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Patient interview

How to take a pediatric history

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

MD / DOPANursing (NCLEX)
Practice it in VR with Blocky

In children, the history comes mostly from parents or caregivers. Include the child when possible.

Step by step

  1. Introduce yourself to everyone

    Ask who is who and talk to the child at their level. [1]

  2. Presenting problem

    Same structure as adults, plus how the child is eating, drinking, peeing and playing. [2]

  3. Pregnancy and birth

    Pregnancy problems, gestational age, birth weight, newborn stay. [3]

  4. Growth and development

    Weight and height trend, milestones for age. [3]

  5. Feeding

    Breast or bottle, solids, diet. [3]

  6. Vaccines and medicines

    Vaccination record, allergies, medicines. [3]

  7. Family and social

    Who lives at home, daycare or school, smokers, safety. [3]

Common errors

Practice it in Making Synapses

In Making Synapses 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.

Making Synapses cases that train this skill

81 Making Synapses cases train this skill: open the case library

Sources

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

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