Medical Student Survival Skills History Taking and Communication Skills

Medical students encounter many challenges on their path to success, from managing their time, applying theory to practice, and passing exams. The Medical Student Survival Skills series helps medical students navigate core subjects of the curriculum, providing accessible, short reference guides for OSCE preparation and hospital placements. These guides are the perfect tool for achieving clinical success.

Medical Student Survival Skills: History Taking and Communication Skills is a concise and compact guide to obtaining and recording medical histories and achieving positive patient interactions. The first section explores taking history—from initial introduction to identifying symptoms—and includes abdominal and chest pain, dizziness and vertigo, shortness of breath, sexual history, confusion and loss of memory. Essential patient communication skills and strategies for various situations are described in the second section, including angry patients, instances of drug and alcohol abuse, diabetes counselling and breaking bad news.

Philip Jevon is Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Birmingham Medical School and Academy Manager/Tutor, Walsall Teaching Academy, Manor Hospital, Walsall, UK.

Steve Odogwu is Consultant, General Surgery and Senior Academy Tutor, Walsall Teaching Academy, Manor Hospital, Walsall, UK.

Acknowledgements ix

About the companion website xiii

Part 1 History Taking 1

1 Abdominal distention 3

2 Abdominal pain in pregnancy 7

3 Abdominal pain 11

4 Alcohol intake 13

5 Amenorrhoea 15

6 Anxiety 19

7 Ataxia 23

8 Back pain 25

9 Chest pain 27

10 Collapse and loss of conciousness 29

11 Confusion 31

12 Constipation 33

13 Cough 35

14 Deliberate self‐harm 37

15 Diarrhoea 41

16 Dizziness and vertigo 43

17 Dyspepsia 47

18 Dysphagia 49

19 Dysphasia 51

20 Dysuria 53

21 Otalgia – ear ache 55

22 Falls 57

23 Fever 61

24 Haematemesis 65

25 Haematuria 67

26 Haemoptysis 69

27 Headache 71

28 Hoarseness 73

29 Jaundice 75

30 Joint pain 79

31 Acute leg pain (ischaemic leg) 81

32 Leg ulcer 85

33 Loin pain 89

34 Loss of memory 91

35 Low mood 95

36 Lumps and bumps 97

37 Melaena 99

38 Menorrhagia 103

39 Nausea 107

40 Numbness and weakness 109

41 Paediatrics: Diarrhoea 113

42 Paediatrics: Convulsions/seizures 117

43 Paediatrics: Difficulty in breathing 121

44 Paediatrics: Non‐specific unwell neonate 125

45 Paediatrics: Vomiting 129

46 Paediatrics: Wheeze 133

47 Pain 137

48 Palpitations 139

49 Paresthesia 143

50 Per rectum bleeding 147

51 Preoperative assessment 151

52 Per vaginum bleeding in pregnancy 153

53 Pruritus 155

54 Pervaginal bleed 157

55 Pervaginal discharge 159

56 Rash 163

57 Red eye – painless 165

58 Red eye – painful 169

59 Seizure 173

60 Sexual history from a female patient 177

61 Sexual history from a male patient 179

62 Shortness of breath 181

63 Stridor 183

64 Substance misuse 185

65 Swollen legs and ankles 187

66 Syncope 191

67 Tiredness/lethargy 195

68 Tremor 199

69 Unilateral leg swelling 201

70 Varicose veins 205

71 Vomiting 207

72 Weight gain 209

73 Weight loss 213

74 Wheeze 217

Part 2 Communication Skills 221

75 Alcohol advice 223

76 The angry patient 227

77 Breaking bad news or results 229

78 The deaf patient 231

79 Diabetes counselling 235

80 Explaining a clinical procedure 239

81 Insulin counselling 241

82 Life style advice post myocardial infarction 243

83 Cessation of smoking 245

84 Oral steroids counselling 249

Index 253

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