How surgery stations are set
The AMC Clinical is 16 assessed stations plus rest stations: 2 minutes of reading, then 8 minutes in the station. Fourteen stations are scored, and a pass needs a pass on 9 or more of them. Each station gets a global rating on a 7-point scale, informed by 2 to 5 key steps and 3 to 5 assessment domains. Read how the AMC Clinical is marked for the detail.
Surgical stations are often set in the emergency department, on the ward or in a pre-admission clinic. They frequently ask for a diagnosis and management plan, an examination, or an explanation of a procedure and consent.
Common surgical presentations
| Presentation | Key differentials | Do not miss |
|---|---|---|
| Right iliac fossa pain | Appendicitis, ectopic pregnancy, ovarian torsion, mesenteric adenitis | Pregnancy test in women of reproductive age |
| Upper abdominal pain | Biliary colic, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, peptic ulcer | Perforation, AAA, myocardial infarction |
| Lump in the neck, breast or groin | Lymph node, thyroid nodule, hernia | Malignancy, strangulated hernia |
| Postoperative fever | Atelectasis, wound or urinary infection, line sepsis | Anastomotic leak, DVT and PE |
| Painful leg | Cellulitis, DVT, claudication | Acute limb ischaemia, compartment syndrome |
| Trauma | Fractures, head injury | Primary survey: airway, breathing, circulation |
The acute abdomen station
- Check vital signs and whether the patient is shocked.
- History: pain characteristics, vomiting, bowels, urinary symptoms, last menstrual period.
- Examine: inspection, palpation for guarding and rebound, hernial orifices, and state you would do a rectal examination where indicated.
- Investigations: bedside (urinalysis, pregnancy test, ECG), bloods including lipase, imaging chosen for the likely diagnosis.
- Management: analgesia, fluids, nil by mouth, surgical referral with urgency stated.
Giving analgesia early is appropriate and does not mask surgical signs. Examiners mark down candidates who withhold pain relief.
Consent and explaining an operation
Consent stations test whether the patient understands the procedure, why it is recommended, the material risks, the alternatives including no treatment, and what recovery involves. In Australia a risk is material if a reasonable person would think it significant, or if this patient would.
- Use plain words and check understanding.
- Ask about the patient's priorities, such as work, sport or caring duties.
- Invite questions and offer written information.
- Confirm capacity and voluntariness.
Worked station: postoperative fever
Station walk-through · Adult surgery
Candidate brief: You are the surgical resident. A 64-year-old man is febrile (38.6 C) on day 4 after an anterior resection. Assess him and outline your management.
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| 0:00 to 1:00 | Introduce, check observations and how he feels; is he septic? |
| 1:00 to 3:30 | Focused history and examination: abdomen, wound, chest, lines, calves, urinary catheter |
| 3:30 to 5:30 | State differential with anastomotic leak first given day and operation |
| 5:30 to 7:30 | Blood cultures, FBC, CRP, lactate, CT abdomen with contrast; IV fluids and antibiotics; senior and surgical team review |
| 7:30 to 8:00 | Summarise to the examiner and explain to the patient |
Where candidates lose marks: listing the "5 Ws" by rote without prioritising the leak, and delaying sepsis treatment for imaging.
Perioperative medicine
- Anticoagulants and antiplatelets: plan with the surgical team; do not stop dual antiplatelet therapy after a recent stent without cardiology advice.
- Diabetes: withhold SGLT2 inhibitors before surgery to prevent euglycaemic ketoacidosis.
- VTE prophylaxis: mechanical and pharmacological according to risk.
- Fasting and medicines the morning of surgery.
Using the 2 minutes of reading time
- Read the setting: general practice, ward, emergency department or telehealth changes what is realistic.
- Underline each task and its time allocation, and plan your 8 minutes to match.
- Note the patient's age, sex and any cue in the brief (a medicine, an occupation, a family member present).
- Write a short list of the 3 diagnoses you must separate and the one dangerous condition you must not miss.
- In a surgical station, decide early whether the patient is stable and whether the task is assessment, consent or postoperative care.
- Decide your opening sentence so you start calmly.
Check the current AMC candidate information for what you may bring or write during reading time. Whatever you plan, keep it short: there is no time to read a long list in the room.
