Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, students should be able to:

• Obtain an accurate medical history that covers all essential parts of the medical history, including issues related to age, gender, ethnic and socioeconomic status.
• Perform a complete and focused system-specific physical examination, including a mental status examination.
• Establish effective therapeutic relationships with patients and their families.
• Communicate effectively, through both written as well as oral presentations, the pertinent findings (or absence of findings) for a specific patient's presentation.
• Outline a reasonable differential diagnosis and evaluation for a patient's chief complaint.
• Understand and put into practice the professional behavior and responsibilities expected of physicians, including the importance of patient confidentiality and medical ethics.
• Utilize lifelong self-directed learning in order to stay abreast of relevant scientific advances.