Overall Goals
Patient Care
- To take complete histories in an efficient, respectful manner
- To perform thorough examinations in an efficient manner
- To think through and formulate possible differential diagnoses
- To develop an appropriate management plan; in appropriate circumstances initiate it
- To demonstrate appropriate hygiene by washing before and after every patient contact
Medical Knowledge
- To establish good reading habits early. Plan to read every day. Stick to your plan.
- To Apply your what you've read as you talk to, examine, diagnose and treat your patients.
- When you are exposed to a new diagnosis in a clinical situation, read about it as soon as possible.
Professionalism
- To treat patients with respect and compassion at all times
- To treat clinical and administrative staff with respect
- To treat medical students with respect and strive to create an atmosphere conducive to education
- To arrive on-time for clinical experiences
- To prepare in advance for surgical experiences
- To work to become part of the clinical team
- To work with the faculty, staff, fellow and other residents on the service to determine your responsibilities
- To remain flexible and offer to help out with the responsibilities of others when you can
- To remain visible and available to participate in clinical care throughout the clinical session. If you leave the clinical care area make sure that other members of the service know where you are and why
- To answer your pager within 10 minutes of being paged.
Interpersonal and Communications Skills
- communicate your name and role on the service to patients and their families.
- "Hello, I'm Dr. Resident, I'm a resident working with Dr. Attending today."
- present patients to the attending in a succinct but complete way
- maintain timely and legible medical records
- talk when you should be talking, listen when you should be listening
Practice Based Learning and Improvement
- learn to recognize feedback from faculty, fellows, fellow residents, patients and students
- accept that feedback constructively and work to improve based on it
- accept your role as a teacher as well as a learner. Work to educate students, fellow residents, faculty, staff and patients
Systems Based Practice
- work for the benefit of your patients to communicate with other health care provider
- act as an advocate for your patient within the health care system
- become aware of the costs of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Consider these costs as you recommend and prescribe these interventions.
In addition, to these goals please see the topic and level specific medical knowledge and patient care goals below.