Final answer:
The patient is in the prone position, which is a face-down orientation used in various medical examinations and procedures.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a patient is lying flat on the exam table faced down, with their head turned to one side and their arms placed at their sides or bent at the elbows, the position this describes is known as the prone position. This is a common orientation during specific physical examinations or surgical procedures. The term prone refers specifically to a face-down orientation as opposed to supine, which is used to describe a face-up orientation. Variations of body positions are standardized in the medical field to avoid confusion, always describing the standard anatomical position, regardless of the actual orientation of the body being described.