Clinical Notebook

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Look it up. See it by age. 🦴
Search a presentation and get the differential laid out for peds, adults, and geriatrics — with your own notes and diagrams attached.
🔍 Search everything 6 presentations Red flags & DDx by age

Personal PA study aid — not clinical guidance. Verify against authoritative sources. In an emergency, call 911.

Presentations

History & SOAP Note
Your structured approach to taking and documenting a history
Top tip from your notes: ask one question at a time, and use sign-posting — give a heads up about why you're asking something that may not feel relevant, and confirm it's okay.
S — Subjective
ComponentWhat to capture
IDIdentify the patient
CCChief complaint — what they present with
HPIHistory of presenting illness — use OLDCARTS (below)
PMHxPast medical history — current vs past
PSHxPast surgical history
MedsNot just prescribed: vitamins (unregulated), OTC, nutraceuticals, nasal spray, eye drops, creatine. Confirm dose / frequency / route.
AllergiesAsk what happens if they consume it. Food, meds, environment, latex, metal, contrast. NKDA = no known drug allergies.
SocHxJob, who lives at home, alcohol, marijuana, smoking, IV drugs, sexual health (active + protection), travel.
FHxRelevant family history, parents / sibling history. A moment for empathy — no timeline on grief.
FIFEFeelings · Ideas · Function · Expectations
ROSReview of systems — sleep, eating, other pains, vision / dental, exercise changes
OLDCARTS — for the HPI
Onset — acute vs chronic  ·  Location — narrow it down  ·  Duration — continuous / intermittent
Character — "tell me about the pain" (dull, stabbing, throbbing, sharp)
Aggravating / alleviating — tried what? pressure, medication, movement?
Radiation — does it shoot anywhere?  ·  Timing — time of day, worse over time?
Severity — 0–10 scale, impact on function
Useful framing: "Why didn't you come 3 months ago — why did you come now?" It surfaces what's really driving the visit.
O — Objective (vitals)
VitalNotes / normal
TOral, rectal (peds), tympanic, temporal, axillary. >37.9 °C = fever
HRRadial, 60–100 bpm. >100 = tachycardia. 15s ×4 or 30s ×2; if irregular do full 60s. Don't use thumb.
RR12–20 breaths/min
BPSeated 5 min before; arm at heart level; cuff 2.5 cm above elbow. Pump 30 mmHg above where radial pulse vanishes; first sound = systolic, sound stops = diastolic.
SpO₂80–100 (restrictive ~>90)
Ht / WtCrucial in peds (dose-dependent)
Stethoscope: diaphragm = respiratory / high-frequency; bell = low-frequency.
A — Assessment
Rule out systemic causes with your sieve → Differentials
P — Plan
#Step
1Patient education
2Imaging — X-ray, U/S
3Blood work / labs
4Rx — practitioner, rest, ice; med __ mg q6–8h PRN
5F/U — follow up
6Red flags — "if this happens… go to emerg or come back"
📁 Your uploaded notes
Physical Exam Checklists
From your OSCE checklists — tap a box to track practice
Vital Sign Assessment
Preparation
Washes hands before the examination
Introduces self & verifies patient identity
Explains the procedure to the patient
Temperature
Selects appropriate device & records findings
Pulse
Locates radial pulse; counts 30s ×2 (or 60s); notes rhythm & strength
Respiratory Rate
Observes chest rise while pretending to take pulse; counts 30s ×2
Blood Pressure
Arm at heart level; correct cuff; locates brachial artery
Inflates 20–30 mmHg above systolic; deflates slowly for Korotkoff sounds; records
Post-Procedure
Explains results; washes hands; documents all vitals accurately
HEENT Exam
Head
Inspect: hair loss, texture, skin changes · Palpate: tenderness, masses
Eyes
Inspect bilaterally; periorbital swelling, erythema, ecchymosis
eyelids: lash distribution, hordeolum (stye)
Conjunctivae & sclera; visual acuity & fields; EOM (H pattern); pupillary response
Ophthalmoscopy — evaluate fundi
red light reflex = back of eye
Ears · RF: mastoiditis
Inspect external ear; palpate tragus/pinna/mastoid; otoscope (TM)
Special: whispered test; Weber & Rinne (air vs bone)
Nose · RF: epistaxis
External & internal (otoscope): polyps, turbinate, obstruction
posterior bleed can be fatal — may drip down throat
Palpate maxillary (cheeks) & frontal (above eyebrows) sinuses
Mouth / Throat · RF: peritonsillar abscess, epiglottitis
Inspect lips, teeth, tongue, tonsils, uvula, palate; palpate TMJ, glands
Thyroid / Neck
Palpate thyroid while swallowing; cervical nodes
fixed + painless node = concern for cancer
Auscultate for bruits
whoosh = partial carotid obstruction
📁 Your uploaded notes
Differential Builder
Your "surgical sieve" — run any presentation through these so you don't miss one

