Consensus on Physical Exam Maneuvers Taught During Undergraduate Medical Education: a Modified Delphi Approach

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Skills Assessment

Background:

• Lack of consensus on essential physical exam maneuvers for undergraduate medical education.
• Existing studies are limited by overrepresentation of internal medicine perspectives.
• Medical students need broad preparation across various specialties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reach consensus on core physical exam maneuvers for medical students.
• To define competencies required before and by the end of each required clerkship.
• To address the need for a balanced, multi-specialty approach to physical exam training.

Main Methods:

• Survey of faculty members from each required clerkship at the institution.
• Data collection focused on essential physical exam skills for each stage of training.
• Analysis to establish consensus on prioritized physical exam maneuvers.

Main Results:

• Identification of a prioritized list of physical exam maneuvers.
• Defined competencies for medical students at specific educational milestones.
• Established faculty consensus on essential skills across multiple specialties.

Conclusions:

• Provides a framework for standardizing physical exam education in undergraduate medical programs.
• Aims to ensure medical students are proficient in essential skills across diverse clinical settings.
• Highlights the importance of multi-specialty input for curriculum development.