YSM CaseBook preface

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CaseBook Preface

Welcome to the Yale School of Medicine CaseBook. The overall goal of the CaseBook is to provide medical students with a simulated, accessible environment for learning and practicing core professional competencies independently or in groups.

Specific objectives for students using the CaseBook are to acquire competencies within the major learning areas.

Attitudes:Cases are written to model core attitudes shared by all physicians: (1) commitment to lifelong learning and teaching; (2) altruism; (3)professionalism (applying a set of highly developed competencies to serve humanity); and(4) respect for patient's autonomy, beliefs, preferences, and privacy.
Knowledge: Each case presents opportunities for acquiring knowledge from the following categories: (1) common symptoms and signs; (2) pathophysiology of disease; (3) diagnostic evaluation; and (4) treatment.
Skills: The principle skill areas written into cases are: (1) interview; (2) physical examination; (3) ordering and interpretation of diagnostic tests; (4) clinical reasoning; (5) clinical care; (6) independent learning.

The CaseBook is intended for use by students at all levels. The book is divided into Chapters that correspond to YSM courses or disciplines. Each Chapter is subdivided in turn into CaseLists that reflect major learning foci. Within each CaseList are a number of individual problem solving cases, representing specific clinically important topics.

The case format is the same throughout the CaseBook and consists of 7 principle areas, Introduction, Interview, Physical Examination, Test Results, Questions, Discussion, and References. Interactive self assessment questions are integrated into many of the cases.

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