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Updated August 2013 This is a fun class. Just show up and enjoy it. It's good before the final clinical exam to practice doing a head to toe physical enough times that you have a script in your head you'll be able to use for the rest of your careers. It's also good to learn to think of this script in different chunks that can be executed in isolation. For example, you'll very rarely do a complete head to toe physical after this year, but you'll often want to do a cursory physical plus an involved physical of the system(s) related to the chief complaint.

Your grade is based on integrated M2 examinations, a cumulative final examination, and a practical exam. Lectures are mandatory. You can usually pass just by attending lectures and not reading anything; however Bates is a helpful textbook because it integrates a lot of subjects and shows you how your knowledge is applicable to clinical problems. "Pathophysiology for the Boards and Wards" is also great - it's an outline of clinical medicine that emphasizes physical findings. It's short and divided by organ system, so it can easily be read before each exam.a

From one student who received an "O" in 2012-2013:  it is generally sufficient to review Dr. Paluska, Dr. Park, and Dr. Woodward's slides without reviewing Bates; however, you will get so much more out of this class by reviewing the "pink text" in Bates and reviewing the end of the chapter tables with helpful information for clinical diagnosis. The guest lecturers are hit and miss. Also, the TAs write your examinations, so what the lecturers emphasize in class are not necessarily points that you will be tested on. Attend TA review sessions.