• What is case taking?? As a beginner I didn’t have much knowledge about the process of  case taking. It was during the initial  days of II BHMS  when I was newly  posted to hospital for clinics.
• First day, in the OPD, the doctor started taking the case . I being an observer could not perceive what exactly were the questions being asked by the doctor and my mind was filled with several queries and thoughts.
• While taking the case, doctor was asking several  aspects in case taking like history of illness,modalities etc.
• I felt very silly and wondered, why the doctor is asking such type of questions like when your symptoms are increased or decreased, at which time they are more or less.
• After the completion of the case taking, the doctor used to explain to us about the case, I could not understand the case entirely, due to the incomplete knowledge in symptomatology i.e.., which symptom should be considered as characteristic and which should be neglected?
• I also could not differentiate between the acute and chronic case taking formats and what are the things that need to be added or neglected in either of them.
• As a beginner, I did not know much about the general examination and their importance in case taking.
• One day the doctor at the OPD, asked me to check the vital signs of a patient but I could not do it properly. Then sir explained in a very detailed manner and also said how each aspect in case taking is important to our diagnosis. g.- how a serious condition like heart failure can be diagnosed by the simple pulse rate of the person.
• Sir also explained to us as to how the appropriate investigations helps us to diagnose a disease in a patient. g- by simple ECG report, how myocardial infarction is diagnosed.
• As a beginner, I did not come to know the importance of what sir actually said.

• WHAT IS THE PROBLEM IN UNDERSTANDING THE CASE TAKING??
• Incomplete knowledge in different subjects { like Materia Medica,Organon of medicine, Pathology ,e.t.c..,}
• Exposure to different cases {acute &chronic} postings in different opds.
• General and systemic examination was knowledge and skills.
• Various concepts regarding case taking are taught in theory but I was unable to apply it  practically in initial days.
• These might be the possible reasons that I felt for not understanding case taking.
• Finally, being a beginner my overall experience in case taking is good and at this stage,I understood several aspects in case taking and how to find the way to arrive at a proper similimum.

By:

P.VAMSHI

ROLL NO:74

2^nd BHMS –JIMS HMC