How to make the most out of outpatient clinics as a medical student

Tip 1: Introduce yourself early

There are many ways to introduce yourself depending on how your timetable is arranged. One good way is to find the consultant in the hospital before clinic day. This is often easier for consultants on the ward or in theatres. If you’ve got some freedom in your timetable, you can associate yourself with the consultant and their team; I’ve always found that building this rapport leads to time better spent.

Another option is to go to outpatients before the clinic, find out which consultant is doing clinic and arrive early to introduce yourself before any patients arrive. The consultant can then arrange the clinic how they would like to. I’ve often found this means being allocated patients to independently interview and examine first, which is a very useful learning opportunity.

Tip 2: Read about common conditions before the clinic

We’ve all been there: The consultant asks you a question in front of the patient and you haven’t got a clue. Reading about common conditions before the clinic is really helpful in avoiding embarrassing moments and also in making the most out of the placement.

If you’re in a vascular clinic and you can show you understand the basics of claudication, you show the consultant you’re interested and can spend the same teaching time going through a formal examination, not something which is as easily picked up from a book. Clinical medicine handbooks are the perfect place to start when looking at what’s going to be common in clinics.

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