ABSTRACT: Requiem for the grand round
The time-honoured tradition of Grand Round is firmly rooted in medical education, but has little evidence for its effectiveness or its impact on patient management. A mode of didactic teaching, Grand Round has lost its appeal in modern medical education with dwindling attendance at Grand Rounds worldwide. Once a platform for eminence-based medicine and a cross fertilisation of medical ideas, emphasis on sub-specialisation and clinical governance, combined with rota, trainee engagement and attendance failures has made Grand Round obsolete. To survive, Grand Round must have evidence for its effectiveness in medical education. It must be able to compete with other forms of teaching and adapt by using technology to reach trainees. Engaging the audience and encouraging participation needs to be woven into the fabric of the modern Grand Round, alongside learning clinical skills and developing clinical reasoning. Understanding the needs of today’s trainees and their involvement in formulating the Grand Round programme is vital. Attendance at Grand Round is a recognised measure of its success and will be used in its evaluation. Questions still remain regarding the future of Grand Round. Its survival will depend upon its ability to change with time and reclaim its place as a credible tool to promote learning.
