Staffing Template

Initial Template for Outpatient Staffing Encounters

  1. Before your clinic start time for patient care, you are expected to review each patient’s medical history, immunization records, health maintenance, problem list, recent visit notes, recent labs, recent imaging studies, and medication lists (see Chart Prep Cheat Sheet for tips on this). You should be prepared to discuss your recommendations for preventive health needs, monitoring of chronic conditions, and medication management needs with your teaching physician. For patients who are scheduled the day of the visit, you should review this data prior to entering the room to see the patient.

  1. Prior to staffing each patient, write down a single sentence summary of the patient and begin your presentation with this statement. With time you may progress to verbalizing this sentence to yourself before verbally presenting this sentence to supervising faculty.

i.e. “This is a 58 year old gentleman with ASCAD, COPD and HTN who is listed as a medication refill, but his primary concern today is that his wife is going to divorce him unless he seeks help for his alcohol abuse.”

OR “this is a 36 year old woman with psoriasis and seasonal allergies who was scheduled as a well woman exam, but we ended up focusing the visit on her three-day history of abdominal pain.”

  1. Prior to staffing each patient, write down (or clarify to yourself) a single sentence summary of what you need from the staffer. Follow your patient summary sentence (number 2 above) with a sentence articulating what you need from the staffer.

i.e. “I feel comfortable refilling her metformin, her statin, and her SSRI and I want to make sure she is on the appropriate hypertension regimen.”


OR “This child is well known to me and his developmental screens and immunizations are appropriate; I’d appreciate hearing your approach to discussing toilet training with parents at age 2.”


OR “I have a procedure and need you to supervise me. I [have/have not] done this procedure before and feel [comfortable/uncomfortable] with the steps involved. Would you like me to verbally go over the procedure now, before we enter the room?”

  1. Prior to staffing each patient, write down and/or intentionally think through a differential diagnosis list of at least three potential causes for the primary complaint, or any undifferentiated concerns of the patient. Be prepared to discuss your thought process regarding how you arrived at your differential diagnoses as well as your management plan. Include what sources you used to help you:

“I reviewed the JNC8 guidelines regarding hypertension goals for patients over 60, and I also looked at the UW Health guidelines regarding hypertensive management in patients over 60 and I’m not sure if I should add an additional agent to her regimen.”

  1. At the end of the clinic session, specifically ask the staffer what feedback they have for you regarding your utilization of medical resources, your presentations, your manner in the exam room, and your medical decision-making.