High-yield stations to prepare
Surgical practice stations cluster around the acute abdomen, red-flag histories, consent and the postoperative ward.
| Station | Likely task | Key step examiners look for |
|---|---|---|
| Right iliac fossa pain in a young woman | Diagnosis and management | Pregnancy test and gynaecological causes |
| Right upper quadrant pain | History | Biliary colic versus cholecystitis and cholangitis |
| Rectal bleeding and change in bowel habit | History | Colorectal cancer red flags, colonoscopy |
| Difficulty swallowing and weight loss | History | Urgent gastroscopy |
| Fever after bowel surgery | Management | Anastomotic leak and sepsis |
| Hip fracture in an older woman | Management | Analgesia including nerve block, surgery within 48 hours |
| Acute testicular pain | Management | Urgent exploration |
| Unable to pass urine | Management | Catheterise and find the cause |
| Neck lump | Examination | Thyroid examination and status |
| Consent for cholecystectomy | Counselling | Material risks and alternatives |
| Explaining a bowel cancer diagnosis | Counselling | Breaking bad news and the treatment plan |
A one-week practice plan
| Day | Practice |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Read the structure on this page and run 2 surgery stations untimed with a partner |
| Day 2 | Run 3 stations with the 2-minute reading timer and an 8-minute station timer |
| Day 3 | Record 2 stations on your phone; watch for jargon, interruptions and missed tasks |
| Day 4 | Swap roles: play the patient and the examiner, marking against the checklist |
| Day 5 | Run 3 new stations back to back with a 2-minute gap, as on exam day |
| Day 6 | Repeat the stations where your global rating was below 4 |
| Day 7 | Rest, then review your notes on the common mistakes below |
Our station bank lets you filter by discipline and station type, so you can follow this plan for each area of the exam.
Common mistakes in surgery stations
- Forgetting a pregnancy test.
- Not stating the urgency of surgical referral.
- Listing complications without numbers or context in consent.
- Missing sepsis in a postoperative patient.
- Omitting analgesia.
Practise these as timed stations with a partner playing the patient and another marking against the checklist. Each of our adult surgery stations has a candidate brief, role-player script, examiner notes, marking checklist and a model approach.
Free sample adult surgery stations
Candidate briefs from our AMC Clinical station bank. Read the task, plan your 8 minutes, then open the marking checklist.
Right upper quadrant pain (8 minutes)
You are an emergency department resident. Ms Chloe Nguyen, 41, has come in with abdominal pain.
Tasks:
- Take a focused history (5 minutes).
- Give the examiner your differential diagnosis and initial management (3 minutes).
Observations: T 38.2°C, HR 102, BP 124/78, RR 18, SpO₂ 98% on air.
The role-player script, examiner notes, marking checklist and model approach open with a plan.
Neck lump: thyroid examination (8 minutes)
You are a surgical resident. Mrs Sarah Whitfield, 39, noticed a lump in the front of her neck.
Tasks:
- Examine her neck and thyroid status, explaining what you are doing (5 minutes).
- Present your findings and next investigations (3 minutes).
The role-player script, examiner notes, marking checklist and model approach open with a plan.
Practise adult surgery stations free
Every adult surgery station in our bank
The bank holds 13 adult surgery stations across 4 station types: Counselling and education (2), Diagnosis and management (5), History taking (4), Physical examination (2). Each one has a candidate brief, role-player script, examiner notes, marking checklist and model approach.
- Acute testicular pain in a teenagerDiagnosis and management
- Back pain with red flagsHistory taking
- Consent for laparoscopic cholecystectomyCounselling and education
- Difficulty swallowing and weight lossHistory taking
- Explaining a diagnosis of bowel cancerCounselling and education
- Fever on day 3 after bowel surgeryDiagnosis and management
- Hip fracture in an older womanDiagnosis and management
- Knee injury at football: examinationPhysical examination
- Neck lump: thyroid examinationPhysical examination
- Rectal bleeding and change in bowel habitHistory taking
- Right iliac fossa pain in a young womanDiagnosis and management
- Right upper quadrant painHistory taking
- Unable to pass urineDiagnosis and management
Common questions
Will I need to examine a hernia or abdomen in the AMC Clinical?
Examination stations can involve the abdomen, groin and other systems on a role-player. Describe findings clearly to the examiner.
How should I explain surgical risks?
Give the material risks in plain language, with an idea of how common they are, and relate them to what matters to the patient.
Should I give analgesia before the surgeon sees an acute abdomen?
Yes. Early analgesia is appropriate and does not mask diagnosis.
Sources
Clinical content is summarised from current Australian guidance at the date above. Guidelines change, so always check the latest edition.