Video

Like most family medicine teaching units, ours has video cameras in the examination rooms. There are a few reasons for this. The biggest is that the preceptors can sit in on what their learners are doing without being an obvious intrusion to the encounter. They sit in a separate room watching the video screen and listening then discuss the plan with us post interview. At the end of the encounter they can provide specific feedback on areas of strengths and weaknesses that the learner demonstrated.

The cameras can also record encounters. These can be used for the learner to review their own performance and reflect on their strengths and weaknesses. The recordings in my program are also shared with other residents who can help each other learn from good and bad aspects of the interviews. It's a rough time. You need to trust everyone else in the group reviewing your tape to be kind and helpful.

Yesterday, I had my first watched encounter. I didn't know it was going to happen. It was awkward when I discovered he'd been watching.

Especially as it was easily the least smooth encounter of the day. I didn't know enough about the presenting complaint to have a well organized approach to my interview or my examination.

The awkward part that I had blocked out until today though, was that after I had rolled over to examine the patient I said "I think the real reason I became a doctor was so I could use the rolly chairs."

So glad that was caught by my preceptor. Gah.

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