Study Guide!

How to prepare for the exam.

• Preparation tips

NZREX is an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). 

There are lots of OSCE books available and the following study material is highly recommended for NZREX preparation.

If you plan to buy books on Amazon, sign up to Mr. Rebates as you can get a small part o your payment refunded as cashback. Click on the image below to sign up!

Generally, candidates who pass the exam suggest reading the following books:

1. General Practice by John Murtagh (7th edition)

2. A good OSCE case study book like "AMC Handbook of Clinical Assessment" or "Katrina Hurley" or "Hemant Kakuntala" or any other OSCE book. You can find some of these books here.

3. Sample Xrays and ECG's and Lab investigations. 

4. Talley O'Connor Physical Examination Videos (goes along with the Physical examination book)

5. Bates Physical examination videos. Both Bates and Talley videos can be found on YouTube.

• Which lab investigations do I need to know?

Most common ones. Here is a list to get you started

- Full Blood Count

- Serum Creatinine, Electrolytes

- Iron Studies - Link 1

- LFTs - Link 1

- Thyroid Function Test - Link 1, Link 2, Link 3

- Anemia - Link 1, Link 2, Link 3

The best way to get these right is to find a table that can differentiate various possibilities of the test result (like the table in the LFT link above).

  

• So how do i get study material?

Depends on how comfortable you are reading on your laptop. Most of these books can be found online if know where to look. However, if you aren't comfortable reading these on your screen, it may be wise to purchase them. Links to purchase these books have been provided on our website.

• How many months does it take?

It should generally take 3-4 months to prepare for the exam. This may vary depending on your current knowledge and experience. As the Exam is clinical, you should stress more on case studies, management, counselling and communication skills. 

Murtagh is a big book and may take up a considerable amount of time. Make sure you plan accordingly and don't miss out on videos and OSCE cases as these are more important!

You can find a compilation of various physical examination pdfs at the link below.

Physical Examination Guides!

• One day Communication Skills Course

Connect Communications has a one day communication skills course for NZREX candidates. Since communication skills plays such an important role in the NZREX, it is highly recommended that you take the course. 

It is is held in Auckland a few days before each exam (usually on a weekend). Atleast 3 candidates have to enroll for the course to be carried out. They accept only 6 students per batch and hence you must apply well in advance. 

To apply send an email to info@connectcomm.co.nz expressing your interest. This course is also commonly known as the Dr. Richard Fox course.

Have some questions about the exam? You can ask your questions in the comments below or see if it is already answered in our "Frequently Asked Questions about NZREX"