Teaching Materials
Annotated Outline of the Neurologic Work-up
During my first rotation as a senior neurology resident in 1998, a student asked me how to perform and document a neurological work-up. I had a lot to say. As a medical student, I had struggled with the major elements of the “H&P”. How should I organize the History section? What was this “discussion of pathophysiology” I was supposed to include in the Assessment section? Then over time I gathered a body of suggestions, heuristics, and practical tips from attendings and senior residents, and after a while it started to make sense. I spent an hour explaining my approach to that medical student. And an hour to the second student who asked the same question the next day. When the third student asked me, I decided to write it all down.
The result was the Annotated Outline of the Neurologic Work-up. It is an informal and incomplete pastiche of an oral tradition. There are books that address this topic properly. But the Annotated Neurologic H&P became very popular with medical students, and was eventually included in the standard materials given to 3rd year students as they started their Neurology Clerkship.
Coma Exam Guide
Similar story, leading to a (much briefer) document that has practical tips for performing the coma exam.
Pietro Mazzoni 