MedicsWhat are grand rounds?
Weekly hospital lectures where the coffee is lukewarm, the questions are hot, and the front row is reserved by an unwritten law older than the building. Dr. Gordon has ten commandments for surviving them.
The short answer
Grand rounds is a regular, usually weekly, teaching conference held by a hospital department such as medicine, surgery or pediatrics. A resident, faculty member or visiting expert presents a case, a clinical topic or new research to physicians, trainees, students and staff, followed by questions. Some of the questions are actually questions; the rest are speeches with a question mark at the end.
Where it came from
It started as literal rounds: senior physicians examining a patient at the bedside in front of a crowd of students and colleagues, which the patient presumably loved. Over the 20th century it moved to auditoriums and slide projectors, and now often to video calls, where the patient is described rather than present and half the audience is on mute.
Why it matters (really)
Grand rounds is where departments share new evidence, argue over difficult cases and teach trainees how to present. Many sessions are accredited for continuing medical education (CME) credit. It's also where a department's culture is on full display, including its traditions about who sits in the front row and who asks the first question.
How to give a good one
Know your audience, tell a clear clinical story, keep slides sparse (no, 90 slides is not “sparse”), finish on time and leave room for questions. Or simply follow the Ten Commandments.
Frequently asked questions
Who can attend grand rounds?
Usually anyone in the hospital or department: physicians, residents, students, nurses and other staff. Many are open to the public online. The front row is technically open too; good luck.
Do grand rounds give CME credit?
Often. Many hospitals accredit their grand rounds series for continuing medical education credit.
How long is grand rounds?
Typically about an hour, including questions, unless the speaker has discovered a 91st slide.
Hear it on the show
- The Ten Commandments of Grand Rounds A senior surgeon's unique witty perspective on the traditional protocols of Grand Rounds for physicians in training. Send comments to TheAmericanBardofSurgery@gmail.com
- From Burnout to Punchlines: Freud's Solution Discover the fascinating historical connection between comedy and physician burnout at Vienna's Allgemeine Krankenhaus. In this satirical, fictional story, learn how Sigmund Freud…
Not medical advice. This page is general information, written to explain terms our satire leans on; it isn't a substitute for advice from your own clinician. In an emergency, call 911.