{"id":20632,"date":"2025-09-28T16:45:53","date_gmt":"2025-09-28T21:45:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/?p=20632"},"modified":"2025-09-30T15:18:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T20:18:11","slug":"my-med-school-osce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/my-med-school-osce\/","title":{"rendered":"My Med School OSCE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-social-links is-content-justification-right is-layout-flex wp-container-core-social-links-is-layout-765c4724 wp-block-social-links-is-layout-flex\"><li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-facebook  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=61556140010887\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12 2C6.5 2 2 6.5 2 12c0 5 3.7 9.1 8.4 9.9v-7H7.9V12h2.5V9.8c0-2.5 1.5-3.9 3.8-3.9 1.1 0 2.2.2 2.2.2v2.5h-1.3c-1.2 0-1.6.8-1.6 1.6V12h2.8l-.4 2.9h-2.3v7C18.3 21.1 22 17 22 12c0-5.5-4.5-10-10-10z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-instagram  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/boudin_mcneese\/\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12,4.622c2.403,0,2.688,0.009,3.637,0.052c0.877,0.04,1.354,0.187,1.671,0.31c0.42,0.163,0.72,0.358,1.035,0.673 c0.315,0.315,0.51,0.615,0.673,1.035c0.123,0.317,0.27,0.794,0.31,1.671c0.043,0.949,0.052,1.234,0.052,3.637 s-0.009,2.688-0.052,3.637c-0.04,0.877-0.187,1.354-0.31,1.671c-0.163,0.42-0.358,0.72-0.673,1.035 c-0.315,0.315-0.615,0.51-1.035,0.673c-0.317,0.123-0.794,0.27-1.671,0.31c-0.949,0.043-1.233,0.052-3.637,0.052 s-2.688-0.009-3.637-0.052c-0.877-0.04-1.354-0.187-1.671-0.31c-0.42-0.163-0.72-0.358-1.035-0.673 c-0.315-0.315-0.51-0.615-0.673-1.035c-0.123-0.317-0.27-0.794-0.31-1.671C4.631,14.688,4.622,14.403,4.622,12 s0.009-2.688,0.052-3.637c0.04-0.877,0.187-1.354,0.31-1.671c0.163-0.42,0.358-0.72,0.673-1.035 c0.315-0.315,0.615-0.51,1.035-0.673c0.317-0.123,0.794-0.27,1.671-0.31C9.312,4.631,9.597,4.622,12,4.622 M12,3 C9.556,3,9.249,3.01,8.289,3.054C7.331,3.098,6.677,3.25,6.105,3.472C5.513,3.702,5.011,4.01,4.511,4.511 c-0.5,0.5-0.808,1.002-1.038,1.594C3.25,6.677,3.098,7.331,3.054,8.289C3.01,9.249,3,9.556,3,12c0,2.444,0.01,2.751,0.054,3.711 c0.044,0.958,0.196,1.612,0.418,2.185c0.23,0.592,0.538,1.094,1.038,1.594c0.5,0.5,1.002,0.808,1.594,1.038 c0.572,0.222,1.227,0.375,2.185,0.418C9.249,20.99,9.556,21,12,21s2.751-0.01,3.711-0.054c0.958-0.044,1.612-0.196,2.185-0.418 c0.592-0.23,1.094-0.538,1.594-1.038c0.5-0.5,0.808-1.002,1.038-1.594c0.222-0.572,0.375-1.227,0.418-2.185 C20.99,14.751,21,14.444,21,12s-0.01-2.751-0.054-3.711c-0.044-0.958-0.196-1.612-0.418-2.185c-0.23-0.592-0.538-1.094-1.038-1.594 c-0.5-0.5-1.002-0.808-1.594-1.038c-0.572-0.222-1.227-0.375-2.185-0.418C14.751,3.01,14.444,3,12,3L12,3z M12,7.378 c-2.552,0-4.622,2.069-4.622,4.622S9.448,16.622,12,16.622s4.622-2.069,4.622-4.622S14.552,7.378,12,7.378z M12,15 c-1.657,0-3-1.343-3-3s1.343-3,3-3s3,1.343,3,3S13.657,15,12,15z M16.804,6.116c-0.596,0-1.08,0.484-1.08,1.08 s0.484,1.08,1.08,1.08c0.596,0,1.08-0.484,1.08-1.08S17.401,6.116,16.804,6.116z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>My Med School OSCE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Christine Benton Criswell<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I knew I was in for it when Allen came out of the exam room. He looked pained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cIt was awful,\u201d he said. \u201cAll I can say is &#8230; good luck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">We were participating in our medical school OSCE\u2014the Objective Structured Clinical<br>Exam. We would interview, examine, and diagnose actor patients. Proctors would grade us, and<br>if we failed to pass, we would not be allowed to start seeing patients the following year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I tried to shake off my nerves, knocked on the door, and walked in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Three people were in the room. The patient was a young woman, sitting on the exam<br>table, arms crossed, head bent, wearing all black. A severe-looking man in the corner with a<br>clipboard had to be the proctor. And then there was the middle-aged woman. I still, to this day,<br>don\u2019t know who she was supposed to be, but she looked like she was in a hurry to get this over<br>with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cHello. I\u2019m Dr. Benton. How are you?\u201d Neither the patient nor the woman responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I gave them another couple of seconds. When this failed, I proceeded to wash my hands.<br>A full twenty seconds, just as I\u2019d been taught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I turned to the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cHow can I help you today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">For about ten seconds, she said nothing. Then, with her eyes still cast downward: \u201cMy<br>stomach hurts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Okay, pain. We had an algorithm for pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cWhere is your pain?\u201d The answer may give me the diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Her answer? Another whisper: \u201cEverywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">What did that mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I did not know, but I went on to the next question in the pain workup. \u201cOn a scale of one<br>to ten, with one being the least and ten being the most, how would you rate your pain?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Her answer? \u201cTwo.\u201d Then she added, \u201cIt\u2019s the worst pain I\u2019ve had in my whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cA two? And it\u2019s the worst pain you\u2019ve ever experienced?