Expectations for oral case presentations for clinical clerks: opinions of internal medicine clerkship directors.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the expectations of undergraduate internal medicine educators for oral case presentations (OCPs).


OBJECTIVE
We surveyed undergraduate internal medicine educational leaders to determine the degree to which they share the same expectations for oral case presentations.


METHODS
Participants were institutional members of the Clerkship Directors of Internal Medicine (CDIM).


METHODS
We included 20 questions relating to the OCP within the CDIM annual survey of its institutional members. We asked about the relative importance of specific attributes in a third-year medical student OCP of a new patient as well as its expected length. Percentage of respondents rating attributes as "very important" were compared using chi-squared analysis.


RESULTS
Survey response rate was 82/110 (75%). Some attributes were more often considered very important than others (p < .001). Eight items, including aspects of the history of present illness, organization, a directed physical exam, and a prioritized assessment and plan focused on the most important problems, were rated as very important by >50% of respondents. Respondents expected the OCP to last a median of 7 minutes.


CONCLUSIONS
Undergraduate internal medicine education leaders from a geographically diverse group of North American medical schools share common expectations for OCPs which can guide instruction and evaluation of this skill.
Green
Eric H
EH
Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. ergreen@montefiore.org
Durning
Steven J
SJ
DeCherrie
Linda
L
Fagan
Mark J
MJ
Sharpe
Bradley
B
Hershman
Warren
W
D002982:Clinical Clerkship / Q000592:standards*; D003625:Data Collection; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000592:standards*; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards*