OIM 509 - Medical History Taking

Credit(s): 2

The medical history serves as one of the pillars of medical diagnosis and is traditionally the first step in virtually every clinical encounter. A thorough history allows the clinician to define the patient’s problem and, along with the results of physical examination, assists in formulating a diagnosis in most cases.

Through a combination of lecture, demonstration, and practice, this course is designed to develop student confidence in taking a detailed clinical history. Principles of clinical reasoning and interviewing technique are presented in detail, and tips for maintaining clinical focus are discussed. Medical documentation, from both the clinical and legal perspectives, are reviewed, and how the interview informs physical examination and assessment is discussed.