Core Clinical Skills

[ambulancedriver]

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Hi. I posted this in the residency forum (assuming all the MDs went there), but didn't get a response.

I would like to know what clinical skills all MDs (or DOs) possess by the time they graduate from medical school (regardless of specialty). Theoretically, what should all doctors be able to do assuming they graduated from a U.S. medical school?

Thanks for any responses.

 

[Seaglass]

At Penn State students must be able to draw ABG's, do rectal exams, pelvic exams and paps, venepuncture, place IV's, draw blood cultures, perform an EKG, suture, gram stain, plaace NG/OG tubes, do throat swabs and surgical preps. While many students have opportunities to do other procedures they are not required. Many are required in residency depending on the program.

Casey
Penn State

 

[Winged Scapula]

umairfood...

Didn't see your post in the Gen Residency Forum...did you post it in one of the specialty forums?

At any rate, there is no nationwide standard for expected skills although I would agree with Casey that the things he lists are sort of considered minimums...would add urinary catheter insertion to that list as well.

 

[Rads Resident]

An often forgotten skill that sneaks up on interns/residents on their first night on call is to interpret basic findings on chest x-rays and abdominal & orthopedic films. Unfortunately, most med schools don't adequately teach this unless you rotate in radiology, but everyone needs to know it.

 

[Sheon]

Those skills sound about right, but they aren't universal.

At Downstate, when we do our fourth year sub-internships we are expected to perform any clinical skill that the interns perform (i.e., assisted surgeries, intubations, placement of central lines, etc.).

From what I have seen though, the only clinical skill that is universal is the physical/neurological examination. Some of incoming interns from other schools haven't done any of those things on that list. More than half of new interns have NEVER placed an IV and can't read a CXR.