Patient interview

How to take an occupational history

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

MD / DOPA
Practice it in VR with Blocky

Many lung, skin and hearing problems start at work. A few questions can find the cause.

Step by step

  1. Current and past jobs

    What they do, and past jobs with exposures. [1]

  2. Exposures

    Dust, chemicals, fumes, noise, vibration, heat, radiation, infections. [2]

  3. Protection

    Masks, gloves, hearing protection, ventilation. [2]

  4. Timing

    Symptoms better on weekends or holidays suggest a work cause. [2]

  5. Others affected

    Coworkers with similar symptoms. [2]

  6. Hobbies

    Woodwork, painting, birds, shooting. [2]

  7. Summarize

    Link exposures to symptoms and explain next steps. [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.

VMS cases that train this skill

Sources

  1. AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)
  2. NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint
  3. NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations

Facts and steps follow NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations; NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint; AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs). VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.