Impact of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians' clinical examination preparation on basic physician trainee assessment of jugular venous pressure

Abstract

Australian internal medicine trainees undergo intensive training in preparation for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) clinical examination. Trainees preparing for the 2013 RACP clinical examination assessed the jugular venous pressure (JVP) of patients, with central venous pressure monitoring in the intensive care unit before and after the exam. RACP clinical examination preparation was associated with improvements of trainees' ability to identify JVP that were not elevated, although the JVP examination was performed marginally as a diagnostic test. Ongoing training might further improve this skill.