Teaching Points In Medicine: When The Forest Gets Lost In The Trees

OVERVIEW

From the outside looking in, it can seem ridiculous how one could lose sight of the “bigger picture” in medicine. What is the ultimate goal? Caring for the health of the patient? Lets get serious! How hard is it to keep something so FUNDAMENTAL in mind?

It can be very common in medicine to lose site of the "forest from the trees" and truly miss the bigger picture. Quite often our training teaches us to pay attention to the details, and we can become lost in them! (source)
It can be very common in medicine to lose site of the “forest from the trees” and truly miss the bigger picture. Quite often our training teaches us to pay attention to the details, and we can become lost in them! (source)

The answer is that it can be MUCH EASIER then we all would like to admit. This page is dedicated to giving real-life examples of when this occurred, and explaining the conditions under which they occurred. The only way to prevent losing the forest in the future is to understand why it happened in the first place! And as the old saying goes: “A regular person learns from their own mistakes, while the wise man learns from the mistakes of others”.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD MEDICAL HISTORY

Teaching Point: Characterizing The Chief Complaint BEFORE The Workup

Teaching Point: Asking The Right Questions During When Taking The History

Teaching Point: Being Purposeful When Asking About A Patient’s Current Medications

THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD PHYSICAL EXAM

Teaching Point: Paying Attention To Physical Exam Findings

Teaching Point: Repeating The Physical Exam Yourself

THE IMPORTANCE BEING INTENTIONAL DURING SURGERY

Understanding The Utility/Limitations Of Tissue Biopsy

Not “Forcing” Things Into Place