Examining a breast lump on a model
PLAB 2 practice station
Examination · 1 min to read · 8 min to perform
Take a brief focused history, then say how you would examine both breasts and the axillae, stating each step aloud, and ask the examiner for the findings.
Nadia RahmanHello doctor. I found a lump in my right breast about two weeks ago and I cannot stop thinking about it.
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Open the full station (charts, voice, result letter) →The task
You are a doctor in a GP surgery. Mrs Nadia Rahman, aged 46, has noticed a lump in her right breast. She is represented by a model that shows normal and abnormal findings, and a voice speaks for her. An examiner is present. Take a brief focused history, then say how you would examine both breasts and the axillae, stating each step aloud, and ask the examiner for the findings. At the end, tell the patient what you found and what happens next.
What this station tests
- Offer a chaperone and say each examination step aloud on a model, as the examiner cannot see your intentions.
- Describe a lump with site, size, shape, consistency, mobility and fixity.
- Always examine the axillae and supraclavicular fossae.
- Say clearly that an urgent specialist referral is needed without stating a diagnosis.
Sources for the clinical content
An original practice scenario with invented patients. Not an exam question.