Personal PA study aid — not clinical guidance. Verify against authoritative sources. In an emergency, call 911.

VINDICATE (from your SOAP assessment notes). Tap any branch for the prompt and worked examples.
📁 Your uploaded notes
Medical Terminology
Break any term into prefix · root · suffix
Build a term: Peri / cardi / um → Peri- (around) + cardi (heart) + -um (structure) = the structure around the heart.
Prefixes
PrefixMeaningExample
Intra-Within, insideIntravenous
Inter-Between, amongIntercostal
Sub-Under, belowSubcutaneous
Supra-Above, beyondSupraventricular
Uni- / Bi- / Tri-One / two / threeUnilateral, bicornuate, triceps
Multi- / Pan-Many / allMultifocal pneumonia
Dys-Painful, difficult, abnormalDyspnea
Eu-Good, normalEupnea
Mal-Bad, poorMalnutrition
A-, An-Without, lack ofAseptic
Auto-SelfAutograft
Micro- / Macro-Small / largeMicrocephaly, macrocephaly
Hyper- / Hypo-High / low (vs normal)Hyper-/hypothyroidism
Pre- / Post-Before / afterPrenatal, postnatal
Peri-Around, surroundingPericardium
Para-Beside, nearParathyroid
Ecto- / Endo-Outside / withinEctopic, endocrine
Epi-On, upon, nearEpicardium
Hemi-HalfHemiplegia
Mono- / Poly-One / manyPolycystic
Tachy- / Brady-Fast / slowTachycardia, bradycardia
Trans-Across, throughTransdermal
Leuk- / Eryth- / Cyan-White / red / blueLeukocytes, erythrocytosis, cyanosis
Echo-Ultrasonic wavesEchocardiogram
Root Words
RootMeaningExample
Cardi/oHeartCardiomyopathy
Dermat/oSkinDermatologist
Gastr/oStomachGastritis
Hemat/oBloodHematuria
Neur/oNerveNeuralgia
Oste/oBoneOsteotomy
Ophthalm/oEyeOphthalmology
Ren/oKidneyRenal colic
Pulmon/oLungPulmonary embolism
Psych/oMindPsychosis
Gynec/o · Andr/oFemale / maleGynecomastia, androgen
Hepat/oLiverHepatitis
Enter/oIntestineEnteritis
My/oMuscleMyalgia
Arthr/oJointArthralgia
Rhin/oNoseRhinoplasty
Hyster/o · Oophor/oUterus / ovaryHysterectomy, oophorectomy
Encephal/o · Cerebr/oBrain / cerebrumEncephalopathy
Onc/oTumor, massOncologist
Splen/o · Hepat/oSpleen / liverSplenomegaly
Tympan/o · myring/oEardrumMyringotomy
Acr/oExtremitiesAcromegaly
Directional — learn in contrasting pairs
TermMeaning
Anterior / PosteriorFront / back of body
Superior / InferiorUpper / lower
Lateral / MedialSide / middle
Proximal / DistalNear / far from torso or joint
Superficial / DeepNear / away from body surface
Suffixes
SuffixMeaningExample
-itisInflammationAppendicitis
-ectomySurgical removalAppendectomy
-ologyStudy ofNeurology
-emiaBlood conditionAnemia
-osisCondition (general)Neurosis
-pathyDisease, disorderNeuropathy
-scopyExaminationColonoscopy
-omaTumor, massLipoma
-gram, -graphyRecord, imageMammogram
-rrhage, -rrhagiaExcessive flowHemorrhage, menorrhagia
-rrheaFlow, dischargeRhinorrhea
-plastySurgical repairArthroplasty
-centesisPuncture to remove fluidParacentesis
-celeHernia, protrusionCystocele
-stomySurgical openingColostomy
-algia, -dyniaPainArthralgia
-rrhaphySurgical suturingEnterorrhaphy
-megalyEnlargementHepatomegaly
-plegiaParalysisQuadriplegia
-lysisBreakdownHemolysis
-iasisPresence ofCholelithiasis
📁 Your uploaded notes
Eye / HEENT Clinical Pearls
Fundoscopy findings, conditions & the differentials you mapped

Personal PA study aid — not clinical guidance. Verify against authoritative sources. In an emergency, call 911.

