Learning Objectives
The learning objectives for the UNC Medicine Clerkships (Inpatient and Outpatient) are based on the UNC SOM Competency Milestones. The abbreviations in parentheses below identify the Year 3 Competency Milestones that correspond to the clerkship objectives.
The overall goal of the UNC Inpatient Medicine Clerkship is to have all students develop a comprehensive approach to the evaluation and care of the adult medical patient. During the clerkship, students will continue to improve their ability to obtain, record, analyze and communicate clinical information. More specifically, it is expected that all students, by the end of the Inpatient Clerkship will be able:
- to obtain an accurate, comprehensive history from the patient (PC3A1)
- to perform a rational, thorough physical exam (PC3B1)
- to, when appropriate, focus the history and physical exam to the patient’s active issues (PC3A1, PC3B1)
- to order basic laboratory and radiologic studies as appropriate and to know how to interpret the results of these studies (MK3D2, PC3D1)
- to use information from the history, physical examination and initial laboratory data to create a problem list (PC3E1)
- to recognize and prioritize the issues in the problem list that need attention and to generate a differential diagnosis for each active problem (PC3E1)
- to use information from the history, physical examination and initial laboratory data, along with the problem list and differential diagnoses, to generate a patient-oriented assessment that includes a diagnostic and therapeutic plan for each of the patient’s active problems (MK3C1, PC3E1, PC3E2, PC3F1, PC3F2)
- to record in writing, and present orally, the results of the complete history and physical examination (including assessment and plan) in a systematic, concise and coherent manner (IC3A2, IC3A3)
- to use the medical literature to understand the natural history of diseases and to help plan therapy that addresses the pathophysiology of these diseases (MK3B1)
- to integrate clinical reasoning skills with an ever increasing knowledge base
- to continue to develop and use the skills of self-directed learning (PR3J1, PR3K1, PR3K2, PR3K3)
- to have fun. You (the student) are embarking on a lifelong learning process. If you are not enjoying yourself, something is wrong. Please discuss your thoughts with your attending, your Advisor and/or with the Clerkship Director. We are all here to help.
The patients the students meet on the wards and in the clinics should be the focus for the development of these skills; the students’ contact with the patients is the center of the curriculum.
Students can monitor their progress by utilizing the RIME framework and by asking for formative evaluation from their residents and attendings.