How to Think Like a Doctor: Chief Complaint, Differential Diagnosis, and Pathophysiology Explained

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In this episode, I explain how every patient encounter begins with a chief complaint and develops into a differential diagnosis, grounded in a clear understanding of pathophysiology. Using edema as a case study, I’ll show you how Starling’s forces and systemic reasoning connect heart, liver, and kidney disease into one coherent clinical story.

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Chapters:

00:00 – Learning medicine’s two core ideas
00:46 – The “shotgun” mistake in differentials
02:05 – Every clinical vignette tells a story
03:22 – Defining the chief complaint
06:00 – Presentation, pathophysiology & natural history
08:00 – Risk factors vs pathophysiology
10:35 – Example: Edema & Starling’s forces explained

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