Know your structure
Have a mental map: reason for visit, history of present illness, psychiatric history, substance use, medical history and medications, family and social history, mental status, and safety.
Plan your safety questions
Decide in advance how you will ask about suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and harm to others, so the questions come naturally and directly.
Leave room to follow up
The most useful information often comes after “Tell me more about that.” Practice following the patient’s lead before returning to your structure.
Rehearse before the real thing
Practicing with simulated patients lets you try different phrasings and review what you missed — then check your approach with your preceptor.
Sim Ed Practice is an educational tool with fictional patients. It does not replace supervised clinical experience or provide medical advice.