Expectations for oral case presentations for clinical clerks: opinions of internal medicine clerkship directors.

Abstract

Little is known about the expectations of undergraduate internal medicine educators for oral case presentations (OCPs). We surveyed undergraduate internal medicine educational leaders to determine the degree to which they share the same expectations for oral case presentations. Participants were institutional members of the Clerkship Directors of Internal Medicine (CDIM). 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. 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. 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.