ABOUT CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL CONFERENCE AND ITS’ PRACTICE IN THE SCHOOL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, USM

The clinicopathological conference, popularly known as CPC primarily relies on case method of teaching medicine. It is a teaching tool that illustrates the logical, measured consideration of a differential diagnosis used to evaluate patients. The process involves case presentation, diagnostic data, discussion of differential diagnosis, logically narrowing the list to few selected probable diagnoses and eventually reaching a final diagnosis and its brief discussion. The idea was first practiced in Boston, back in 1900 by a Harvard internist, Dr. Richard C. Cabot who practiced this as an informal discussion session in his private office. Dr. Cabot incepted this from a resident, who in turn had received the idea from a roommate, primarily a law student.