what are grand rounds

Grand rounds are a methodology of medical education and inpatient care, consisting of presenting the medical problems and treatment of a particular patient to an audience consisting of doctors, pharmacists, residents, and medical students. They are a formal meeting at which physicians discuss the clinical case of one or more patients. Grand rounds originated as part of residency training, and they help doctors and other healthcare professionals keep up to date in important evolving areas which may be outside of their core practice. Most departments at major teaching hospitals will have their own specialized, often weekly, grand rounds, which tend to be open to the entire medical professional community. Attending grand rounds is also an important supplement to medical school and on-the-job resident training. Grand rounds can be distinguished from rounds, which is the (typically) daily visit by the attending physician and team to all that physicians patients on the ward. Rounding with an attending physician is an important part of medical on-the-job training and education, but its primary focus is immediate care for the patients on the ward. Grand rounds tends to present the bigger picture, including experience with patients over many years, and the newest research and treatments in an area.