During NAC-OSCE preparation, a common question that is often forgotten or overlooked when taking a patient's history of presenting illness (HPI) is what is generally referred to in medical school as the Déjà Vu Question.

What exactly is the Déjà Vu Question? Simply put, it is asking your patient if they have ever experienced their current symptom(s) before. The term Déjà Vu itself, is a French loanword meaning "already seen" or "seen before" and serves as an excellent mnemonic device for remembering to include the question in your HPI.

Asking your patient if they have experienced their present symptoms before will elicit a lot of information about your patient's condition and their feelings about it. If their symptoms are new, they will likely recognize fewer, intricate details about their symptoms and you'll need to inquire further, broadly, with very focused questions. However, if your patient has experienced these symptoms before, they will be able to offer insightful details about their condition and how it was managed and treated in the past, which means you can narrow the focus of your history.

This one question can change the entire course of your HPI in the NAC-OSCE and bring you closer to getting to the heart of the case faster. So, don't forget the Déjà Vu Question. It's a good one.

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