Stanford Medicine 25

04/22/2026

For those just discovering Stanford Medicine 25, a little background about us:

We believe that bedside examination skills play a critical role in patient care, but these proficiencies are frequently neglected in medical training.

Through our hands-on sessions for residents at Stanford and our online platforms, we aim to equip medical professionals with the expertise needed to excel in patient care.

After all, the essence of diagnosis and healing lies in the hands-on approach.

Learn more about us: https://stan.md/4skK8bC

04/20/2026

Years ago, Stanford Medicine 25 founder Abraham Verghese coined the term "iPatient" to describe a shift in focus away from direct patient care and toward data in the electronic health record.

As Stanford Medicine 25's Poonam Hosamani, Jeffrey Chi and colleagues Kevin Keet and Jason Hom describe in BMJ, the AI boom has brought us to the crossroads of another technical revolution.

"Artificial intelligence (AI) may finally address many challenges introduced by the EHR. … However, with history as our guide, we must also be watchful for unintended consequences upon learners," they write.

"Harkening back to Dr. Verghese's original warning, the risks to our trainees are not the tools meant to reduce clerical burden, but those that endanger clinical reasoning skills and provide the false impression that knowing the chart is equivalent to knowing the patient."

Read more: https://bit.ly/41KfAFd

04/17/2026

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the most common nerve entrapment syndrome, affecting 3.8% of the general population.

In carpal tunnel syndrome, increased pressure within the carpal tunnel compresses the median nerve, which leads to impaired blood flow, inflammation and ischemic nerve injury.

Visit https://stan.md/45iQbnE to explore Stanford Medicine 25's guide to the carpal tunnel exam, which describes proper inspection, the motor exam and several provocative maneuvers.

04/15/2026

Stanford Medicine 25 Team Spotlight: Errol Ozdalga

Errol Ozdalga is a clinical professor at Stanford, where he serves as Director of Stanford Medicine 25, overseeing our online presence and regular sessions for Stanford residents.

He is also a hospitalist, Director of Communications for Stanford Department of Medicine, and a co-director of the third-year medical student internal medicine clerkship.

His additional interests include the use of technology and social media to advance medical education and patient care.

04/06/2026

"Simply piling up scientific facts will not help you. You need more than that to care for your patients."

These are the wise words Texas-based hematology-oncology physician Fazlur Rahman recalls from his former professor, S. M. Rab, who taught Rahman about the art of medicine.

"You must learn to ask the right questions. And you must have a sense of your patients' lives. You cannot separate their ailments from their daily living," Rab told Rahman.

Read more about Rahman's lessons on medical humanities from the bedside in this essay on KevinMD.com:

A physician reflects on learning the art of medicine and clinical reasoning from a mentor who cured a severe panic attack with a simple paper bag.

03/24/2026

Stanford Medicine student Brian Smith is passionate about both the intellectual and human experience aspects of medicine. Through the Portrait Project, he sits down with patients to hear their stories and create art, leaving patients with a joyful keepsake and a memorable, one-on-one experience.

"Just being present and sitting down with a person can be day-changing or even life-changing," he says.

Medicine has been the way of connecting both of Brian Smith's passions. "With medicine I could have the intellectual curiosity, but also the chance to talk with people and enjoy the human experience."

03/16/2026

When liver disease is severe enough to cause cirrhosis, the increase in portal hypertension can lead to backup of flow through the liver. This may lead to fluid in the abdomen (ascites) and unique venous patterns on the abdomen that can vary depending on the diagnosis.

Visit https://stanford.io/4aQb918 for Stanford Medicine 25's guide, which outlines how to:
- Test for shifting dullness with ascites
- Test for a fluid wave
- Describe abdominal venous patterns

03/06/2026

Teaching the bedside ultrasound (POCUS) to the next generation of internists has the potential to standardize its use while bringing the internist back to the bedside.

While this tool is not a replacement for sonographic studies performed by radiologists or cardiologists, it can answer specific questions in real time.

In this guide, we review some basic aspects of the bedside exam and the ultrasound machines used: https://stan.md/4d1cwLI

03/04/2026

Bedside encounters should build trust, not check boxes. Fifty-six percent of doctors spend 16 minutes or less with patients.

"Twenty-first century physicians do a really good job of learning about medicine but fall short about learning about human understanding," says co-president of the Society of Bedside Medicine Stephen Russell. "The bedside is important because it brings doctors, patients and learners into one space at one time."

Starting with thoughtful observations and active listening before conducting a physical exam can go a long way toward building trust with patients.

Discover how to reclaim the art of bedside medicine and transform routine exams into meaningful clinical connections.

02/27/2026

The Ankle Brachial Index (ABI Test) is an important way to diagnose peripheral vascular disease and is a measure of ankle pressure divided by the pressure at the arm. The test is performed with a simple handheld Doppler and a blood pressure cuff, taking measurements at the ankle and arm.

Watch the demo here: https://bit.ly/4rB9p1z

02/27/2026

Visit https://stan.md/46ZQwfF for more Stanford Medicine 25 resources on the aortic exam, which include:

- An overview
- Tips for inspection and palpation
- Guidance on auscultation
- Other clinical exam findings
- Signs of heart failure
- Other causes of aortic regurgitation
- Evidence-based medicine insights
- Differential diagnoses

02/26/2026

Stanford Medicine 25 Team Spotlight: Andrew Elder

Andrew Elder was educated at The University of Edinburgh and has held a number of positions in undergraduate and postgraduate medical teaching and assessment at local and national levels.

Previously Chair of the Clinical Examining Board for the MRCP (UH) PACES examination, the largest international postgraduate clinical skills assessment in the world, he has personally taught or assessed bedside clinical skills in 20 countries.

He is an advocate for the need to ensure that the core bedside skills of communication, physical examination and clinical judgment remain central to the education and training of young doctors.

Since 2013, Elder has been part of the Stanford Medicine 25 Bedside Medicine Program and was the Shenson Visiting Professor in 2015.