Tracking medical students' clinical experiences with a computerized medical records system

A fully computerized system for recording and reporting of medical students' patient contacts has been developed and successfully used in a high-volume outpatient practice. In contrast to previously described systems, the need for manual recording and/or entry of patient data has been eliminated by the use of an existing, integrated computerized medical records system. This makes possible the generation of frequent reports and timely review and adjustment of student experiences. The system has broad applicability and may also be useful for research in medical education.