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">She affirmed that it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I tried explaining the pain scale to her again. \u201cLet me clarify this for you. A one would be<br>something really minor\u2014for example, bumping your elbow. A five is something moderate, like a persistent headache. Ten is extreme pain. Imagine your finger got chopped off. That bad. Now that I\u2019ve given you some examples, how would you rate your pain?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">She looked at me with apathetic eyes. \u201cTwo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I wanted to get to the bottom of this, but there was too much else to do. I had to move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Next was \u201cReview of Systems,\u201d in which I asked her if she were experiencing any other<br>symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cAre you having any dizziness?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cWhat about vision or hearing changes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cWhich one?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cBoth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cBoth?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cI see &#8230; Headaches?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cNasal congestion?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cTremors?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cSeizures?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I covered the heart, the lungs, her bowel habits, the endocrine system, the muscles and<br>joints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cYes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.\u201d Never once did she make eye contact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I was supposed to then ask questions about substance use, sexual behavior, and mental<br>health. But I was so thrown off by her responses to the Review of Systems that I forgot. It was a<br>mistake, but I doubted it was a big one\u2014I had a hunch that her answers would all be yesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The physical exam followed. I pulled the stethoscope out of my white coat pocket and<br>used my hands to warm the metallic diaphragm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cNow I\u2019m going to listen to your lungs,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I walked behind her, lifted her shirt, and placed the diaphragm on her back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">She jolted forward with a screeching expletive, followed by: \u201cThat\u2019s too cold!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I could feel the heat rising in my chest, but I tried to sound calm. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry. Let me<br>warm it up some more.\u201d This time, I rubbed it with my hands for a full minute and, for extra<br>measure, blew my warm breath onto it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I tried again, and this time, she did not flinch. I also managed to listen to her heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I then had her lie down so I could examine her abdomen. First, auscultation. Then gentle<br>palpation. Finally, firm palpation. At least, that was my plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The second I lay the stethoscope on her mid abdomen, she screamed and practically<br>jumped in the air. There was another expletive, an \u201cOuch!\u201d and an emphatic gesture I\u2019d never<br>seen before. She turned away from me and curled her body into a tight ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This time, I just stood there, watching her. I wondered what she would do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">She did nothing. Eventually, the proctor said, \u201cFive minutes remaining.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I had no choice but to do a sloppy job with the neurological exam. I told her I needed her<br>to sit up so I could check her facial sensation, but she would not budge from that curled-up<br>position. So I went through the motions, \u201ctesting\u201d just the side of the body I had access to. I<br>banged on her right knee in a (failed) attempt to check her patellar reflex. I rubbed my fingers<br>together in front of her right ear and asked if she could hear it. No response. I stroked her right<br>forearm with my finger and asked if she could feel it. Again, silence. I struck a tuning fork,<br>placed it on her wrist, and asked her if she could feel it vibrate. Nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Then time was up. The proctor asked me for my diagnosis. I had no idea. I knew it was<br>wrong, but I guessed appendicitis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cThat is incorrect,\u201d he said. \u201cThis patient had depression. You failed to elicit a mental<br>health history which would have led you to the diagnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">He continued, saying something about how patients with depression can be<br>\u201cchallenging.