Preparing for the Clinics

Successful clinical students have utilized NMS, Appleton and Lange, "Crush the Boards", "Secrets for Step 2, "Wards and Boards", and other study/review resources to enhance their clinical knowledge, and to prepare them for NBME shelf examinations and the USMLE Step 2 examination.  These resources, in conjunction with outside reading about your patients and their diseases, provide students with an opportunity to increase and assess their basic clinical knowledge.  Some of the basic competencies expected of a medical student upon completion of their two years of clinical training are outlined below.

Basic Clinical Skill competencies include:

• The ability to obtain and record a complete and accurate history and performs a skillful examination appropriate to a variety of patient encounters.
• The ability to correctly determine whether to perform a comprehensive or suitably focused history and physical examination.
• The ability to correctly select, proficiently perform, and accurately interpret selected clinical procedures and laboratory tests.

Diagnosis, Management, Therapeutics and Prevention competencies:

• The ability to know and explain the scientific base for states of health and disease based upon current understanding and advances in basic science.
• The ability to use this information to diagnose, manage and present the common health problems of individuals, families, and communities.
• The ability to develop a problem list, differential diagnosis, seek additional information, choose and implement interventions, determine outcomes, educate patients about prevention, monitor progress, and make therapeutic adjustments as required.

Communication Skills competencies:

• The ability to listen attentively and communicate clearly with patients, families, and health care team members.
• The ability to establish the rapport necessary to form and maintain a physician/patient relationship.

Delbert D. Neis Clinical Skills Laboratory will be used throughout the first three years of medical school to develop your technical skills including physical exam review with emphasis on the abnormal HEENT, Cardiac and Murmurs, Pulmonary, GI, Neurologic, Extremeties, Sensitive exams and Comprehensive.  Additionally, you will learn to utilize the tools of the trade including Labs, EKG's, CXR's, ABG's, PFT's, IV insertion and Blood draws.

Here is a site designed for med students but helpful for anyone wishing to brush up on some common procedures: http://www.med.uottawa.ca/procedures/

There are some very useful books on how to be a third year clerk. Both can be found on Amazon. 

" 250 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make And How to Avoid 
Them" by Samir P. Desai and Rajani, M.D. Katta

" First Aid for the® Wards: Fourth Edition (First Aid Series)" by Tao Le

There is also a great FREE download: Primer to the Internal Medicine clerkships produced by the CDIM (clerkship directors in internal medicine) which really applies to most clerkships http://www.im.org/PUBLICATIONS/PHYSICIANSINTRAINING/Pages/Primer.aspx