Students will learn essential techniques and specific tests that can be easily performed in the clinic, at home or in the field to assist in physical assessment of critical injury and illness:

• Musculoskeletal (tests for knee, ankle, shoulder, back, elbow and general extremity injuries)

• Respiratory (stethoscope use and breath sounds)

• Cardiovascular (stethoscope use and heart sounds)

• Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat (including otoscope and ophthalmoscope use), introduction to tongue diagnosis

• Skin, hair and nails (to include fingernail abnormalities as an assessment tool)

• Abdomen (including palpation and auscultation)

• Nervous system (mental status, behavior, head injury, stroke assessment, motor reflexes and sensory system)