Teaching Medical Students to Write Proper Clinical Notes Using Expectancy-Value Theory

The importance and impact of teaching quality writing in medical school are discussed. A brief literature review of basic clinic note instruction to medical students then focuses on the author’s own instructional framework using expectancy-value theory. The course approach aligns with the theory by showing students the value of quality notes, as well as strives to build their confidence that they can be successful at basic clinical note writing. The institutional context of the course and its framework is detailed over its two-year run, with shared examples broken down over semesters. There is a discussion of resource utilization, such as note templates and basic note organization using the SOAP mnemonic, as well as the importance of student practice and faculty feedback. To test the hypothesis that student notes should improve with this teaching approach over time, an external peer review of student notes was performed. After a review of the results, ways to improve the instructional approach are discussed. Some key takeaways and reflections emphasize how integral writing is to medical training and practice.