Medical students' abilities to take an occupational history: Use of the WHACS mnemonic

This study examined medical students' use of the WHACS mnemonic during an o ccupational history objective structured clinical examination station. Stud ents' performance on the 10 content-specific station items was calculated. Factor analysis of the items was conducted and student demographic and acad emic characteristics associated with performance on the station we-re exami ned. A total of 205 students completed the station, The mean number of corr ect responses was 5 (SD, 1.6), Students performed well on some items and le ss well on others. Factor analysis supported the WHACS framework. There wer e no significant associations with student demographic or academic characte ristics, Students were aware of the particular features of an occupational history but were deficient in other areas; this awareness was not related t o demographic or academic characteristics. The WHACS mnemonic could be an e ffective tool to teach occupational history-taking skills.