Science and Practice of Medicine 100
Isidore Cohn, Jr., M.D. Student Learning Center

Overview of Freshman Physical Exam Sessions

     These sessions are designed for students to learn the basic techniques of physical examination.  The physical examination is broken down into parts (e.g., heart/lung, head and neck, abdomen). In each session the exam will be demonstrated by an instructor.  Immediately after each part is demonstrated students will practice the techniques on their colleagues.  Learning objectives have been developed for each session.  These are listed below along with the reading from Bates textbook.   These sessions are designed to be short, but there is a lot of information to cover.  It is important for students to do the reading prior to class and to arrive on time.

     These sessions will be held in the Isidore Cohn Student Learning Center(see the master schedule for specific room assignments).  Students should bring Bates' textbook with them to each session.  Exam tools (stethoscope, oto-ophthalmoscope, reflex, hammer, etc.) should be brought to the appropriate sessions.  Students should be prepared to perform parts of the exam by doing the assigned reading from Bates' textbook prior to each session.  Students must also view the video for each session before coming to class. Students should also dress so that the exam can easily be performed on them by one of their colleagues (shorts and tee shirt for men; shorts, tee shirt, and jog bra or bathing suit top for women).  Exam gowns will be provided for heart/lung and abdominal exam sessions.

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