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[ Home ](https://mdster.com) 2. [ Blog ](https://mdster.com/blog) 3. [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?category=study-tips) 4. Passing the Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (Structured Assessment using Multiple Patient Scenarios (StAMPS)): A Practical Study Plan [ Study Tips ](https://mdster.com/blog?category=study-tips) Passing the Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (Structured Assessment using Multiple Patient Scenarios (StAMPS)): A Practical Study Plan ========================================================================================================================================================================= Train for the marking domains, master the 10‑minute viva rhythm, and make rural‑remote reasoning obvious—every single scenario. [ MDster Editorial Team ](https://mdster.com/about) · Feb 25, 2026 · 7 min read · 141 [ Reviewed by Dr. Ali Ragab, MBBCH, MSc, MCAI ](https://mdster.com/medical-reviewers/dr-ali-ragab) [Editorial Policy](https://mdster.com/editorial-policy) | [Corrections Policy](https://mdster.com/corrections) [ Family Medicine ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=family-medicine) [ Family Medicine Boards ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=family-medicine-boards) [ ACRRM ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=acrrm) [ Rural Generalist ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=rural-generalist) [ Viva Exam Skills ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=viva-exam-skills) [ Study Plans ](https://mdster.com/blog?tag=study-plans) Share this article Share this post On this page 1. [ 1) Study to the marking domains (then practise “showing” them) ](#1-study-to-the-marking-domains-then-practise-showing-them) 2. [ The 20‑second “scoring hook” you should use in every scenario ](#the-20second-scoring-hook-you-should-use-in-every-scenario) 3. [ 2) Master the real StAMPS timing: 5 minutes reading + 10 minutes performance ](#2-master-the-real-stamps-timing-5-minutes-reading-10-minutes-performance) 4. [ Your reading-time template (write this every time) ](#your-reading-time-template-write-this-every-time) 5. [ Your 10-minute speaking plan (what high scorers do) ](#your-10-minute-speaking-plan-what-high-scorers-do) 6. [ 3) Build your “StAMPSville playbook” from the Community Profile ](#3-build-your-stampsville-playbook-from-the-community-profile) 7. [ Turn the Community Profile into a one-page decision aid ](#turn-the-community-profile-into-a-one-page-decision-aid) 8. [ 4) Practise like a viva: timed drills, BARS-style feedback, and “unfolding” updates ](#4-practise-like-a-viva-timed-drills-bars-style-feedback-and-unfolding-updates) 9. [ The minimum effective weekly practice set (do this for 6–8 weeks) ](#the-minimum-effective-weekly-practice-set-do-this-for-6-8-weeks) 10. [ How to debrief (the only questions that matter) ](#how-to-debrief-the-only-questions-that-matter) 11. [ 5) Use the right resources (non-commercial, high-yield) ](#5-use-the-right-resources-non-commercial-high-yield) 12. [ Study Schedule Template (8 weeks) ](#study-schedule-template-8-weeks) 13. [ Common pitfalls (and exactly how to avoid them) ](#common-pitfalls-and-exactly-how-to-avoid-them) 14. [ Key Takeaways (do these this week) ](#key-takeaways-do-these-this-week) 15. [ References ](#references-heading) On this page 1. [ 1) Study to the marking domains (then practise “showing” them) ](#1-study-to-the-marking-domains-then-practise-showing-them) 2. [ The 20‑second “scoring hook” you should use in every scenario ](#the-20second-scoring-hook-you-should-use-in-every-scenario) 3. [ 2) Master the real StAMPS timing: 5 minutes reading + 10 minutes performance ](#2-master-the-real-stamps-timing-5-minutes-reading-10-minutes-performance) 4. [ Your reading-time template (write this every time) ](#your-reading-time-template-write-this-every-time) 5. [ Your 10-minute speaking plan (what high scorers do) ](#your-10-minute-speaking-plan-what-high-scorers-do) 6. [ 3) Build your “StAMPSville playbook” from the Community Profile ](#3-build-your-stampsville-playbook-from-the-community-profile) 7. [ Turn the Community Profile into a one-page decision aid ](#turn-the-community-profile-into-a-one-page-decision-aid) 8. [ 4) Practise like a viva: timed drills, BARS-style feedback, and “unfolding” updates ](#4-practise-like-a-viva-timed-drills-bars-style-feedback-and-unfolding-updates) 9. [ The minimum effective weekly practice set (do this for 6–8 weeks) ](#the-minimum-effective-weekly-practice-set-do-this-for-6-8-weeks) 10. [ How to debrief (the only questions that matter) ](#how-to-debrief-the-only-questions-that-matter) 11. [ 5) Use the right resources (non-commercial, high-yield) ](#5-use-the-right-resources-non-commercial-high-yield) 12. [ Study Schedule Template (8 weeks) ](#study-schedule-template-8-weeks) 13. [ Common pitfalls (and exactly how to avoid