Clinical Skills Course Sequence in Block I

The Clinical Skills Program begins in fall semester of Block 1 with the Physician-Patient Relationship course. Students examine the patient-physician relationship from many perspectives as they read short stories, poems, and essays, and discuss them in small group sessions. Later in the first semester, students move on to interactional skills as they learn basic interviewing skills. They practice with simulated patients and review these interviews in small groups with experienced preceptors. Physical examination skills are introduced in the spring semester; once again, students work in small groups with experienced instructors as they practice physical examination skills on classmates. In addition to practicing on classmates, students interview and examine hospitalized patients under the supervision of a clinician. In summer semester, the focus shifts to special area skills as they learn to examine a newborn and a young child, to interview an adolescent and an elderly person, and to conduct an interview about a sexual concern. The format for the course in all three semesters is one of large group experiences (lectures) followed by hands-on experiences and small group discussions with faculty preceptors.