How to Find an Interesting Clinical Case

You find interesting cases by paying attention during clinical work to patients whose presentation, course or outcome surprised you or the team, and by discussing them with seniors. The key is to note the question the case raises and to record the details accurately, with permission, from the start.

Where cases come from

• Ward rounds and morning reports where a diagnosis surprised the team.
• Multidisciplinary meetings and case conferences.
• Adverse events, unusual drug reactions and unexpected complications.
• Atypical presentations of common diseases.
• Cases with unusual test results or imaging.
• Conversations with senior colleagues who remember "the one that changed my practice".

What to note (in line with your institution's rules)

1. A one-line question: "What was unexpected, and what did we learn?"
2. The timeline of events, with dates.
3. Tests and their results.
4. Management decisions and the reasons for them.
5. Outcome and follow-up.

Do not copy identifiable patient data onto personal devices or into unapproved tools. Ask your supervisor how to access records legitimately for case reports.

Next steps

Discuss the case with your supervisor, search the literature, request consent and check your institution's policies on case reports.

Illustrative example

Invented for teaching. A student on an infectious disease rotation notices that a patient's rash appeared on day 8 of a new drug. She writes the question in a notebook (without patient identifiers), then asks the registrar whether it might merit a case report. The registrar suggests checking the literature and consent, and they plan the report together.

Common pitfalls

• Recording patient identifiers in personal notes.
• Starting to write before consent and approvals.

Key takeaways

• Notice the surprise and write the question.
• Protect privacy and involve a supervisor early.

This page is general educational information about research methods. It is not medical, legal or regulatory advice; follow your institution's ethics board and your target journal's instructions.