\u201d But his words were meaningless to me. After he spoke the word\u2014\u201cfailed\u201d\u2014my<br>hearing shut down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I left the room limp, pale, speechless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">But I had to go on. I closed my eyes for a couple of seconds, took a breath, and then<br>moved in front of the room with the second patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I knocked and went in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This room was spacious. The proctor was sitting in a chair with his legs crossed, a legal<br>pad in his lap and a fountain pen in his right hand. The patient\u2014male, older, obese\u2014was<br>opposite him, licking his finger and turning the pages of a tattered magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">He said he was having episodes of chest pain. Thank goodness, I thought. This is classic<br>medicine. I could play out in my mind how this would go. Confidence returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Taking a history and the Review of Systems was easy. He said he had been experiencing<br>pain upon exertion, shortness of breath, and leg swelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">But things fell apart when I tried to examine him. I mixed up the otoscope and the<br>ophthalmoscope. When I sorted them out and tried to look at the retina with the ophthalmoscope, all I could see was a fuzzy red dot. Taking his blood pressure also proved to be a problem. The sphygmomanometer was mounted on the wall in such a way that I had to contort my torso to see the mercury tube as I inflated the cuff. This so flustered me that I missed the moment the pulse disappeared and had to re-inflate the cuff four times. And then there was the neurological exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">It went okay until I got to the knee reflexes. The first step was to find the right spot to hit<br>with the reflex hammer. After asking the patient to pull up his pant legs, I placed my hand on his right knee and began to probe with my fingers. Immediately I knew I was in trouble. Instead of bony landmarks, all I could feel was spongy, amorphous flesh. I pressed harder, and harder, and harder\u2014until the patient yelped in pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">So I had to guess. I took my reflex hammer out of my coat pocket and hovered it over<br>where I thought the patellar tendon was located. Then bam! Down came the hammer. Nothing. I tried again. Bam! Nothing. I tried again and again and again. Failure every single time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I didn\u2019t want to alarm the patient, so I said nothing and moved to the left knee. But it was<br>just as plump and doughy as the right. I gave it my all, but, once again, I was unable to elicit a<br>reflex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">By then, I was covered in sweat. I put my reflex hammer back in my pocket and tried to<br>collect my thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">When I finally spoke, my voice was shaky. \u201cThis is very unusual, sir. Do you by chance<br>have a neurological deficit?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">He looked at me like I was the one with a neurologic deficit. \u201cNope. Never been told that<br>before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cI see. Well perhaps you\u2019d benefit from seeing a neurologist who could better evaluate\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The proctor interrupted. \u201cYou\u2019re way off track. Be mindful of the chief complaint.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This meant the chest pain, of course. I did the best I could to wrap up the physical exam<br>and then presented my assessment to the proctor. Chest pain, concern for coronary artery disease, maybe myocardial infarction, need to get an EKG, labs, chest X-ray, etc., etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">This last part must have impressed the proctor because, despite it all, he passed me. All I<br>could figure is that he had been daydreaming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">On to the last patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Allen gave me a preview. \u201cShe\u2019s a real sweetheart. You\u2019ll have no trouble with this one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I entered the room. The patient was an \u201cLOL\u201d\u2014doctor speak for \u201cLittle Old Lady.\u201d She<br>was quite striking to look at, with her shiny white hair, soft-looking skin, and gentle brown eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Given her age, I was prepared for cancer, osteoporosis, or chronic lung disease. What she<br>said when I asked her what was troubling her surprised me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cVaginal discharge, doctor. It\u2019s green and has an &#8230; unpleasant odor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Malodorous vaginal discharge? Immediately my mind went to sexually transmitted<br>disease. While I was considering this, I realized that what was expected of me here was the<br>pelvic exam. The pelvic exam! It\u2019s hard enough to do a pelvic exam on a young patient, but on<br>this sweet old lady who could have been my grandmother? And in front of the proctor? I cringed and felt my face flush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">But I was training to be a doctor. Quashing my fear, I pressed on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The first part of the exam went okay. Then it was time to use the speculum. With my<br>gloves on, I removed it from its sealed package and covered it in lubricant. I put my left hand<br>into position, using my fingers to spread the labia. Using my right hand, I rotated the speculum<br>so that the blades were vertical and the screw faced sideways. I placed the blade tips at the<br>entrance of her vagina. Then in it went.