General inspection and vital signs
How to look a patient over from the bedside and record pulse, blood pressure, temperature, breathing, oxygen saturation and NEWS2.
Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026
Clinical examination
The order of the examination for each system and the exact way to present the findings aloud and in writing, with example reports.
Introduction
An examination is a routine you can repeat, followed by a short report that says what you found and what it means. This section teaches both halves for each system.
Each topic gives the order of the examination, the findings that matter, a spoken example and a written one, and the mistakes examiners see most often.
How to study clinical examination
Begin with general inspection and presenting a patient, then learn one system at a time and practise it aloud on a colleague.
Say the examination and the report out loud before you read the example. Time yourself: a good presentation is short, ordered and ends with a clear summary.
Practise with a partner and swap roles, so you also learn how it feels to be examined.
Contents by part
The topics below are in teaching order. Each part builds on the one before it.
- Starting every examination. The first look at the patient and the vital signs, plus how to turn findings into an oral or written report.
- Chest and circulation. The heart, the lungs and the peripheral vessels, including the diabetic foot.
- Abdomen, pelvis and groin. The abdomen, the genital and rectal examination, and the obstetric abdomen.
- Nervous system and mind. Cranial nerves, limbs, cerebellum and gait, and the mental state examination.
- Head, neck and special senses. The eye, the ear, nose and throat, the thyroid and the lymph nodes.
- Bones, joints, breast and children. Joint screening, breast examination, and the examination of the child and the newborn.
Topics
Presenting a patient: oral and written clinical reports
How to present a patient aloud and in writing: oral case presentations, ward-round and handover formats, and the admission and progress note.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Cardiovascular examination and how to present it
How to examine the heart and circulation at the bedside, and how to present the findings aloud and in the notes.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Respiratory examination and how to present it
A bedside guide to the respiratory examination: what to look for, what the signs mean, and how to present the findings.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Peripheral vascular and diabetic foot examination
How to examine the legs and feet for arterial, venous and neuropathic disease, and how to present the findings.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Abdominal examination and how to present it
A step-by-step abdominal examination for medical students: inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation, plus how to present the findings clearly.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026
Genitourinary and rectal examination
A bedside guide to the genitourinary and rectal examination: consent, chaperone, male and female external examination, speculum, digital rectal examination.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Obstetric abdominal examination and fetal assessment
How to examine a pregnant woman's abdomen, assess fetal lie, presentation and growth, and present the findings at antenatal visits.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Cranial nerve examination and how to present it
Cranial nerve examination at the bedside: how to test nerves I to XII and how to present what you find.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Motor, sensory and reflex examination of the limbs
How to examine strength, tone, reflexes, sensation and coordination in the limbs, interpret them and present the findings clearly.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Cerebellar examination, gait and neuro presentation
Cerebellar and gait examination at the bedside: test finger-nose, heel-shin and Romberg, and learn to present the findings clearly.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Mental state examination and how to present it
How to examine mental state at the bedside and present the findings clearly, including risk.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Eye examination: acuity, fields, pupils and fundoscopy
A bedside guide to the eye examination: visual acuity, colour vision, visual fields, pupils and fundoscopy, with what to look for and how to present it.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Ear, nose and throat examination and how to present it
Bedside ear, nose and throat examination: how to inspect, test, recognise the common abnormalities and present what you find.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Endocrine and thyroid examination and how to present it
A practical bedside guide to the endocrine and thyroid examination and to presenting normal, Graves and multinodular goitre findings clearly.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Lymph node and spleen examination
Step-by-step lymph node and spleen examination: node chains, technique, red flags, presentation of findings and when to investigate.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Musculoskeletal and joint examination: GALS and regional
Bedside GALS screen and regional joint examination for medical students, with look-feel-move, key special tests, and how to present the findings.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Breast examination and how to present it
How to carry out a breast examination step by step, including consent, chaperone use, lump description, presentation and example reports.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Paediatric examination: the child and the infant
How to examine a child or infant at the bedside, by age, and how to present the findings aloud and in the notes.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026Newborn examination: head to toe and how to report it
Head-to-toe newborn assessment within 72 hours and at 6-8 weeks: what to look for, what it means, and how to present the findings.Checked against sourcesVerified 31 October 2026