title: What is a clinical pearl and what is its role in medical education?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the advent of evidence-based medicine, clinical pearls, verbal and published, remain a popular and important part of medical education.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to establish a definition of a clinical pearl and to determine criteria for an educationally sound clinical pearl.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors searched the Medline database for material dealing with clinical pearls, examined and discussed the information found, and formulated a consensus opinion regarding the definition and criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinical pearls are best defined as small bits of free standing, clinically relevant information based on experience or observation. They are part of the vast domain of experience-based medicine, and can be helpful in dealing with clinical problems for which controlled data do not exist.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While there are no universally accepted criteria for preparing or evaluating a clinical pearl, we propose some rational guidelines for both.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. mlorin@bcm.edu
authors.forename: Martin I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Lorin
authors.forename: Debra L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Palazzi
authors.forename: Teri L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D015510:Clinical Medicine / Q000193:education*; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*