A comparison of two methods of introducing medical students to pediatric clinical evaluation

History-taking and physical examination techniques specific to clinical evaluation of the pediatric patient can be taught to medical students through a combination of audiovisual materials and limited bedside teaching sessions. In the study reported here, the authors found this combination of instructional methods to be at least as effective as and, in terms of faculty time, much more efficient than a preceptor-type model formerly used at the authors' school. Integration of this instruction into already existing physical examination courses, when student attention is particularly focused on understanding and refining clinical technique, is highly desirable. It also permits more time to be spent in disease-oriented teaching during the required clerkships than would be possible if basic techniques specific for the specialty area were not introduced until the beginning of each rotation.