Stanford Medicine 25

01/22/2026

Along with Northwestern Center for Bedside Medicine, Stanford Medicine 25 is one of a few programs in the country that provides real-time assessment and feedback to clinicians during patient exams.

"The individuals who have better physical exam technique are much more likely to identify the findings that are present," says Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine's Brian Garibaldi.

Northwestern Medicine is reimagining the art and science of bedside care. In this episode, Brian Garibaldi, MD, the founding director of Northwestern Medicin...

01/13/2026

The thyroid exam is often the first step in diagnosing conditions like Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and goiters.

It's critical to inspect and palpate use finger pads, not tips, to feel for the isthmus and lobes. Once the landmarks are detected, ask the patient to swallow, ideally with water, and look for symmetry.

As most thyroids are small (15–20g), it's key to keep fingers close to the midline for accurate detection during the examination.

Learn more: https://stan.md/45N55mW

01/08/2026

During a plenary session at the Northwestern Center for Bedside Medicine First Annual Conference in Bedside Medicine, Stanford Medicine 25's Andrew Elder, president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, guided participants through his doctor's bag, pulling out items that are crucial to delivering comprehensive bedside skills and high-quality care for patients.

In addition to his medical tools, he emphasizes the importance of a smart phone, to stay current on research and the industry, and a watch, for accurate time keeping. The most simple item of all? A blank name badge, set as a reminder to introduce yourself, explain who you are and what your job is to each patient you encounter. It's also a reminder to personalize the patient and get to know them.

Med Journal 360 has more ➡️

During a plenary session at the First Annual Conference in Bedside Medicine, hosted by Northwestern Medicine and Brian T. Garibaldi, MD, Director of the Northwestern Center for Bedside Medicine, Andrew Elder, MBChB, president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, guided participants throu...

12/29/2025

Early signs of illness can be determined in newborns through social assessments. Facial expressions, eye movements and responses to stimuli can indicate if a baby is healthy. While conducting these exams, it is important to speak in soft tones and to smile to help the baby differentiate a friendly face from a foe.

Watch Stanford Medicine 25's Vinny Bhutani describe the evaluation process in this full YouTube video: https://bit.ly/4p2gxlz

12/23/2025

Nearly 60% of patients say they would consider switching doctors over poor communication. Medical students and clinicians can strengthen their interpersonal skills through conversational and generative AI.

"The era of AI is creating a viable pathway for healthcare professionals of all stripes to learn better ways to connect with patients and help improve outcomes," writes Jennifer Kolb of MedCity News.

Read more on the low-stakes, high-reward environment of AI training and how it can enhance physician-patient connection:

For healthcare facilities, AI-driven soft skill training is gaining traction in light of critical staffing shortages and the need for more emotionally intelligent personnel.

12/19/2025

Decreased bedside clinical skills lead to diagnostic error, poor clinical outcomes, increased health care costs and physician burnout. In the The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers provide strategies to reinvigorate the bedside encounter and empathetic care.

"The drift away from direct contact with patients contributes to a decrease in empathy on the part of medical students and residents and an increase in stress and burnout among practicing physicians. It also leads to a weakening of the doctor–patient relationship," write authors Brian Garibaldi of Northwestern University and Stephen Russell of UAB - The University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Visit https://bit.ly/4pyIIcV for more.

Bedside clinical skills have been diminished by an overreliance on technology. This article presents educational strategies for reinvigorating the bedside encounter and shows how much can be learne...

12/17/2025

Delivered with wit and emotion, Sumit Shah of Stanford Department of Medicine pulled on heartstrings in his telling of a remarkable patient and the connection they shared over basketball.

Watch his full Story Rounds talk:

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

12/16/2025

The reflex exam is a critical component of the neurological exam and can help distinguish between upper and lower motor neuron lesions.

Remember that reflexes are useful for the general internist to perform, but you can't evaluate them if you don't have a hammer, you don't use proper technique and you don't know what abnormalities to expect and what they mean.

Here, we review five deep tendon reflexes and several superficial and visceral reflexes: https://stan.md/48LoOnT

12/12/2025

Did you know that the tongue can reflect several underlying diagnoses, such as infections, nutritional deficiencies, malignancy and even neurological dysfunction?

In general, the tongue should be pink-red on dorsal and ventral surfaces and the ventral surface may have some visible vasculature. The tongue should have a rough dorsal surface (due to papillae), with no hairs, furrows or ulceration, and it should fit comfortably in the mouth with the tip against the lower incisors. Sublingual glands should not be displaced.

See more about the tongue physical exam in our guide, which also reviews clinical findings and conditions in tongue disease: https://stan.md/490IN3b

12/09/2025

Our colleagues at Stanford Department of Medicine recently shared a podcast with ophthalmologist, comedian and internet sensation, Will Flanary, also known as Dr. Glaucomflecken!

This deeply human conversation, led by Department of Medicine Chair Euan Ashley, dives deeper into the patient experience and why empathy, communication and humanity will define the future of care.

Stream it here:

Welcome to The Future of Medicine, a podcast from Stanford's Department of Medicine. We bring you into conversation with the thought leaders who are reshaping how we understand disease, deliver care, and imagine what's possible in human healt...

12/05/2025

Thanks to Northwestern Center for Bedside Medicine for hosting their fantastic Second Annual Conference in Bedside Medicine earlier in November in Chicago!

Our team relished the opportunity to connect with others who share our passion for bedside medicine while expanding our knowledge through plenary sessions, hands-on physical exam demos, observational skill development and more!

Society of Bedside Medicine

11/24/2025

Did you know that early indicators of child illness can be detected as a newborn? Assessing a newborn's social interaction can help determine abnormal responses, which may be a sign of concern. Stanford Medicine 25 demonstrates how to assess eye focus and concerntration, exam the mouth for abnormalities and more.

Visit https://bit.ly/4nUFAHA to view a full-video guide to the social assessment of the neonatal exam.