So you would have all heard of the much loved SOCRATES (site, onset, character, radiation, associated symptoms, timing, exacerbating factors and severity) for pain. And it’s great right? When I first learnt it, I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread! However, during one dreary lunchtime teaching session back in the beginning of my clinicals, my renal consultant taught me something that revolutionised my medical career. I’d go so far to even say, it is the single most used tool of my medical career. And now, I’m going to share that with you!

General points to consider when presenting examination findings are to report all the positive findings and mention the important negatives (important signs that you looked for, but were not present). Follow these key 5 steps to nail presenting!

Firstly, what do we mean by “handover” or “present”? It is essentially the process by which you verbally convey important information about a patient to a colleague. So, how do we do this and what should we include? The usual framework used is: SBAR. S=situation, B=background, A=assessment and R=recommendation. This forms the basis for the 5 step approach to a good handover or presentation.

So, you’ve finally dragged yourself out to get onto the wards. But, 2 minutes in and you’re already thinking: “what an utter waste”. Sounds all too familiar, right? Well, hopefully we can change that. These are some tips to get the most out of ward time.