Issue, October 2026
Newsletter
High-Yield Revision to DNB Preparation — Make Every Learning Session Count
Dear Residents,
This edition brings together focused exam preparation, important clinical updates, and real experiences from doctors who have successfully navigated their DNB Theory examinations.
This month, we bring you high-yield OSCE sessions on Pediatric CPR and Pneumothorax, a discussion on the Surviving Sepsis Campaign 2026 Guidelines, and interviews with DNB Theory achievers who share how they approached their preparation alongside the demands of residency.
Whether you are an MD or DNB Anesthesia resident, preparing for your OSCE and practical examinations, or looking to strengthen your critical care knowledge, these sessions offer practical learning you can apply to your preparation.
Explore September’s highlights and discover how you can make the most of Conceptual Anesthesia in your learning journey.
1. High-Yield Learning Sessions
Pediatric CPR & AHA 2025 Updates: Prepare for the DNB OSCE
Lecture by Dr. Jhanvi Bajaj
Pediatric CPR is an important topic for DNB Anesthesia OSCE and practical examinations. Knowing the correct answers is essential, but so is understanding how to approach a question, recall the relevant formula, and explain your answer confidently.
In this session, Dr. Jhanvi Bajaj discusses important pediatric CPR and ACLS questions, covering chest compression depth, defibrillation energy, adrenaline dosing, intraosseous access, endotracheal tube selection, and key updates from the AHA 2025 guidelines.
What you will learn:
- Pediatric CPR and ACLS essentials
- Defibrillation energy and adrenaline dosing
- Pediatric endotracheal tube selection and size formulas
- Chain of Survival and the addition of Recovery
- High-yield OSCE questions and important exam points
Why watch it? Use this session to revise a high-yield topic systematically and practise recalling the facts commonly tested in OSCE stations.
Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines 2026: What’s New? Lecture by Dr. Pranshuta Sabharwal
Sepsis and septic shock are essential areas of learning for Anesthesia residents and critical care learners. Staying updated with guidelines helps you connect foundational concepts with current recommendations.
In this lecture, Dr. Pranshuta Sabharwal explains the Surviving Sepsis Campaign 2026 Guidelines, beginning with the definitions of sepsis and septic shock and the SOFA score, before exploring revised scoring updates and the pragmatic categories of definite, probable, possible, and unlikely sepsis.
What you will learn:
- Definitions of sepsis and septic shock
- SOFA score and its components
- New and revised guideline recommendations
- Strong versus conditional recommendations
- Screening, early management, and performance improvement
Why watch it? Build a clearer understanding of sepsis assessment and management while revising an important topic for postgraduate examinations and critical care practice.
Pneumothorax Spotter: X-Ray Interpretation & Emergency Management Lecture by Dr. Jhanvi Bajaj
In a DNB OSCE, identifying a finding is only the first step. You must also interpret it correctly, answer follow-up questions, and explain the appropriate management.
Through this session, Dr. Jhanvi Bajaj discusses a left-sided pneumothorax on chest X-ray and highlights a crucial distinction: tension pneumothorax is a clinical diagnosis and should not be concluded from the X-ray alone.
What you will learn:
- Identifying pneumothorax on a chest radiograph
- Distinguishing pneumothorax from tension pneumothorax
- Recognising clinical features of tension pneumothorax
- Immediate management of a haemodynamically unstable patient
- Needle decompression and important anatomical landmarks
- Common mistakes to avoid during OSCE answers
Why watch it? Practise moving from image interpretation to clinical reasoning and emergency management—the kind of structured approach that helps in practical examinations.
2. DNB Preparation: Learn from Those Who Have Been There What Can You Learn from DNB Theory Achievers?
Causes, Recognition & Management | Dr. Pranshuta
Preparing for DNB Theory while managing OT duties, clinical responsibilities, and residency schedules can be challenging. There is no single preparation strategy that works for everyone, but the experiences of doctors who have cleared the examination can help you identify approaches worth adapting to your own routine.
This October, we bring you two DNB Theory achievers who share their preparation journeys, the resources they found useful, and the lessons they would pass on to junior residents.
Listen to their experiences, reflect on your current preparation, and identify what you can start implementing today.
Interview 1: How I Used Conceptual Anesthesia During My DNB Preparation
Dr. Swapnil Dasture | DNB Theory Score: 232
Having completed his MD in Anesthesiology from Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, Dr. Swapnil Dasture shares his experience of preparing for and clearing the DNB Theory examination while serving in the defence services.
In this interview, he discusses the challenges of studying alongside OT and hospital duties, the resources he used, and how he approached preparation during residency.
Key takeaways from his journey:
- Managing study time around demanding clinical responsibilities
- Using DNB OSCE sessions, theory paper-solving sessions, and MCQs
- Revising important concepts, including neurosurgery-related questions and ABG concepts in critical care
- Building strong foundations in physiology and pharmacology during the first year
- Connecting daily clinical cases with academic preparation
- Continuing practical-focused learning for the next stage of the examination
How can you apply these insights?
If you are preparing for DNB Theory, start by assessing your current study routine. Use previous-year questions to understand the exam pattern, revise concepts alongside your clinical exposure, and identify areas where you need additional practice.
Conceptual Anesthesia’s DNB-focused resources can support this process through structured revision, question practice, and OSCE-oriented learning.
Interview 2: Start Preparing from Your First Year
Dr. Shekhar Suman Dash | DNB Theory Achiever
When should you begin preparing for DNB Theory? Dr. Shekhar Suman Dash’s experience offers a practical perspective: preparation does not have to wait until the final months of residency.
In this interview with Dr. Jhanvi Bajaj, he explains how he started building his preparation from the first year, made his own notes, and used previous-year questions to understand what the examination demands.
Key takeaways from his journey:
- Starting preparation early and maintaining consistency
- Creating personal notes throughout residency
- Using previous-year questions to identify important topics and understand question patterns
- Writing answers point-wise with clear headings and highlighted facts
- Balancing academic preparation with clinical duties
- Preparing for practicals through short cases, long cases, OSCE videos, and ECG practice
How can you apply these insights?
Do not wait for the final year to organise your preparation. Begin with manageable daily targets, keep your notes easy to revise, and regularly practise writing structured answers. As your practical examination approaches, complement theory revision with case discussions, OSCE practice, and clinical interpretation.
Use Conceptual Anesthesia’s learning resources to complement your preparation and build a routine that works with your residency schedule.
Congratulations to Dr. Shekhar Suman Dash on clearing DNB Theory. Wishing him success in his practical examination and future endeavours.
Make Every Learning Session Count
Every lecture you watch and every question you practise can contribute to stronger preparation when you use them consistently.
Here is how you can make these resources work for you:
- For DNB Theory: Practise previous-year questions, organise your notes, and focus on structured answer writing.
- For OSCE and practicals: Revise high-yield stations, practise clinical interpretation, and rehearse concise, logical answers.
- For clinical learning: Connect concepts from lectures with the cases you encounter in the OT and hospital.
- For guideline updates: Review important changes and understand how they affect assessment and management.
- For long-term preparation: Start early, identify weak areas, and build a revision routine that you can sustain.
Remember, the aim is not simply to complete more lectures. It is to turn what you learn into knowledge you can recall, explain, and apply.
Continue Your Learning with Conceptual Anesthesia
Your residency is an opportunity to build both clinical confidence and exam readiness. Make every learning session count.
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