[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Clinical skills](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-skills/) › [OSCE stations](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-skills/areas/stations/) › The history-taking station # The history-taking station - OSCE station In this station the student interviews an actor playing a patient and must gather the key facts of the illness in a clear order within the time. Updated Nov 13, 2026 ## Key points - Start open («What brought you in today?») and listen before narrowing with closed questions. - Characterise pain with a structured tool: site, onset, character, radiation, associated symptoms, timing, exacerbating and relieving factors, severity. - Always ask about medicines and allergies, and record the reaction for each allergy. - Explore ideas, concerns and expectations: the actor often has a hidden worry that carries marks. - Close with a summary to the patient and, if asked, a differential diagnosis for the examiner. ## What it is The history station asks the candidate to take a focused history from a standardised patient, usually about one presenting complaint (chest pain, abdominal pain, headache, fever, shortness of breath), and often to summarise it and give a differential diagnosis. Examiners look for a recognisable structure: introduction and consent, the presenting complaint in the patient's own words, a detailed history of the present illness, then past medical and surgical history, medicines and allergies, family history, social history (tobacco, alcohol, other substances, work, home, support) and a targeted review of systems. They also mark how the information is gathered: open questions first, then closed ones; active listening; no jargon; exploring the patient's ideas, concerns and expectations; and red flags asked about explicitly. The actor has been told what to reveal only if asked, so missing questions means missing facts. A short, accurate summary at the end, with a sensible differential, shows that the history was used for reasoning rather than as a list of questions. ## What is assessed - Structure: presenting complaint, history of present illness, past history, medicines and allergies, family history, social history, review of systems. - Communication: open-to-closed questioning, signposting between sections, empathy and plain language. - Red flags specific to the complaint are asked about directly (for headache, for example, sudden onset, fever, neurological deficit). - Patient perspective: ideas, concerns, expectations and the effect of the illness on daily life. - Reasoning: a focused summary and a ranked differential diagnosis, when the task asks for it. ## How to do it (and why) - Introduce yourself, check identity and ask permission to talk about the problem — rapport and consent are marked. - Ask an open question and let the patient speak without interrupting — the first answer often holds the diagnosis. - Explore the complaint with a structured mnemonic — complete characterisation separates the differentials. - Ask the specific red-flag questions for this complaint — missing a dangerous cause is the most costly error. - Signpost and cover past history, medicines, allergies, family and social history — each section carries marks. - Ask about the patient's ideas, concerns and expectations — this uncovers the hidden agenda of the case. - Summarise back to the patient and invite corrections — it checks accuracy and shows listening. - Thank the patient and present a brief summary and differential if asked — reasoning is often marked separately. ## Mistakes that cost marks - A barrage of closed questions from the start, so the patient never tells the story. - Forgetting allergies, current medicines or substance use. - Not asking the red flags that separate a benign from a dangerous cause. - Ignoring cues of worry or emotion that the actor gives on purpose. - Jumping to examination or treatment when the task asked only for a history. - No summary, or a summary that adds facts the patient never said. ## Self-check list - I opened with a question that let the patient tell the story. - I characterised the main symptom completely. - I asked the red flags for this complaint. - I covered past history, medicines, allergies, family and social history. - I explored ideas, concerns and expectations. - I used plain language and signposted each section. - I summarised and checked understanding. - I offered a reasoned differential when asked. ## Memory aid SOCRATES for pain: Site, Onset, Character, Radiation, Associated symptoms, Time course, Exacerbating and relieving factors, Severity. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Why should the history station start with an open question? It lets the patient tell the story in their own words, builds rapport and often reveals the key facts before any closed questions are needed. ## What does ICE stand for in history taking? Ideas, concerns and expectations: what the patient thinks is happening, what worries them and what they hope will be done. ## Which sections follow the history of the present illness? Past medical and surgical history, medicines and allergies, family history, social history and a targeted review of systems. ## Why does a summary at the end of the history earn marks? It checks the facts with the patient, corrects misunderstandings, shows active listening and leads into the differential diagnosis. [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/clinical-skills/the-history-taking-station/) ## Elsewhere in DurgiPedia - [The clinical history: its parts and their order](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/the-clinical-history-its-parts-and-their-order/) - [The medical interview: rapport, open questions and listening](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-exam/the-medical-interview-rapport-open-questions-and-listening/) ## Connections ## Related 4 - [How the ECOE works and how it is marked](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-skills/how-the-ecoe-works-and-how-it-is-marked/) - [The physical-examination station: what examiners look for](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-skills/the-physical-examination-station-what-examiners-look-for/) - [The counselling and explanation station](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-skills/the-counselling-and-explanation-station/) - [The handover station (ISBAR)](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-skills/the-handover-station/) ## Related conditions 2 - [Acute appendicitis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/acute-appendicitis/) - [Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/myocardial-infarction/) [← All clinical skills](https://durgical.com/en/clinical-skills/) Educational content; it does not replace supervised hands-on training, your institution's protocols or a prescriber's order. A procedure is learnt with a teacher and done only once you are trained to do it. Sources: [Medical History](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534249/) (StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf), 2026); [Set Up and Execution of an Effective Standardized Patient Program in Medical Simulation](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK558997/) (StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf), 2023). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/clinical-skills/the-history-taking-station/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/clinical-skills/the-history-taking-station/