Medical Interview under the Supervision of Senior Physicians in the Outpatient Department by Medical Trainees Who Have Just Received Their Medical License

Abstract

All 11 1st-year medical trainees in 1999 participated in medical interview training in the outpatient department under the supervision of senior physicians. Interviews were to be done within 15 minutes. The training was completed when each trainee had interviewed an average of 10 patients. Approximately 70% of the chief complaints were common ones that the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine has recommended general internists master. Most trainees considered this training effective for learning to clarify the patient's reason for seeking care and for improving presentation skills. However, they considered the training ineffective for learning to judge the necessity of emergency care and for understanding the usefulness and limitations of laboratory data, electrocardiograms, and chest films.