🚨 Eye Emergencies — your red-flag list
  • Painful vision loss
  • Pain with movement
  • Sudden onset — "sudden is not good"
  • Any vision loss
  • Ecchymosis & swelling
  • Periorbital swelling → orbital cellulitis
Fundoscopy & Retinal Findings
FindingPoints to
Roth spotsInfective endocarditis
Papilledema↑ ICP, diabetes, brain tumour
Cotton wool spotsDiabetes
HyphemaBlood under the iris
Red light reflexConfirms clear path to back of eye
Eye Conditions Glossary
ConditionDescription
Subconjunctival hemorrhageBlood under conjunctiva — not concerning
Iritis / uveitisAutoimmune; painful
KeratitisInflammation of cornea
Hordeolum (stye) / ChalazionPainful / painless eyelid lump
Pterygium / PingueculaTriangular growth / yellowish bump on eye
PtosisDrooping eyelid
Miosis / MydriasisConstricted / dilated pupils
AnisocoriaUnequal pupils → congenital or brain bleed
Ectropion / EntropionEyelid turned out / in
Horner's syndromePtosis + miosis + anhidrosis
Vision Loss Differential
Painful
Painful vision loss
  • Uveitis / iritis
  • Ocular migraines
Painless
Painless vision loss
  • Open-angle glaucoma
  • Cataracts (uni)
  • Age-related macular degeneration
  • Diabetic neuropathy
  • Amaurosis fugax (uni)
Discharge: viral → viral Sx · bacterial → purulent · allergic → gritty, bilateral, watery. RAPD = swinging-light test. H-test = tracking / nystagmus.
📁 Your uploaded notes
Mnemonics & Frameworks
The memory scaffolds from your notes
OLDCARTS — HPI
Onset · Location · Duration · Character · Aggravating/alleviating · Radiation · Timing · Severity
FIFE — patient perspective
Feelings · Ideas · Function · Expectations
VINDICATE — differential sieve
Vascular · Infectious · Neoplastic · Degenerative · Idiopathic/Iatrogenic · Congenital · Autoimmune · Traumatic · Endocrine
SOAP — note structure
Subjective · Objective · Assessment · Plan
📁 Your uploaded notes
Calculators & Decision Tools 📊
Quick links to the MDCalc clinical calculators — each opens on MDCalc in a new tab. Always confirm criteria against the current source.
A starter set to grow into — the decision tools your rotations use most, drawn straight from the pharmacology dataset.
MDCalc tools
Pharmacology 💊
A searchable study scaffold of common meds — class, indications, contraindications, risks, and renal dosing.
⚠️ Study scaffold — not clinical guidance

Medications
📁 Your uploaded notes
Notes & Uploads 📝
This is your drop-off spot. Jot down ideas to improve the site, and hand off your OneNote exports — then forget about them. Every morning a little helper tidies everything up for you.
Last tidy — what changed
Last tidy: Sun 21 Jun 2026, 6:02 AM
Your inbox was empty — nothing new to tidy this time.
Your 6 AM helper runs every morning — this is what it did last time, plus anything worth your attention.
💡 Site improvement notes

Anything you wish worked differently, a presentation you want added, a typo you spotted — type it here. It saves automatically as you go, so you never lose a thought.

Saved
Saves straight into your notebook’s private storage (you’ll need your upload code, set below). Your saved notes stay in the notebook so you can reopen and read them anytime — on any device.
📥 Upload to the notebook’s inbox

Drop your OneNote exports or notes here from any computer — PDFs, Word docs, images, markdown. They land straight in the notebook’s shared inbox and get sorted automatically every morning at 6 AM. Nothing is saved to this device.

