My pool of doctor students has recently increased and motivated me to think about lessons that can be useful and interesting for this group. One of the scenarios that I, an ESL teacher, am also familiar with is taking a patient history. The students told me they occasionally have foreign patients and would like to know how to communicate with them efficiently. Without any further ado, here is a medical English lesson plan on taking patient history.
I was thinking of different situations in which doctors need to communicate in English, and with the help of my students, I thought that this is probably the most useful language they’ll need at the workplace. I was combing the Internet and looking for a good video demonstrating a typical dialogue, but the videos were either a thousand years old or were just boring. Luckily, I found a video presentation on the SOCRATES method of taking patient history, which not only explained this process to me but also gave a lot of useful phrases that I incorporated into my lesson.
So, if you are just like me, with a few doctor students, scroll until the end of the post to get the presentation, the worksheet, and the teacher’s notes for this class on taking patient history.
Warmer: Starting with SOCRATES
The class begins by looking at the mnemonic SOCRATES and asking students what they think of when they hear this word. Their answers, of course, may range from the Greek philosopher to university programs, but hopefully, they will catch the wind and understand the topic of the class right away. In case no one predicts this mysterious plan, say that SOCRATES is a method of taking patient history. Ask students to refresh their university memory and tell you what each letter stands for. You may want to ask them if they have a similar mnemonic in their native languages that helps them remember the order of taking patient history.
Explanation: What SOCRATES stands for
Naturally, I wasn’t aware of this method and only found out about it when I watched a video Using SOCRATES in History Taking by Geeky Medics. It’s a video presentation, which is a bit too long to use in its entirety in the class, but it is definitely worth giving a watch in your (or their) free time. I used it to explain the meaning of each letter and also took some of the phrases that can asked while taking patient history.
Socrates stands for Site, Onset, Character, Radiation, Associated symptoms, Timing, Exacerbating and relieving factors and Severity. Some of these points may contain words which are new to the students, therefore match each phrase to the meaning to clarify any doubts, for example, onset or exacerbating.
Pair Speaking: Sharing Personal Experiences
Finish this part of the class with a short pair or group discussion to get students’ personal experiences with taking a patient history and whether they follow SOCRATES, or maybe use another method during this part of the examination.
Dialogue: Doctor – Patient Conversation
Finally, show a dialogue (nicely created by ChatGPT) between a doctor and a patient. Students read it and identify different stages of SOCRATES and the questions used in each part. I was content when I saw that ChatGPT decided to create a fictional problem containing a headache, as both of my doctor students are neurologists, and I knew that this was something they were familiar with. As usually happens with AI, I needed to polish this dialogue and make it sound more human-like. Even though it was created by software, I can assure you that it’s more natural than any instructional video I found online!
Review: Language and Categorisation
Elicit the answers by showing the sentences in a table divided into eight stages of history taking. Ask students to put words in order in five more sentences and place each one in the right category. This is a perfect moment to review the word order in questions and make sure that everyone feels comfortable asking questions in English. Finish this part by eliciting some other questions that students often ask in their offices and the category they fall into.
Role-Play: Taking Patient History
Finish the class by putting students into pairs. In the first role-play, Student A is a doctor taking patient history. Student B is a male patient in his early 30s who came to the doctor’s office with an itchy rash. Student A follows SOCRATES and learns about the patient’s problem. Afterwards, swap the roles. This time, Student B is a doctor, and Student A is an 18-year-old patient with dull abdominal pain. Finish this class by stating what examination students would recommend to each patient and what they suspect the problem may be.
As I said a few posts before, I started opening up to role-plays, and nowadays I add them more and more into my lessons. I hope that you enjoy this style of class! Click the links below to get the presentation, the worksheet, and the teacher’s notes for your doctor students.
Do you have any doctor students? What profession do you encounter the most in your lessons? What kind of classes do you prepare for them?
This is great Joanna, thanks for sharing!
This lesson plan on taking patient history using the SOCRATES method is a great way to engage medical students. It combines theory with practice through discussions, role-plays, and real-world applications, making it easier for students to grasp the importance of asking detailed questions. The use of ChatGPT to create realistic dialogues and scenarios further enhances the learning experience.(Credentialing Services)