AMC 2 Cardiology station practice

Example Cardiology stations in Vivora

• Central chest pain at rest

  You are a GP. George Papas, 58, walks in distressed with central chest pain that started one hour ago at rest and has not settled. Reception has already alerted you.

• Palpitations that come and go

  You are a GP. Janet Marsh, 67, has booked a heart-health check because of palpitations.

• Worsening breathlessness and swollen ankles

  You are a GP. Brian Foster, 68, presents with several weeks of worsening breathlessness on exertion, waking at night short of breath, and swollen ankles. Assess him and outline your plan.

• Newly raised blood pressure

  You are a GP. Trevor Banks, 54, has had high blood pressure readings on several occasions and comes in to discuss them. He feels well.

What examiners focus on in Cardiology stations

• A structured chest pain or palpitation history plus cardiac risk factors
• Actively screening for ACS red flags and time-critical features
• A differential that separates cardiac from non-cardiac causes out loud
• Immediate management steps such as monitoring, analgesia and escalation

Common mistakes IMGs make in Cardiology stations

• Not asking about smoking, family history or diabetes early in the history
• Forgetting to mention ECG or troponin as an immediate next step
• Giving a management plan without addressing analgesia or monitoring

Why practise Cardiology out loud

Reading about a cardiology presentation is not the same as running the station: taking a focused history, asking the examiner for findings, and giving a diagnosis and plan out loud, under time pressure. Vivora builds that fluency directly, so the real exam feels familiar rather than the first time you've said any of it aloud.