School-age health supervision — viva

Stem

Examiner-led viva on school-age health supervision. [1]

Examiner: How do you open this “form only” visit? [1]

Strong answer: I greet the child first, set a joint agenda, and reframe the form as one product of a full health-supervision visit: history, measures, exam, screens, guidance and plan. [1]

Examiner: What do you measure and why? [3]

Strong answer: Height, weight, BMI-for-age trend and blood pressure with a correct cuff. BMI screening identifies children who need family-based support; trend beats a single shaming number. [3] [16]

Examiner: Teacher says ADHD. Your first moves? [5]

Strong answer: I take a multi-setting history, check sleep duration against AASM needs, review vision/hearing, and only then pursue structured ADHD evaluation principles — not a same-day stimulant from a label. [5] [8]

Examiner: Give two anticipatory guidance numbers you can defend. [6]

Strong answer: About 60 minutes daily moderate-to-vigorous activity for 5–17 years, and roughly 9–12 hours’ sleep for many 6–12-year-olds per AASM consensus, tailored to the child. [6] [8]

Examiner: What turns this visit into an emergency? [12]

Strong answer: Suicidality, abuse disclosure, respiratory distress, symptomatic severe hypertension, or cardiac red flags before sport clearance. [12]

Examiner: How do you talk about BMI without harm? [16]

Strong answer: Private space, health-behaviour language, family goals, no mockery — stigma is documented harm in children with obesity. [16]

Examiner: Where do teeth fit? [9]

Strong answer: Dental inspection, fluoride advice and dental-home linkage are primary-care jobs, not optional extras. [9]