Profession
Med students weak on clinical skills
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Feb. 9, 2004
Many medical students are inadequately prepared for their clinical rotations, according to "Faculty and the Observation of Trainees' Clinical Skills: Problems and Opportunities" published in the January Academic Medicine.
They lack solid interviewing and physical exam skills, according to author Eric Holmboe, MD. Increased training on standardized patients is helpful, the article said, but nothing replaces working with real patients under direct faculty observation.
"Faculty are in the best position to document improvement over time and to certify trainees have attained sophisticated levels of skill in medical interviewing, physical examination and counseling. Unfortunately, current evidence suggests significant deficiencies in faculty direct observation evaluation skills," Dr. Holmboe said in his article.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/02/09/prbf0209.htm.
