Updated February 17, 2022. The article was updated to correct minor grammatical errors and formatting.
Clinical practice guidelines are the backbone of evidence-based medicine. While there are literally thousands of published guidelines, a few of them are particularly relevant to medical students. Below is a list of the top guidelines and where you may encounter these diseases and conditions during your required and/or elective clinical rotations. These guidelines were chosen due to a number of factors, including prevalence, severity, complexity, and strength of recommendations. A recent study showed that over 68,000 deaths could be prevented every year if clinicians followed the ACC/AHA Heart Failure guidelines. That’s a massive number, and that’s just one of these 20 guidelines. At some point in your journey to becoming a healthcare provider, you will encounter these conditions, and having insight into what the guidelines recommend can make all of the difference when it comes to your patients’ outcomes. As the previously-mentioned study showed, it can even mean life or death.
| Top 20 Most Important Guidelines for Students | |
| Required Rotations | |
| Internal Medicine / Cardiology | Cardiovascular Risk Assessment – ACC/AHA Heart Attack – ACC/AHA Heart Failure – ACC/AHA Acute Ischemic Stroke – AHA/ASA |
| OBGYN | Diabetes and Pregnancy – The Endocrine Society Thyroid Disease During Pregnancy – ATA Breast Cancer – ASCO |
| Psychiatry | Opioid Addiction – ASAM Schizophrenia – NEI |
| Pediatrics | Tympanostomy Tubes in Children – AAO-HNSF Anaphylaxis – ACAAI/AAAAI Pediatric Community-Acquired Pneumonia – ATS/IDSA |
| Surgery | Peripheral Artery Disease – ACC/AHA Tympanostomy Tubes in Children – AAO-HNSF |
| Neurology | Acute Ischemic Stroke – AHA/ASA |
| Elective Rotations | |
| Infectious Disease | Skin and Soft Tissue Infections – IDSA Prevention of HAIs – SHEA/IDSA Diagnosis of Tuberculosis – IDSA/ATS |
| Ophthalmology / Optometry | Comprehensive Eye Exam – AAO |
| Podiatry | Diabetic Foot Infection – IDSA Peripheral Artery Disease – ACC/AHA |
| Oncology | Breast Cancer – ASCO |
| Gastroenterology | Constipation – AGA Irritable Bowel Syndrome – AGA |
| Rheumatology / Orthopedics | Osteoarthritis – ACR |
| Endocrinology | Diabetes and Pregnancy – The Endocrine Society Cardiovascular Risk Assessment – ACC/AHA |
| Emergency Medicine | Anaphylaxis – ACAAI/AAAAI Heart Attack – ACC/AHA Opioid Addiction – ASAM Acute Ischemic Stroke – AHA/ASA |
| Dermatology | Skin and Soft Tissue Infections – IDSA |
| Health Promotion / Community Medicine | Diagnosis of Tuberculosis – IDSA/ATS |
So there you have it. Whether you’re a premed or in your last year of residency, these are the 20 most important guidelines you need to be aware of.
Guideline Central has summarized these guidelines into a quick reference format. The guideline summaries will allow you to quickly identify and understand the key points and decision variables. Not only will it save you time, but it will help you with your rotations and contribute to improved patient outcomes when the guidelines are followed.
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