Ways to practise for a spotter
| Option | Strength | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Panic Bank spotting decks | Drilled identification across X-ray, CT, MRI, histology, ECG and clinical photos, next to your lecture questions | Fixed decks, not your faculty’s own spotter images |
| Radiopaedia | A huge free radiology reference with cases | Reference, not drills |
| Histology atlases and virtual slides | Depth and labelled detail | Reading, not testing |
| Anki image cards | Your own images, scheduled | You have to find and card the images |
| Your faculty’s past spotters | The most exam-relevant images there are | Only if your year shares them |
How to use spotting decks well
- Name it before you look at options. Spotters reward recall, not recognition.
- Little and often. Ten images a day beats a hundred the night before.
- Say the one-line reason. “Inferior STEMI — ST elevation in II, III, aVF” sticks better than the label alone.
Everything else in the same app
Spotting sits beside SBA questions from your lectures, flashcards, full notes and OSCE voice practice, so written, practical and clinical exams are revised in one place.
Frequently asked questions
What image types do the spotting decks cover?
X-ray, CT, MRI, histology, ECG and clinical photos.
Can I use my own faculty’s spotter images?
The spotting decks are fixed decks, not uploads. For your own images, Anki image cards work; for questions from your own lectures, upload the lecture PDF to Panic Bank.
Is Panic Bank free?
It is free to start and does not ask for a card. New accounts get a 3-day trial of the Core plan, and the free tier keeps a daily review allowance after that. Paid plans unlock unlimited review, the Teller (Ask-AI), the mock exam and OSCE practice.