Case Reports

[Fitzpatrick]

Hey guys,

If I wanted to get some case reports as a preclinical student, how would I do that? So would I just email a prof in a field and ask to shadow him/her...and during that shadowing session tell them I want to help them write up a case report? How would that go about? Thanks guys!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Mr hawkings]

Hey guys,

If I wanted to get some case reports as a preclinical student, how would I do that? So would I just email a prof in a field and ask to shadow him/her...and during that shadowing session tell them I want to help them write up a case report? How would that go about? Thanks guys!!

First of all, the last thing you want to do is tell a prof that you want to shadow him/her for the purpose of writing a case report.
Secondly, you have to remember that for a case report to be published, the presentation of the disease in the patient has to be unique in some way. The likelyhood of you seeing something unique in a shadowing capacity are slim.
Infact, you would probably not know it unless the preceptor pointed it out to you that this is not the usual presentation. You would have a better chance during a clinical rotation.
Sorry for not having any good suggestion.

I do have a published case report. The only reason i even got to do it was that i worked in the lab that processed the sample from the patient. I remember asking my boss if the mode of transmision for this bug was normal. It was she who suggested writing a case report since that mode of transmision had never been recorded. So here was a case where none of the med students, residents or fellows that consulted on the case thought to write anything on it. In fact, i doubt if the med students were made aware of how unique the case was.

 

[thesauce]

Talk to pathology (I've found them to be the most interested/knowledgable/helpful) and ask if they've seen anything unique that they'd like help writing up. Should take a day of searching the literature and a day to write it up. Choose a journal, write it in the form specified, and submit. Good luck!

First of all, the last thing you want to do is tell a prof that you want to shadow him/her for the purpose of writing a case report.
Secondly, you have to remember that for a case report to be published, the presentation of the disease in the patient has to be unique in some way. The likelyhood of you seeing something unique in a shadowing capacity are slim.
Infact, you would probably not know it unless the preceptor pointed it out to you that this is not the usual presentation. You would have a better chance during a clinical rotation.
Sorry for not having any good suggestion.

I do have a published case report. The only reason i even got to do it was that i worked in the lab that processed the sample from the patient. I remember asking my boss if the mode of transmision for this bug was normal. It was she who suggested writing a case report since that mode of transmision had never been recorded. So here was a case where none of the med students, residents or fellows that consulted on the case thought to write anything on it. In fact, i doubt if the med students were made aware of how unique the case was.

 

[Fitzpatrick]

Do you mean I can just email them without any contacts, and straight up tell them I want to write a case report for them? And should I email the department? Or individual people? Thanks!

 

[thesauce]

Do you mean I can just email them without any contacts, and straight up tell them I want to write a case report for them? And should I email the department? Or individual people? Thanks!

Yes. I would just go visit them and express your interest. Some professors are more approachable than others, but I've had good luck. I recommend talking to them in person. Maybe arrange a meeting through their secretary. I didn't but I probably should have.

 

[OpalOnyx]

So I guess to do this - the student would have to have completed M2 (pathology, etc) courses?

 

[Mr hawkings]

So I guess to do this - the student would have to have completed M2 (pathology, etc) courses?

Not necesarily. You just have to hear someone say that a certain case is presenting in an abnormal way or recognize it yourself.

 

[OpalOnyx]

Not necesarily. You just have to hear someone say that a certain case is presenting in an abnormal way or recognize it yourself.

I meant to say... to go around asking pathology departments if they have abnormal cases to write reports about, shouldn't the student have actually completed pathology and all the other more clinically oriented M2 classes? Versus say an M1 student asking.

 

[thesauce]

I meant to say... to go around asking pathology departments if they have abnormal cases to write reports about, shouldn't the student have actually completed pathology and all the other more clinically oriented M2 classes? Versus say an M1 student asking.

Not necessarily. Just read up on that disease/disorder when they give you the case. The most important thing is to act enthusiastic about it and they'll be more likely to want to work with you. Good luck!

 

[OpalOnyx]

awesome. thanks guys!!

 

[Mr hawkings]

awesome. thanks guys!!

oh, one more thing.
Make sure you do an EXTENSIVE literature search to make sure that the presentation is indeeed unique or very rarely reported in that form if at all.

 

[OpalOnyx]

oh, one more thing.
Make sure you do an EXTENSIVE literature search to make sure that the presentation is indeeed unique or very rarely reported in that form if at all.

thanks, I don't know if I'll be able to find anything but if I do - I'll post an update!

 

[njbmd]

If I have a case report, the resident working on service with me has first choice in writing the case report. I don't generally give these to medical students and certainly they would not write up a case that I (or a resident)presented in conference (very unprofessional).

If there is extra research to be done, I leave it to the resident to assign that to a medical student at the resident's discretion. Some resident's are happy to have a medical student work with them but most are able to complete these without extra help.

Bottom line: The resident and not the attending should be your first contact. They are going to know what's available and what role a medical student could play in authorship of a case report.

 

[thesauce]

If I have a case report, the resident working on service with me has first choice in writing the case report. I don't generally give these to medical students and certainly they would not write up a case that I (or a resident)presented in conference (very unprofessional).

If there is extra research to be done, I leave it to the resident to assign that to a medical student at the resident's discretion. Some resident's are happy to have a medical student work with them but most are able to complete these without extra help.

Bottom line: The resident and not the attending should be your first contact. They are going to know what's available and what role a medical student could play in authorship of a case report.

This must be institution-specific. Our residents are very rarely involved in research and most have no desire to be. I've gotten my case reports directly from attendings and I had to explain what a case report was to one of the PGY2 residents while I was writing it up. I can't even imagine them being my first stop here.

It's very comforting to hear that not all institutions are like ours with regard to research (if you can call a case report that). I'm hoping to do my residency at a place which will be on the opposite end of the spectrum from what I'm currently experiencing.

 

[rachmoninov3]

research, research, research!!!!!

If you know of a unusual case, then look through the literature again and again, then talk to the attending. Most likely the resident will write the case and get second author, if you provide the literature searches, you might get last author.