The medical record review and resident education

The purpose of this paper is to consider the medical record review in resident education. With data obtained from mother-infant pairs during the puerperium as an example, three possibilities for using this method are discussed: (a) as a means by which faculty and trainees, working together, could specify objectives relating to patient care and trainee competence; (b) as a tool in assessing both the clinical progress of trainees over time and the effectiveness of a teaching program; and (c) as a way of helping both faculty and trainees become more than expert "doers," that is knowledgeable physicians critically assessing the effects of medical science applied to the care of their patients.