Excelling in the Clinic

Working in the outpatient clinic is a key training experience for medical students. When they arrive at the clinic, students may discover that their time on the inpatient wards does not necessarily prepare them to perform well in the outpatient setting. Everything is different in the clinic, from the nature and context of the patient encounter to the student’s role in note-writing, oral case presentation, and case discussion with the attending physician. The purpose of this book is to guide students as they transition to the world of 15-minute appointments, telemedicine, cyberchondriasis, motivational interviewing, shared medical appointments, and real-time informatics. The aim is to give students a clear understanding of their role in a variety of clinic settings, to evaluate and present their patients well, maximize learning, and provide excellent care for their patients. Excelling in the Clinic explains the process of becoming an effective, efficient, and scholarly worker in the primary care clinic.