At 7:15 a.m., the boxes of coffee dwindle fast as the Bean Conference Room fills up with residents. Each Wednesday, a case report is delivered by a senior resident with teaching points and opportunities for discussion.

In instances where a scheduled resident is unable to present, one of the Chief Residents steps in. In this particular recent instance, Taylor Becker, MD, walked attendees through a recent case of someone arriving at the hospital with an altered mental status. Details were delivered from the man’s history and current labs and at each instance, Becker would pause and poll the audience to see where their analysis was leading them and what paths they might want to pursue next. At one point, Becker paused and asked the room to confer with a neighbor or two, ensuring that everyone was actively engaged and thinking.

Once the diagnosis was revealed, the conversation still had two bases to touch. The first provided more details on the condition that brought the man in for help, more general signs that physicians can watch for, tests that could be run, differentials to consider. This led to treatment options available, prognoses depending on various factors, and how this particular case ended.

What separates Morning Report, both Becker and Chief Resident Reed Johnson, MD, explained, is the more informal setting than, say, noon conference. Though not barred from attending, faculty are not present at Morning Report, which places greater responsibility for accuracy in the hands of the presenter, with less pressure to “perform” for attendings. The peer-to-peer support in the room is evident in the jokes and small talk passing between attendees and the Chiefs, a relaxed atmosphere despite the serious nature of the topics and the importance of practical instruction.