title: Student observations and ratings of preceptor's interactions with patients: the hidden curriculum.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Professional values and behavior are conveyed to students through both formal and informal curricular activities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study examined 1st-year students' observations of community-based physicians' behaviors during a community-based clinical experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  First-year students completed a 14-item instrument regarding their community-based physicians' behavior with patients. Responses were on a 5-point scale (1 = never, 5 = all of the time). Descriptive statistics were computed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  119 students completed the instrument (87% response rate). Students rated aspects of physicians' demeanor with patients highest (mean ranges 4.7-4.57). The lowest rated item was the physician's view of his or her professional role (M = 3.39), eliciting patients' ideas about illness and treatment (M = 3.55), and modeling interviewing techniques learned in class (M = 3.71).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community-based physicians reinforce many professional values associated with positive role-modeling aspects of the physician-patient interaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA. thiedkcc@musc.edu
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thiedke
authors.forename: Amy V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Blue
authors.forename: Alexander W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Chessman
authors.forename: Albert H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mallin
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States