Physical Diagnosis and Community Practices (CM468)

Overview

Physical Diagnosis and Community Practice is a longitudinal, skills-based course designed for MD students. It introduces the principles and practice of clinical medicine with a strong foundation in medical history taking, physical examination techniques, and community-based patient engagement. Through an integration of clinical and community-based learning, students develop essential clinical competencies in line with concurrent system-based modules in the Foundations of Medical Knowledge phase.

Teaching method

The course employs lectures, hands-on skills labs, simulation-based education, and small-group teaching sessions. Students interact with faculty preceptors, senior medical students, and standardized patients to build real-world confidence in patient interaction and community health application

Learning objectives

• Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate professionalism and empathy in clinical and community encounters.
• Perform complete, patient-centered medical interviews and physical examinations.
• Incorporate pathophysiological understanding into clinical reasoning and decision-making.
• Identify and describe normal physical findings across all major systems.
• Recognize and interpret common symptoms and signs of disease in clinical and community settings.
• Effectively present clinical findings in written and oral formats.
• Understand and apply basic diagnostic approaches, treatment strategies, and prognosis considerations.

Lecture Learning Outcomes:

• Demonstrate knowledge of key history questions that aid diagnosis
• Understand which examination techniques confirm or exclude suspected diagnoses
• Identify appropriate ancillary laboratory and imaging investigations
• Demonstrate awareness of standard treatments and likely prognoses of common conditions

Lab Learning Outcomes:

• Take a structured patient history covering chief complaint, past medical and family history, social history, and medications
• Demonstrate examination skills and recognize expected normal findings for:
• Vital signs
• Head and neck structures (including eyes, ears, nose, throat)
• Heart and lungs
• Abdomen
• Peripheral vascular system

Course Structure by Week:

Assessment Strategy:

Recommended Resources:

📘 Mosby’s Guide to Physical Examination, 6th Ed. – Henry M. Seidel
📘 Physical Examination and Health Assessment, 3rd Ed. – Carolyn Jarvis
📘 Bates’ Guide to Physical Examination, 9th Ed. – Lynn Bickley
📘 Color Atlas and Text of Clinical Medicine, 3rd Ed. – Forbes & Jackson
📘 Differential Diagnosis of Common Complaints, 4th Ed. – Robert H. Seller