Formulating clinical questions during community preceptorships: a first step in utilizing evidence-based medicine.

(Fam Med 2003;35(9):619-21.) Editor’s Note: In this month’s column, Alicia Dagli, MD, and colleagues from the University of Virginia discuss how to begin the practice of evidence-based medicine by generating appropriate clinical questions. They also give specific examples of questions submitted by students and community faculty during a second-year preceptorship. I welcome your comments about this feature, which is also published on the STFM Web site at www.stfm.org. I also encourage all predoctoral directors to make copies of this feature and distribute it to their preceptors (with the appropriate Family Medicine citation). Send your submissions to [email protected]. William Huang, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, 3701 Kirby, Suite 600, Houston, TX 77098-3915. 713-798-6271. Fax: 713798-7789. Submissions should be no longer than 3–4 double-spaced pages. References can be used but are not required. Count each table or figure as one page of text.