In an oral presentation, which step involves giving a differential diagnosis?

• A. State details of physical exam
• B. State what the patient told you
• C. Give a differential diagnosis
• D. State a plan of action

Answer: (C)

The key idea is presenting clinical reasoning in the assessment by listing and ranking possible causes. In an oral presentation, after gathering history and exam findings, you summarize what could be causing the patient’s symptoms in a differential diagnosis. This step shows your reasoning about why each possibility is plausible, which ones you’d test for, and what evidence supports or argues against them. It guides the next diagnostic steps and eventual management.

That’s why giving a differential diagnosis is the best choice here: it explicitly communicates the set of plausible conditions and the reasoning behind them, shaping how you would confirm the diagnosis. The other parts serve different purposes—stating physical exam details covers objective findings from the exam, describing what the patient told you conveys the subjective history, and stating a plan of action outlines immediate management and tests after you’ve established the differential.