Manuals for Active Self-Study (Using Rheumatology as an Example)

Abstract

Training or practical study, without teachers, is a new teaching or study principle that requires new textbooks and/or study manuals. In an era of unlimited access to information, at the same time as scarce teaching hours, the necessary abilities for taking the initial clinical steps can be developed and knowledge of diagnostic decisions independently gained. Experienced colleagues sometimes use practice manuals to quickly find a diagnosis, to refresh their theoretical knowledge, and for broader differential diagnosis, where, in addition to the known nosological systems of diseases, the clinical discipline is compactly organized into syndromes, with a relatively comprehensive collection of syndromes described by pictures and clinical scenarios as well as individual treatment options.