Changing the Learning Objectives for Teaching Physical Examination at the Medical School Level

There have been several editorials1–3 lamenting the loss of physician physical examination skills. In two recent editorials in The American Journal of Medicine,2,3 it was pointed out that the information obtained from the physical examination is quite helpful in patient management, and the performance of a physical examination is generally welcomed by patient. Insterestingly, this decline in physical examination proficiency is not new and has been documented since the 1960s.1 Though much effort has been made to solve the problem, it still remains.