is “Severe Pneumonia” according to the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) guidelines. Linda’s mother tells you that Linda was well until last night when she developed a cough and a noisy chest. Since this morning she has not been feeding and feels hot. Examination reveals a normally grown girl with an axillary temperature of 38oC, a respiratory rate of 60 breaths per minute, a pulse rate of 130 beats per minute, chest in-drawing, a 4 cm soft liver (displaced downwards), loss of cardiac dullness on percussion, and crackles and wheezes over most of the chest. Linda appears lethargic and grunts with expiration. She is neither pale nor cyanosed. Other findings are normal. a) How severe is the respiratory condition in this child? Motivate your answer. (6) b) Based on the above clinical findings, what is the most likely pathophysiological diagnosis, and the THREE most likely aetiological agent(s)? (5) c) Indicate TWO differential diagnoses that you would consider, but exclude, and indicate for each why you have not made it the most likely diagnosis. (6) d) List THREE special investigations would you carry out and describe the value of each investigation. (6) e) Provide a pathophysiological explanation for the “chest in-drawing” and explain what information it gives concerning this child’s condition. (4) f) Explain the mechanism for “grunting” in children with respiratory disease and its significance in this child. (3) g) How would you treat this child and explain each therapy’s mechanism/mode of action. (10) Candidates must obtain a mark ≥45% in Written Papers I and II combined, to qualify for the Clinical examination.


Clinical Examination: Comprehensive Paediatric Clinical Skills Assessment (CPCSA)
Introduction As from September 2006, the DCH (SA) clinical examination now follows the new Comprehensive Paediatric Clinical Skills Assessment (CPCSA) format The section below provides an overview of the CPCSA clinical examination, in terms of what it will mean for the candidates. The CPCSA carousel The CPCSA examination consists of six clinical stations, each assessed by one independent examiner. Candidates will start at any one of the six stations, and then move round the carousel of stations, at 15-minute intervals with a five minute break in-between, until they have completed the cycle. A full cycle of six candidates will be completed in two hours (90 minutes examination time and 30 minutes for movement between stations)) Written instructions For each case at the clinical stations, the candidate will receive written instructions as to what is required of him/her (Example 1). Example 1: Example of written instructions to the candidate at the cardiovascular station This 2 year old girl is thought to have a heart murmur. She is having difficulty finishing feeds, sweats a lot and is tired all the time. Please examine the cardiovascular system and tell the examiners what signs you find, and discuss your proposed management. Clinical Stations 1, 2 and 3 These clinical stations are similar to the current short cases in many paediatric undergraduate clinical examinations in their objectives, namely, to assess the candidate's ability to examine the child, interpret physical signs and discuss the case. Competence in examination technique, ability to elicit abnormal findings or their absence, and ability to discuss their significance (including management options) will be assessed. The key features are as follows: all clinical examinations will be observed there are written instructions for each case (see Example 1) there is a set time limit for each case (15 minutes) a set period (5 of the 15 minutes) will be assigned for discussion every candidate on the carousel will be examined by the same examiner, at each station


each examiner has a structured mark-sheet for the case The three clinical stations will present children with a variety of common clinical problems from the various body systems, e.g. Station 1 could be a child with pneumonia, Station 2 a child with cerebral palsy and Station 3 a child with hepatosplemomegaly. It is expected that the candidate will commence each station with an assessment of the child’s general appearance. Individual candidates may vary in the exact sequence they adopt when examining a system. For example, it may be prudent to listen to a child’s heart while he or she is quiet. Having found an abnormality on auscultation, the candidate may wish to examine the femoral pulses, liver etc. The examiners are looking for a systematic, fluid approach. A confident approach suggests that the candidate has regularly examined children previously. Clinical Station 4 The history taking skills station aims to assess the candidate's ability to gather data from the child’s parent/caregiver, to assimilate that information and then discuss the case. Key features of this station are: written instructions for the case, usually in the form of a letter from the primary care clinic (or child's GP) are given to the candidate during the five minute interval before the station. (Example 2) 10 minutes are allowed for the history taking, followed by five minutes for discussion with the examiner (after the parent/caregiver has left the station) the examiner is present throughout, observing the history taking each examiner has a structured mark-sheet for the case (marks for key questions that candidate should have asked). Example 2: Example of written instructions to the candidate at the history taking station Instructions to candidate: Please read the letter from this child’s primary health care clinic and then conduct an appropriate consultation with the child’s parent/caregiver. You are not expected to examine the child. Dear Doctor This 4-year-old asthmatic child has developed worsening symptoms despite salbutamol and beclomethasone inhaler therapy. He is generally well apart from a worrying skin rash. She has a past history of ……... I would be grateful for advice on her further management. Yours sincerely, Sr. Skosana (RN) Clinical Station 5