them) ](#common-pitfalls-and-exactly-how-to-avoid-them) 14. [ Key Takeaways (do these this week) ](#key-takeaways-do-these-this-week) 15. [ References ](#references-heading) You can be clinically excellent and still underperform in StAMPS for one simple reason: you *think like a rural generalist*, but you **don’t package your thinking in the exact domains the exam is scoring**—fast, structured, and repeatedly anchored to the rural‑remote context. StAMPS is not an MCQ in disguise. It’s an online, timed, examiner-led viva across **8 scenarios** where you’re scored using behavioural anchors on **how you define problems, structure your approach, communicate professionally, and manage within rural-remote constraints**. Your job is to make those behaviours unmistakable, on cue, every time. 1) Study to the marking domains (then practise “showing” them) -------------------------------------------------------------- StAMPS rewards candidates who make their reasoning *audible* and *contextual*. Build a repeatable answer framework that hits the scored areas: - **Problem Definition + Systematic Approach**: your opening synthesis, priorities, and plan. - **Communication + Professionalism**: how you speak, escalate, safety-net, and address consent/ethics. - **Management in the Rural‑Remote Context** (repeated across questions): what you can do *here*, what you *can’t*, and how you mitigate risk. ### The 20‑second “scoring hook” you should use in every scenario Use this phrasing early (and repeatedly) to light up the rubric: 1. **Define the problem + risk**: “This is an undifferentiated X with immediate risk of Y.” 2. **State priorities**: “My priorities are A, B, C (first 10 minutes; first hour; disposition).” 3. **Anchor to context**: “In StAMPSville, with limited imaging/specialists, I would… and I would escalate/retrieve if…” > **Pro Tip (examiner psychology):** Examiners can’t award what they can’t *hear*. If you’re thinking “of course I’d arrange retrieval,” but you don’t say *when* and *what triggers it*, you’re leaving marks behind. 2) Master the real StAMPS timing: 5 minutes reading + 10 minutes performance ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the current (Feb 2026) handbook, each scenario is **10 minutes**, with an interval between scenarios that includes **5 minutes reading**. You are not being tested on perfection—you’re being tested on safe, structured decisions under time pressure. ### Your reading-time template (write this every time) In your 5 minutes reading, create a tiny “map” you can speak from: - **One-line summary** (diagnostic label + risk) - **Top 3 differentials** (rule-in/rule-out) - **Must-not-miss** (red flags + immediate actions) - **Minimum safe workup** *available locally* - **Disposition**: admit vs discharge vs transfer - **Escalation triggers** (retrieval/telehealth/specialist) ### Your 10-minute speaking plan (what high scorers do) Because each scenario includes multiple prompts, you need a consistent rhythm: - **First 30–60 seconds**: synthesis + priorities + rural context statement. - **Each examiner question**: answer in **three layers**: 1. “What I’d do now” (actions) 2. “What I’m worried about” (risk + must-not-miss) 3. “What changes because we’re rural/remote” (resources, staffing, transport, follow-up) - **Last 20 seconds**: safety-net + documentation/communication (“I’d document…, discuss with…, arrange review in…”). > **Pro Tip (speed without sounding rushed):** Use signposting phrases: “First… Second… Third…” and “My threshold to escalate is…” This reads as organised—not panicked. 3) Build your “StAMPSville playbook” from the Community Profile --------------------------------------------------------------- StAMPS is deliberately contextual. Treat the Community Profile as examinable content: it tells you what you *can actually do* (and what you must outsource). ### Turn the Community Profile into a one-page decision aid Create a single sheet (for practice) with headings: - **Hospital capability**: resus bay? ventilator? blood? CT? after-hours imaging? - **Staffing**: solo doctor? nursing skill mix? on-call? - **Retrieval logistics**: road/air availability, weather constraints, expected delays - **Telehealth pathways**: who you can call and how quickly - **Aboriginal community factors**: culturally safe care steps, liaison pathways, follow-up realities Then, in every practice scenario, force yourself to say one line that proves you used it: - “Given no on-site CT, I’d treat as X and transfer if…” - “Because I’m the most senior doctor overnight, I’ll stabilise, call retrieval early, and…” 4) Practise like a viva: timed drills, BARS-style feedback, and “unfolding” updates ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reading textbooks won’t fix viva performance. You need **reps under the exact constraints**. ### The minimum effective weekly practice set (do this for 6–8 weeks) - **3 × timed scenario blocks/week** (30–40 minutes each) - 5 min reading + 10 min speaking + 5 min debrief per scenario - Do **2 scenarios per block** - **1 × calibration session/week** with peers/supervisor/medical educator - One person marks using the domains (not “vibes”) - One person forces “curveballs” (deterioration, refusal, no beds, storm grounding retrieval) ### How to debrief (the only questions that matter) After each scenario, score yourself with brutal simplicity: - Did I state a **problem definition** within 60 seconds? - Did I give a **systematic approach** (not a brainstorm)? - Did I explicitly adapt to **rural‑remote constraints** in each question? - Did I **escalate early** for time-critical risk? - Did I include **safety-net + follow-up + documentation/communication**? 