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Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
MD Education

Patient-Centered Medical Care

Our graduates will demonstrate proficiency in the clinical skills and knowledge necessary to enter postgraduate medical education. They will apply their skills, knowledge and clinical evidence with attention to patients’ perspectives, needs, values and comfort.

Expand the entries below to learn more about benchmarks in these competencies.

 PCMC - 1

Elicit complete medical histories using hypothesis-driven questioning.

  • Does Not Meet: History-taking is disorganized or incomplete.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: History-taking is patient-centered, fairly organized, and partially complete.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark:History-taking is patient-centered, hypothesis-driven, and mostly complete. 
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: History-taking is patient-centered, hypothesis-driven, complete, and efficient, even for complex patients.
  • Aspirational Behavior: History-taking is patient-centered, hypothesis-driven, complete, and efficient for all patients, even for complex patients in challenging situations.

 PCMC - 2

Perform hypothesis-driven physical exam maneuvers correctly, with sensitivity to the patient’s needs. Identify and interpret normal and abnormal findings.

  • Does Not Meet: Physical exams are disorganized and incomplete, frequently show poor technique, or ignore patient needs. Cannot identify many normal and abnormal findings.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Physical examination is partially-hypothesis driven, usually attends to patient needs and mostly shows proper technique. Correctly identifies some normal findings.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark:Physical examination is hypothesis-driven, usually shows proper technique and attention to patient needs. Correctly identifies and interprets most normal and some abnormal findings.
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Physical examination is hypothesis-driven, uses proper technique and attends to patient needs, even for complex patients. Correctly identifies and interprets most normal and abnormal findings.
  • Aspirational Behavior: Physical examination is hypothesis-driven, with proper technique and attention to patient needs, even for complex patients or in challenging situations. Correctly identifies and interprets subtle normal and abnormal findings.

 PCMC - 3

Display clinical reasoning skills including an appropriate problem representation, differential diagnosis, and diagnostic justification.

  • Does Not Meet: Assessments and plans lack a problem representation, appropriate differential diagnosis, or diagnostic justification.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Assessments and plans include only a partial problem representation, differential diagnosis, and diagnostic justification.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark:Assessments and plans include a nearly complete problem representation, differential diagnosis, and diagnostic justification for straightforward cases.
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Assessments and plans include a complete problem representation, differential diagnosis, and diagnostic justification for complex cases. 
  • Aspirational Behavior: Assessments and plans include a complete problem representation, differential diagnosis, and diagnostic justification for complex cases in challenging circumstances.

 PCMC - 4

Determine and implement management plans for patient care informed by available evidence. 

  • Does Not Meet: The student consistently omits critical portions of the management plan or includes unnecessary or potentially harmful plans. 
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: The student includes some relevant patient management but is missing key aspects of the plan. No justification of plan is provided.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark: The student includes key management concepts while missing other less critical details of the plan. Plan is partially justified using available evidence. Begins to enter orders when appropriate.
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: The student conceptualizes the management plan including all key and most other details. Plan is well-justified using evidence. Developing proficiency with order writing in straightforward settings.
  • Aspirational Behavior: The student conceptualizes the management plan including key and other details, even in nuanced cases and justifies the plan with evidence. Able to enter detailed orders in a variety of settings.

 PCMC - 5

Demonstrate proficiency in navigating sources of patient and population health data and using emerging technologies to document, examine, and improve quality, equity, and value of health care. 

  • Does Not Meet: Unable to navigate sources of patient or population health data appropriately.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Begins to navigate the EHR and other sources of patient and population data to document and describe basic health care delivery.
  • Phase 2-3 Benchmark: Obtains most data required for patient care or population management using emerging technologies to document, examine, and improve the quality, equity, and value of health care.
  • Aspirational Behavior: Obtains data from available local, regional, and national data sources to develop and implement technology that improves quality, value, and equity in health care.

 PCMC - 6

Demonstrate evidence-based patient-centered counseling skills, including eliciting and incorporating patient preferences and addressing mis/disinformation.

  • Does Not Meet: Counseling is unclear and does not elicit or incorporate patient preferences. Includes factually incorrect statements.
  • Phase 1 Benchmark: Counseling is clear but incomplete and may include minor knowledge errors. Counseling partially elicits or incorporates patient preferences and does not confirm understanding.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark: Counseling is clear and factual, though content may be incomplete. Counseling elicits and incorporates patient preferences and partially confirms understanding. Makes attempts to address mis/disinformation.
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Counseling is clear, complete, and factual. Counseling elicits and incorporates patient preferences and confirms understanding. Uses evidence-based approaches to address mis/disinformation.
  • Aspirational Behavior: In challenging circumstances, counseling is clear, complete, and factual. Counseling elicits and incorporates patient preferences and confirms understanding. Uses evidence-based approaches to address mis/disinformation. 

 PCMC - 7
Demonstrate knowledge of and ability to perform select clinical procedures.

  • Does Not Meet - Phase 1 Benchmark: Is not expected to perform procedures.
  • Phase 2 Benchmark: Describes risks, benefits, indications, and contraindications of procedures. Can perform select procedures in simulated settings.
  • Phase 3 Benchmark: Describes risks, benefits, indications, and contraindications of procedures. Can perform select procedures in simulated settings and can anticipate and avoid potential errors.
  • Aspirational Behavior: Describes risks, benefits, indications, and contraindications of procedures. Can perform select procedures in clinical settings and can anticipate and avoid potential errors.