Clinical Practice

Advanced and Specialised Physical Examination

A course in the examinations that need a more deliberate, specialised technique beyond the general head-to-toe survey: the eye, the ear nose and throat, the thyroid and neck lumps, the breast, the lymphatic system, the obstetric abdomen, growth and nutritional assessment in children, the unconscious patient, special orthopaedic tests, and hydration status.

6.0 CPD credit hour · 16 modules · 312 minutes · 80% to pass · UGX 90,000

Course aim

To build precise, structured examination technique for presentations that a general screening examination does not fully resolve.

What you will be able to do

• Perform a structured eye examination and recognise sight-threatening findings.
• Examine the ear, nose and throat systematically.
• Examine the thyroid and assess a neck lump systematically.
• Perform a clinical breast examination correctly.
• Examine the lymphatic system systematically across all major node groups.
• Perform an obstetric abdominal examination.
• Assess growth and nutritional status in a child.
• Examine a patient who is unconscious or unable to cooperate.
• Apply special tests in joint examination.
• Assess hydration and fluid status clinically.

Syllabus

1. Course Information — What this course covers, who it is for, and how it is assessed (12 min)
2. Learning Outcomes and Pre-Course Self-Assessment — What you should be able to do by the end, and where you stand now (10 min)
3. Why These Examinations Need a More Deliberate Approach — What changes when a screening look is not enough (14 min)
4. Examination of the Eye — A structured look that catches sight-threatening findings (26 min)
5. Examination of the Ear, Nose and Throat — A structured look at three connected systems (24 min)
6. Examination of the Thyroid and Neck Lumps — Telling a thyroid swelling from a lymph node from something else (24 min)
7. Examination of the Breast — A structured, respectful, clinically thorough examination (22 min)
8. Systematic Lymph Node Examination — Checking all the major groups, not just the obvious one (20 min)
9. The Obstetric Abdominal Examination — Fundal height, lie, presentation and the fetal heart (26 min)
10. Assessing Growth and Nutritional Status in Children — Measuring, plotting and recognising malnutrition early (24 min)
11. Examination of the Unconscious or Confused Patient — Building a full picture without the patient's cooperation (24 min)
12. Special Tests in Joint and Musculoskeletal Examination — Beyond looking, feeling and moving: tests that isolate a specific structure (22 min)
13. Assessing Hydration and Fluid Status — A quick, structured check with real management consequences (18 min)
14. Clinical Case Studies and Applied Clinical Reasoning — Four examinations that bring the whole course together (26 min)
15. Personal Reflection, Action Plan and Course Evaluation — Turning what you have learned into one specific change (12 min)
16. References and Further Reading — Where this course's guidance comes from, and where to go deeper (8 min)

Who it is for

• Clinical Officers
• Medical Officers
• Nurses
• Midwives
• Allied Health Professionals

Competencies

• Eye and ENT examination
• Thyroid, neck lump and breast examination
• Systematic lymph node examination
• Obstetric abdominal examination
• Paediatric growth and nutritional assessment
• Examination of the uncooperative patient
• Special orthopaedic testing
• Hydration assessment