The way we teach information-seeking skills

A problem-based approach has been introduced as part of a surgery clerkship, to teach medical students information-seeking skills. Students are given an assignment before an information search seminar, to work independently to resolve one of two patient problems and in the process record each step of their information seeking. Students answer questions about the patient's management on a card before the seminar. During the seminar the students report their competence on using medical information sources and are able to assess their own efficacy in comparison to an expert information seeker. Students have responded favourably to the seminars.