This is the private code the notebook’s owner gave you. It’s stored only on this device so you won’t need to type it again.
Pick where these notes belong so they show up on the right page. Not sure? Leave it on Unsorted — the 6 AM helper sorts it, or you can re-file it from the “Needs a home” tray below.
Drag & drop files here or browse your computer
    Files up to 25 MB each. Accepted: PDFs, Word docs, images, OneNote exports, and notes. Export per section as a PDF rather than the whole notebook at once — smaller files upload reliably and land on the right page.
    Big one-time import? Drop all your files into the local inbox/ folder and run the organizer — that path bypasses the 25 MB-per-file and daily upload limits and sorts everything in one pass.
    ✏️ My notes (write here)

    Write and keep typed study notes right on the site — like a OneNote page. Pick a section, give it a title, and type. It saves automatically into your private notebook so you can reopen it on any device.

    📤 How to export from OneNote
    ⚠️ Good things to know (gotchas)
    🌅 What happens at 6 AM

    Every morning at 6:00, a little helper wakes up and tidies your inbox for you — automatically, with nothing for you to click.

    • Your improvement notes get added to a running log, so all your ideas live in one tidy place.
    • Your OneNote files, images and PDFs get sorted by topic into neat folders.
    • Your library updates so everything is findable.

    That's the whole deal: you drop things in the inbox and forget them. You never have to file anything by hand.

    Calendar 📅
    Tap any day to add rotations, shifts, exams and deadlines — and colour-code them with the key up top. It saves to your private notebook, so it’s on every device. Later, it can fill itself in from your email each morning.
    How the auto-fill will work
    ✉️

    This works exactly like the 6 AM helper that tidies your notes — but for your schedule. Every morning a little helper wakes up, reads your email, and looks for anything with a date:

    • Rotation & clerkship schedules emailed by your program or preceptor.
    • Shift assignments and on-call changes.
    • Exam dates, quiz dates and assignment deadlines.
    • Appointments and meetings — anything with a day and time.

    It adds each one to this calendar for you. You just glance at it — no forwarding, no copy-paste, no typing dates in by hand.

    🔨 Turn it on (when you have this on your own computer)

    The auto-fill runs from your own computer, where your email and your notebook both live. Here’s the one-time setup — you only do this once.

    Not set up yet? That’s fine — the calendar above still works as a plain month view you can glance at. The auto-fill is an add-on you switch on whenever you’re ready.
    🔒 Your email stays private
    • The helper reads your email on your own computer — your messages are never uploaded anywhere or made public.
    • Only the event title and date land on the calendar (e.g. “Cardiology rotation starts” on a date). The email itself is not stored here.
    • It only ever reads mail to find dates — it never sends, replies to, or deletes anything.
    Publish to your own Cloudflare 🚀
    This whole site is just a folder of files that you own. You can put it online for free on your own Cloudflare account — no monthly fee, no credit card.
    📦 What you're uploading

    Upload the whole project folder — the index.html file plus its sub-folders (like organized/ and your assets). Cloudflare hosts it exactly as-is. Make sure index.html sits at the top level of the folder, not tucked inside another folder.

    🛠️ Publish it (no terminal needed)
    🌐 Add your own custom domain (optional)
    1. In the Cloudflare dashboard, open Workers & Pages and select your Pages project.
    2. Go to the Custom domains tab and click Set up a domain.
    3. Enter the domain/subdomain (e.g. www.example.com) and click Continue then Activate domain.
    4. If the domain is already on Cloudflare, the CNAME DNS record is created automatically — wait for status "Active".
    5. If not on Cloudflare: for a subdomain add a CNAME at your DNS host pointing to PROJECT-NAME.pages.dev; for an apex domain (example.com) first add the domain as a Cloudflare zone and point its nameservers to Cloudflare, then redo the steps.
    6. A free SSL certificate is issued automatically; the domain goes live once DNS propagates and status shows "Active".
    🆓 It's genuinely free

    Cloudflare Pages' free tier is ample for a tiny static site: unlimited bandwidth and requests, unlimited sites, free automatic SSL/HTTPS, and a free *.pages.dev subdomain. No credit card required.

    Free-plan limits (none of which matter for a small site): 500 deployments/month, and up to 1,000 files per drag-and-drop deploy, each file up to 25 MiB. Custom domains and certificates are free too.