My acronym vocabulary has increased exponentially in medical school. It's a very useful way to condense information. Whether it's a differential for cough, ACS management, or indications for dialysis, acronyms function as the skeleton for a given body of information. The issue with acronyms, however is that we can become so focused on remembering what each individual letter stands for that we sometimes forget to look beyond the memory tool. After all, the mind guides the eyes, and it becomes difficult to properly observe a patient when there's a page from T-notes - real or imagined - between me and them.
About fifteen years ago, a course was started at Yale University aimed at teaching medical students to discover the art of observation by, well, observing art, or more specifically, the people depicted in classical works at the Center for British Art. The goal was to teach medical students to just look, and that in looking, picking up on cues in the patient's appearance and their environment, a diagnostic answer can often be seen. This selective has been a reminder to look, and to look closely. Although I can always rely on T-Notes for my acronyms, I will only be able to put the whole picture together by carefully observing the patient.
-Sarah
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