5) Use the right resources (non-commercial, high-yield) ------------------------------------------------------- StAMPS scenarios are written using current Australian references and rural generalist expectations—so your prep should mirror that. Use: - **ACRRM Public Assessment Reports**: mine them for recurring scenario types, common advice, and where candidates lose marks. - **Australian guideline sources you already use clinically** (emergency, obstetrics, paediatrics, mental health, infectious disease): focus on *first-hour actions*, not obscure details. - **Your local rural hospital protocols**: retrieval triggers, sepsis pathways, thrombolysis pathways, obstetric emergencies, sedation policies. - **Case-based learning**: convert real cases from your logbook/CBD prep into StAMPS-style prompts (“What would you do with limited imaging? What if retrieval is delayed?”). > **Pro Tip (high-yield content filter):** If a guideline doesn’t change your **disposition**, **transfer threshold**, or **first-hour management**, it’s rarely worth deep-diving for StAMPS. Study Schedule Template (8 weeks) --------------------------------- Adjust up/down based on your roster, but keep the structure. WeekFocusOutputs you must produce1Understand format + domains; set your answer framework1-page “StAMPS answer script”; Community Profile decision aid2Acute adult + retrieval thinking6 timed scenarios; escalation-trigger phrases memorised3Paeds + fever/sepsis + safeguarding6 timed scenarios; paeds dosing *approach* (not numbers)4O&G emergencies + women’s health6 timed scenarios; transfer thresholds stated early5Mental health + AOD + capacity/consent6 timed scenarios; capacity script + safety planning6Chronic disease + multimorbidity + systems/pop health6 timed scenarios; care coordination + follow-up plans7Mixed mock under exam conditions8-scenario full mock over 1–2 sittings; performance review list8Patch weaknesses + polish delivery4–6 scenarios targeted to your lowest domain scores Common pitfalls (and exactly how to avoid them) ----------------------------------------------- - **Pitfall: “Laundry lists” of differentials.** - Fix: cap at **3 DDx**, then pivot to “what I’m doing now to not miss X.” - **Pitfall: Forgetting the rural‑remote constraint until the end.** - Fix: mention constraint **in your first minute** and once **per question**. - **Pitfall: Late escalation/retrieval.** - Fix: say, “I’m calling early because transfer takes time; I can always stand it down.” - **Pitfall: Answering as if you have unlimited tests and staff.** - Fix: name the *minimum safe workup* and what you do when it’s unavailable. - **Pitfall: Underplaying cultural safety and follow-up realities.** - Fix: state practical steps (interpreter, Aboriginal health worker involvement, safe discharge supports, outreach follow-up). Key Takeaways (do these this week) ---------------------------------- - Write and practise a **60-second opening** that includes: synthesis, priorities, and rural‑remote anchor. - Build a **one-page Community Profile decision aid** and use it in every practice scenario. - Complete **6 timed scenarios** (5 min read + 10 min speak) and debrief using the domain checklist. - Do **one peer-marked calibration session**, with someone interrupting you with an “unfolding deterioration.” - Review **one ACRRM Public Assessment Report** and extract 3 recurring scenario patterns to drill. If you treat StAMPS as a performance exam—domains, structure, timing, and context—you’ll feel the shift quickly: your answers get shorter, safer, and more “markable.” That’s what passes. References (4) ------------------ 1. 1. [ www.acrrm.org.au/docs/default-source/all-files/handbook-fellowship-assessment.pdf?sfvrsn=42ba86eb\_100 ](https://www.acrrm.org.au/docs/default-source/all-files/handbook-fellowship-assessment.pdf?sfvrsn=42ba86eb_100) 2. 2. [ www.acrrm.org.au/docs/default-source/all-files/stamps-quick-start-guide-for-candidates.pdf?sfvrsn=55c97058\_8 ](https://www.acrrm.org.au/docs/default-source/all-files/stamps-quick-start-guide-for-candidates.pdf?sfvrsn=55c97058_8) 3. 3. [ www.acrrm.org.au/resources/assessment/public-assessment-reports ](https://www.acrrm.org.au/resources/assessment/public-assessment-reports) 4. 4. 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