Practice clinical skills

[Laureatebarrel]

Hi,
What is the best way to learn/practice clinical skills (H&P and taking notes)? I am not confident at all with what I have learned, partly because I often sacrificed it for other more important classes but also because the information presented in school was very fragmented. I am looking for: resources used (books, good video demonstrations, etc.), methods, and other tips.
P/S: second semester MSI, with a cumulative clinical exam creeping up soon.

Thanks,
L.

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[GatorsKW14]

I just practice with another student. I have them come up with any sort of complaint and I go through the history and exam as I would with a standardized patient. A hands on approach is best because you can look at videos all day long and still not be comfortable asking questions, doing an exam, etc. My school uses Seidel's physical examination book and I think it is helpful.

 

[Ischemia1032]

Gators has a good point. I know one of my friend's medical schools had a Diagnostic club. Literally it was (the majority of med students) got together, they had listed their names and if they were "normal" or not for each organ system. If you had any pathology, particularly rare pathology, you listed it. They would call up names and everyone would get to do a H&P as if they were a patient and "locate" the pathology, they were not told the pathology, but at the end they were. It was an interesting idea, they typically broke up into groups of no more then 10, and each session lasted 1-3 hours and was on the weekend. I think a lot of medical students could benefit from a similar application.

 

[christmasindr]

Not sure how much time you have, but if you have a student-run-clinic where you get to interview patient/do PE, I encourage you to go. You get to help someone and practice clinical skills in the real world.

 

[HooliganSnail]

Not sure how much time you have, but if you have a student-run-clinic where you get to interview patient/do PE, I encourage you to go. You get to help someone and practice clinical skills in the real world.

I remember the feeling....

The best way to practice is to actually PRACTICE on a real human being. Unfortunatly, as a pre-clerkship student you are pretty much forbidden from stepping inside the hospital.

Worry not however, those practical tests are designed for you to pass, and they know that you have little to no experience doing actual physical exam.

Your skills will develop quickly as you go through clerkship, internship, and residency. I imagine that if I took one of those practicals with the way I really do an H/P, I would probably get marked down a ton.