The oral case presentation: what internal medicine clinician-teachers expect from clinical clerks.
BACKGROUND
The oral case presentation (OCP) is a fundamental communication skill that frequently is taught as part of internal medicine clerkships. However, little is known about the optimal content for an OCP.


OBJECTIVE
We hypothesized that internal medicine clinician-teachers have common expectations regarding OCPs by 3rd-year medical students.


METHODS
We administered a 42-item survey to 136 internal medicine faculty members at 5 U.S. medical schools who spent at least 8 weeks as "ward attending" in the 2005-6 academic year, or spent at least 4 weeks as a "ward attending" and had an administrative role in medical education. We asked about the relative importance of 14 potential attributes in a 3rd-year medical student OCP using a 6-point Likert scale. We also asked about their expectations for the length of a new patient presentation. Mean responses from the 5 schools were compared using chi-squared, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and t testing, as appropriate.


RESULTS
We received 106 responses (78% response rate). Of our respondents, 45% were hospitalists and 80% self-identified as "clinician-educators." Some aspects of the OCP were rated as more important than others (p<.001) Six items, including aspects of the history of present illness, organization, and structuring the presentation to "make a case" were rated as important or very important by more than 70% of respondents. Fewer than 10% of respondents believed that inclusion of a complete review of systems or detailed family history were important. Few differences were seen between institutions. Faculty expected that OCPs should take 9.9±5.4 min, with faculty at one institution having significantly different expectations than all others (15.9±6.4 min vs. 7.8±2.8, p<.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Internal medicine clinician teachers from 5 U.S. medical schools share common expectations for OCPs.
Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA. erichgreenmd@gmail.com
Eric H
EH
Green
Linda
L
DeCherrie
Mark J
MJ
Fagan
Bradley A
BA
Sharpe
Warren
W
Hershman
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002982:Clinical Clerkship / Q000379:methods*; D003625:Data Collection; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods; D007858:Learning; D013060:Speech; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*