How to teach clinical medicine – lessons learned by studying sore throats for...
35 years ago I started collecting data in a non-acute emergency room. Over approximately 3 months the residents enrolled slightly more than 300 patients into the initial sore throat study. Spending the...
View ArticleTable rounds prior to bedside rounds
For 30 years I have always conducted “table rounds” prior to seeing the patients. Many colleagues champion bedside rounds solely. While we each must find our most comfortable rounding style, I hope to...
View ArticlePresentation and consulting – what is the first sentence?
Today I spoke at the Canadian Rocky Mountain ACP chapters meeting. As usual I spoke on clinical reasoning. A colleague asked me about how learners should start their presentations. The questioner...
View ArticleTingling, weakness, fatigue and abnormal labs
70+ year old man with recent admission for pneumonia. Discharge on clindamycin and levofloxacin. Now with progressive weakness, fatigue, tingling and confusion. 142 98 12 256 2.5 32 1.4 6.5 albumin...
View ArticleThe answer – hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis and hypocalcemia
To recap the story: 70+ year old man with recent admission for pneumonia. Discharge on clindamycin and levofloxacin. Now with progressive weakness, fatigue, tingling and confusion. 142 98 12 256 2.5...
View ArticleA teaching secret #meded
Recently, I participated in a panel discussion. During the discussion I stressed the importance of humility in teaching. I challenged the teachers to ask their learners questions about the topic they...
View ArticleTips for clinician educators and aspiring clinicians
Charles Bukowski once said, “Wherever the crowd goes, run in the other direction. They’re always wrong.” How does one become a master? What process do we use to have the highest probability of...
View ArticleTips for clinician educators – practice your talks
This week I will give a talk on acid base and electrolyte disorders. I teach these subjects regularly, yet designing this talk has challenged my skills. My problem is the curse of knowledge. The...
View ArticleTip for those getting ready to start internship – focus on poopology
You read that right. Hospitalized patients often develop constipation. Almost every day on rounds, patients complain about their lack of movement. The best interns have a systematic approach...
View ArticleShow respect for how hard your interns and residents work
As we age, we look back and convince ourselves that we were better and worked harder than the current generation. Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal addressed this issue beautifully in an essay – The Great...
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