From http://www.lcme.org/stndtext.htm
"The faculty must participate in a process that defines the objectives of clinical education and establishes quantified criteria for the types of patients (real or simulated), the level of student responsibility, and the appropriate clinical settings necessary to accomplish these purposes. A system for monitoring the achievement of clinical educational goals must be developed, based on these criteria, and students must be evaluated in this framework. If the level or diversity of student interactions with patients does not meet the school-based criteria, specific mechanisms must be in place to adjust the criteria or to alter the educational program. Either may be done only within appropriate, documented means that ensure continued educational quality."
Recently added LCME requirements (the following annotation to standard ED-2 was approved by the LCME in June 2004, effective immediately) are listed here in italics with CWeblog responses and needs:
1. "Each course or clerkship that requires interaction with real or simulated patients should specify the numbers and kinds of patients that students must see in order to achieve the objectives of the learning experience. It is not sufficient simply to supply the number of patients students will work up in the inpatient and outpatient setting. The school should specify, for those courses and clerkships the major disease states/conditions that students are all expected to encounter." Comment: From its inception, CWeblog has been configured to meet this need.
2. "They should also specify the extent of student interaction with patients and the venue(s) in which the interactions will occur." Comment: After discussion with LCME site-visitors at their last site visit, we created this feature and can now document the extent of interaction: participated-in-care, teaching contact, or simulated patient.
3. "A corollary requirement of this standard
is that courses and clerkships will monitor
and verify, by appropriate means, the number
and variety of patient encounters in which
students participate, so that adjustments
can be made to ensure that all students
have the desired clinical experiences."
Robert Williams