Promoting Fundamental Clinical Skills: A Competency-Based College Approach at the University of Washington

Goldstein E, MacLaren C, Smith S, et al. Acad Med 2005; 80:423-433

Overview: Fundamental clinical skills in undergraduate medical education appear to be declining over the past several years. This article focuses upon these concerns at the University of Washington School of Medicine by integrating a developmental curriculum that emphasizes bedside teaching and role modeling and focuses on enhancing fundamental clinical skills and professionalism.

Methodology: What is interesting is that the University of Washington curriculum identified the use of performance benchmarks as essential tools for producing desired learning outcomes. Benchmarks help the students to efficiently gather and thoroughly perform reliable and accurate patient histories and physical examinations and incorporate analytically sound clinical reasoning. Benchmarks also served as the basis for observation of student work and standardized evaluations.

Limitation(s): Not Applicable

Teaching/Learning Implication: The question becomes how can ACCP continuing medical education curriculum integrate benchmarks into our educational curriculum? Is this realistic?

For more information on this article, go to http://www.academicmedicine.org/cgi/content/abstract/80/5/423