MDC PQE case studies
MDC PQE · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Medical and Dental Council Practitioner Qualifying Examination (MDC PQE) is the assessment pathway associated with the Medical and Dental Council of Ghana, the statutory regulator established under the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857). The Council describes itself as "the statutory body mandated under the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857), responsible for ensuring the highest standards in the training and practice of medicine and dentistry in Ghana." The examination is aimed at practitioners seeking registration and licensing to practise medicine or dentistry in Ghana, and its content is organised into two equally weighted domains: Medicine (50%) and Dentistry (50%). The MDC PQE case studies are 5 cases and about 2,972 words.
1Hypoxaemic pneumonia in a remote village: when CURB-65 is not enough
A 68-year-old retired teacher presents to a district hospital in the Ashanti Region with a 4-day history of fever, productive cough with rust-coloured sputum, and right-sided pleuritic chest pain. He lives alone in a village 45 km from the hospital; the only transport is a shared taxi that stops running after 18:00.
648 words, about 3 min2New hypertension at 30 weeks: pre-eclampsia with borderline features
A 29-year-old woman, gravida 2 para 1, attends an antenatal clinic at 30 weeks and 3 days with a blood pressure of 154/102 mmHg on two readings four hours apart. Urine dipstick shows 2+ protein; a 24-hour collection is not available.
613 words, about 3 min3Fever and chest pain in sickle cell anaemia: acute chest syndrome
A 19-year-old male university student with sickle cell anaemia (HbSS) presents to an emergency department in Accra with a 2-day history of fever, generalized bone pain, and right-sided chest pain that is worse on inspiration. He has had similar painful crises before, usually managed at home with oral analgesics.
591 words, about 3 min4Extracting a non-restorable molar in poorly controlled diabetes
A 54-year-old market trader attends a dental clinic with a grossly decayed lower right first molar. She has had intermittent pain for three weeks and a small buccal sinus with minimal purulent discharge.
575 words, about 3 min5Apixaban and multiple extractions: bleeding versus stroke risk
A 71-year-old retired civil servant requires extraction of the upper right first premolar and the lower left second molar. He has atrial fibrillation and takes apixaban 5 mg twice daily; his last dose was this morning.
545 words, about 3 min