The communication skills and ethics station aims to assess the candidate's ability to guide and organise the interview with the standardised subject (who may be a child, parent, relative, or surrogate), provide emotional support and discuss further management. Written instructions for the case will be given to the candidate during the five minute interval before this station (Examples 3 and 4) Example 3: Example of written instructions to the candidate at the communication skills station Instructions to candidate: This 18-month old child is about to leave hospital, nineteen days after being admitted with severe malnutrition. Her 23-year-old, single unemployed mother is uncertain about what she needs to do at home to prevent a relapse of her child’s condition and what help is available to ensure that she has enough food to feed her child. What advice would you give her on the further management of the child’s condition? You are not expected to examine the patient. Key features of this station are: the examiner is present throughout 10 minutes are allowed for the interaction between candidate and client (parent), followed by five minutes for discussion with the examiner (after the client has left the station) each examiner has a structured mark-sheet for the case. Example 4: Example of ethics/communication station written instructions to the candidate at the

Instructions to candidate: You are about to see Susan Kekana, the mother of a newborn infant who has experienced severe birth asphyxia. You are the doctor responsible for the baby. The baby has been on a ventilator for 48 hours, with no improvement, and shows evidence of severe neonatal encephalopathy. You believe that withdrawal of ventilation may be appropriate. Susan has requested the meeting with you to discuss her baby’s condition and your plans for the baby. Clinical Station 6 Clinical station will require the candidate to demonstrate various skills, such as developmental assessment, vision and hearing screening, resuscitation, i.e. a series of three or four skills. The station may contain more than one patient (e.g. a newborn, one-year-old and four-year-old child) and include both normal children and children with developmental or sensory deficits, and models. Table 1 includes examples of skills that may be assessed (NB: the list is not comprehensive). Table 1: Examples of Skills that can be assessed


Skill Vision screening and testing Hearing testing screening and

Language development Developmental screening Resuscitation skills Anthropometrics and Growth Bedside clinical procedures (may involve use of models) Ear examination Skin rash Neonatal examination Bedside lab procedures

Activity Ophthalmoscopy skills (red reflex, cataract) Squint assessment (Cover test) Testing of visual acuity (child > 3 years) 6-12 months distraction test of hearing Essential features for 18-30 months test of hearing, e.g. recognition of familiar objects Essential features for 2½ - 3½ years test of hearing, e.g. performance/conditioning test, speech discrimination Comment on comprehension, expression and articulation. Elicit a developmental history Assess the developmental age of a child Neonatal resuscitation Infant or child resuscitation Basic CPR (e.g. drowning) Weight, height, head circumference measurement Plotting on charts Interpretation of charts Hand washing Lumbar puncture Umbilical catheterisation Otoscopy skills Description and recognition of a skin rash Gestational age assessment, primitive reflexes Stool lactose test, urine test

Advantages of CPCSA over the previous DCH (SA) Clinical Examination The new exam involves a more standardised and objective assessment of the candidate's examination skills: • direct assessment of the candidate's ability to elicit a history and to communicate with the child or his/her caregiver. • detailed feed-back of performance to those candidates who fail. • increased validity and reliability of exam (multiple cases and skills assessed) Table 2: Example of CPCSA exam stations Station 1 Station 2 Station 3 Station 4 Station 5 Station 6 Respiratory system examination, or Cardiovascular system examination (15 minutes) Abdominal system examination, or Reticuloendothelial system examination (15 minutes) Central nervous system examination, or Other (general) system examination (15 minutes) History taking skills (15 minutes) Communication skills, or ethics (15 minutes) Clinical skills (Resuscitation, growth assessment, assessment) (15 minutes)



The examination centre will provide standard equipment appropriate to the examination, but candidates may bring any suitable equipment that they are familiar with. Candidates should bring their own stethoscope. A child-friendly approach is expected at all times. Candidates will not be penalised if a child cries or becomes upset during the examination, provided that this is not the consequence of the candidate’s technique. The candidate’s general approach and attitude toward the child and caregiver is important and will be noted. Aggressive or inconsiderate behaviour, either physical or verbal towards a child or his/her family will almost invariably result in failure.

Slide (picture) test
The Slide test is written at the time of the clinical examination. This component usually lasts 90-120 minutes and consists of 10-20 questions. It may be computer-based or paper-based. The slide test assesses identification of signs, interpretation of these and of other common investigations, and the management of common paediatric conditions.

C. Mark allocation
Written Paper 1: Written Paper 2: Comprehensive Paediatric Clinical Skills Assessment [CPCSA]: Slide test: 16% 16% 54% 14%

NB. The Written Papers and CPCSA have individual pass marks (≥45% for the written section and ≥50% for the CPCSA). A failure in either section cannot be compensated by a good performance in other sections and will result in an overall fail in the examination.

Last amended: 14 March 2007


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