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The insertion went fine. But when I squeezed the lever to open the blades, the speculum<br>screw dislodged. The vaginal walls collapsed. And this must have caused a build-up of pressure, for the screw then shot straight out of her and hit me in the forehead. Instant lightning bolt pain. I staggered back and crumpled to the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The patient sprung up. \u201cOh heavens! Doctor, are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">The proctor rushed to my side, eyes wide open. She touched my arm and, in a quiet<br>voice, said, \u201cThat has never happened before. Let me take a look at you.\u201d As she leaned forward, a delicate, fairy-like scent enveloped me, of green tea, wisteria, peony. She carefully pushed aside my bangs and spent several moments scrutinizing my forehead. She took out a penlight and shined it in my eyes to check my pupillary reflexes. She had me count to twenty and recite the ABCs. After helping me to my feet, she asked me to walk around the room to check my balance. During all of this, I couldn\u2019t help but compare her level of expertise to my ineptness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">When she was satisfied that the injury was minor, she said, \u201cWe\u2019ll conclude here.\u201d She<br>thanked the patient and led me out into the hallway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Once there, she looked at me for a few seconds without saying anything. Then, in a kind<br>voice, she said that she was sorry, she knew it wasn\u2019t my fault, but that she was going to have to give me an \u201cincomplete\u201d grade\u2014I would need to come back and attempt the pelvic exam again the following month. I felt myself deflate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\u201cBut think of this as a test of your resilience. My best advice for medical students is to<br>not give up. You will encounter all sorts of hurdles throughout medical school, during your<br>internship and residency, and throughout your years of practice. The most successful physicians are the ones who make peace with the fact that they aren\u2019t perfect, learn from their mistakes, and move on. Do this, and you will thrive.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I smiled and thanked her, but what I was feeling was far from gratitude. As soon as she<br>released me, I left. No checking my total score. No comparing notes with my classmates. No<br>sampling the snacks they\u2019d set out for us. I found the first available empty room\u2014a janitor\u2019s<br>closet\u2014closed the door, sank to my knees, and began to cry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">When I finally felt composed enough to come out, the building was empty. I walked<br>alone through its shadowy, labyrinthine corridors. Just how much did I want to be a doctor<br>anyway? Was my best going to be good enough? Would I have to deal with horrible situations<br>like these again?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I didn\u2019t have the answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Stepping outside, I was met with bright sunlight and blue sky. There was a park across<br>the street. I heard the sounds of children playing, and music: bombastic, up-tempo, rhapsodic<br>music, a song I knew and loved. As I made my way to my car, I found myself singing along,<br>quietly at first, but then boldly, assuredly. A kernel of hope began to shape within me. Maybe the proctor was right. I decided I would wait it out and see. <em>One day at a time<\/em>, I thought. <em>One day at a time.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Christine Benton Criswell<\/strong> is a writer and physician in San Antonio, Texas. Her work is featured in several journals, including <em>Jimson Weed<\/em>, <em>The Headlight Review<\/em>, <em>The Writing Disorder<\/em>, <em>New Pop Lit<\/em>, and <em>The Opiate<\/em>. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, practicing tai chi, and taking walks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>__________<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"438\" height=\"211\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg 438w, https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1-300x145.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 438px) 100vw, 438px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">&lt;&lt; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/letter-from-the-guest-editor-16\/\">Back<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/banner-days-the-life-of-the-mind\/\">Next<\/a> &gt;&gt;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To learn more about submitting your work to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/boudin-submissions\/\">Boudin<\/a><\/em> or applying to McNeese State University&#8217;s Creative Writing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/mfa-application-submissions\/\">MFA program<\/a>, please visit Submissions for details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>My Med School OSCE Christine Benton Criswell __________ I knew I was in for it when Allen came out of the exam room. He looked pained. \u201cIt was awful,\u201d he said. \u201cAll I can say is &#8230; good luck.\u201d We were participating in our medical school OSCE\u2014the Objective Structured ClinicalExam. We would interview, examine, and&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[238],"tags":[75,146,26],"class_list":["post-20632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kaleidoscopes-sep-25","tag-boudin","tag-fiction-2","tag-fiction"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20632"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20632\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20934,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20632\/revisions\/20934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}