You’ve studied the foundations and learned them well, but real life is different. Real clinical problems don’t follow the textbook or look like a curated vignette. Case X gets you as close as possible to real repetitions on real people. The only way to get better at caring for patients is by caring for patients, so let’s practice up.

Imagine yourself at the computer terminal. You finished your patient interview, the history taken, the physical exam performed. You’ve reviewed the labs and imaging in the EMR. Do you turn around and ask your senior for help or put the orders in yourself? As the student, you presented to your senior resident and awaited instructions. As the senior resident, you’ll give the orders, and you need to be prepared to take charge. This is your moment, which are you?

The bridge from student to senior is the experience—seeing the patients, discerning what information is relevant, and being forced to answer questions that have no clear solution. Case X shows you how to apply clinical reasoning with real patients, real questions, and real experience. It’s a safe space without a time limit or wrong answer resulting in patient harm. Get good at doing good through practice and experience.