Family medicine
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A recognized gap exists between primary care physicians' training in musculoskeletal (MSK) medicine and the burden of MSK complaints in primary care. Family medicine interns often lack adequate baseline MSK physical exam skills, which prompted a proposal to introduce a fourth-year preceptorship to reinforce MSK education. The aim of this study was to prioritize the most important elements to include in this new clinical rotation. ⋯ Longitudinal repetition of physical exam skills, reinforcement of relevant anatomy, and incorporation of specific frameworks for approaching MSK care are important components. Physical examination of the shoulder, knee, back, and hip are especially meaningful clinically.
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Many past studies have focused on uncertainty in medical practice, yet it is still not well understood in the field of family medicine, especially among residents. The aim of this study was to examine situations in which residents experience uncertainty and the coping strategies they use to deal with it. The results may have implications for advanced training programs and the specialist training in family medicine. ⋯ Family medicine residents experience uncertainty as an important part of their daily work. They do not necessarily interpret it as a negative phenomenon. Instead, uncertain situations often accompany learning effectiveness and an increase of self-confidence.
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Case reports are a popular publication type, especially for medical learners. They also are an excellent educational vehicle that can spark a long-term interest in scholarship for medical learners. To maximize publication potential, authors need a framework when writing a case report. ⋯ Case reports can be categorized according to their main contribution to the medical literature. Nearly 60% of all published case reports in this study were not published for the purpose of introducing a novel clinical entity. Instead, they were used as a vehicle to educate clinicians about previously described phenomena. Authors seeking to publish case reports should understand how the framing of their report is likely to influence their chances of being published.
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Black/African American medical professionals and students engage in patient-centered communication in ways that are not yet described in medical education literature. The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which Black/African American attending physicians, residents, and medical students enact patient-centered communication while interacting with their Black/African American patients. ⋯ This study suggests that Black/African American attending physicians, residents, and medical students approach communication from a personal and familial space in an effort to disrupt conventional modes of provider-patient communication that do not center the patient or consider the patient's cultural background.