Talking with the patient

How to present a patient on rounds

Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.

MD / DOPA
Practice it in VR with Blocky

A clear presentation helps the team make fast, safe decisions. Practice keeps it short and organized.

Step by step

  1. Open with a one-liner

    Give age, key history, reason for admission and hospital day. [1]

  2. Overnight events and symptoms

    Say what happened overnight and how the patient feels today. [1]

  3. Vital signs and exam

    Focus on findings that changed or that matter for the plan. [1]

  4. Key results

    Give new lab and imaging results and their trends. [1]

  5. Assessment and plan by problem

    Start with the most important problem and give your own plan for each. [1]

  6. Close with discharge planning

    Say what is needed before the patient can go home. [1]

  7. Keep it short

    Aim for about 2 to 3 minutes for a follow-up patient and adapt to the team's style. [1]

Common errors

Practice it in VMS

In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.

Sources

  1. AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)
  2. AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit (Teach-Back)

Facts and steps follow AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs); AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit (Teach-Back). VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.