In an oral presentation, which step describes state what the patient has told you?

• A. State what you have derived from further questioning, HPI, PMHx, and ROS
• B. State what the patient has told you
• C. State details of physical exam from head to toe
• D. Give a differential diagnosis

Answer: (B)

Presenting the patient’s own words or reports captures the subjective history—the patient’s experience as they describe it. In an oral H&P, you start with what the patient has told you: their chief complaint, onset, quality, timing, modifying factors, associated symptoms, and the impact on daily life. This preserves the patient’s voice, reduces your interpretation bias, and sets the stage for later sections where you add objective findings, assessment, and plan.

The other steps describe information you derive, observe, or reason through after obtaining the history: summarizing what you learned from questioning and chart review, detailing the physical examination findings, or presenting a differential diagnosis. Those belong after you’ve conveyed the patient’s own report, not as the initial statement of what the patient has told you.