The 4^th Annual Stanford 25 Bedside Teaching Symposium, an annual event that brings medical educators from around the world together to foster clinical teaching skills, will be held at Berg Hall on September 7 and 8, 2018. Register here.

As Stanford 25 states, “We aim to build a sense of community among all those who attend and to increase both individual physical examination skills as well as the ability of those in attendance to teach and evaluate the clinical skills of their learners.”  They accomplish this We with lectures by expert clinicians, live demonstrations and hands-on workshops using both real and standardized patients. The content is aimed at early and mid-career physician educators, but would also be appropriate for chief residents and senior residents looking for a career in medical education. This year they’re also excited to offer a poster session for attendees to present research and clinical cases that are related to bedside medicine and physical examination.

One of the highlights of the symposium is the 5 Minute Bedside Moment, an opportunity to, as Poonam Hosamani, MD, puts it, "reframe the way we teach at the bedside into little units, what we like to describe as the basic teaching unit of medicine.” This is "a hands-on, collaborative setting for sharing tips to cultivate – and promote – a culture of bedside medicine."

This symposium, the 4th annual, will continue to build on the goals of the first: In this age of increased reliance on technology, how can health practitioners reconnect with their patients at the bedside? And how can medical educators promote a culture of hands-on medicine?

The demand has only increased during the four years that the symposium has operated. Physicians, residents, and nursing educators from around the world have attended the symposia, participating eagerly in discussions and voicing frustrations that the bedside is not emphasized as much as it should be. Practical as well as human concerns are at stake.

As Abraham Verghese, MD, MACP put it way back in 2010, "The irony is that these skills have been around for at least a hundred years. The problem is that they have fallen into disuse.”

Thanks to underwriters, there are limited $800 registration seats (STAP funds applicable). To request one of these seats, please email presence1@stanford.edu.