Abstracts From the Proceedings of the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM)

Abstract

The mission of Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM) is to promote excellence in medical student internal medicine education. The organization represents course directors, site directors, and program administrators. CDIM is a member of the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine, a consortium of five academically focused specialty organizations representing departments of internal medicine, at medical schools and teaching hospitals in the United States and Canada. At Academic Internal Medicine Week 2011 in Anaheim, California, CDIM held its annual meeting at which oral abstracts and posters were presented. Selected by the CDIM Research Committee, the abstracts highlight CDIM members’ innovation and careful appraisal of the medical student experience. Three abstracts address the changing climate in medical education by clarifying medical students’ clerkship experiences with hospitalists, assessing their role at medical emergencies, and presenting evidence that the physical examination is receiving less attention. Two abstracts address improving evaluation and feedback skills of the faculty and residents responsible for student teaching. Additional selected abstracts highlight curricular innovations including the use of game theory to teach students about cost, geriatrics home visits, and enhancement of the sub-internship. A novel clerkship was created to allow students’ exposure to continuity of care. Finally, clerkship administrators share an effective approach to enhance collaboration. These abstracts were identified by CDIM as the highest quality and most relevant for medical student educators and the readership of Teaching and Learning in Medicine.