On Being a Consultant
UHN/MSH Medical Consult Service
Goldman's Ten Commandments of Effective Consultations

  1. Determine the question
  2. Establish Urgency
  3. Look for Yourself
  4. Be as brief as appropriate
  5. Be specific and concise
  6. Provide contingency plans
  7. Honor thy turf
  8. Teach with tact
  9. Talk is cheap and effective
  10. Follow-up
References:

Allan Detsky:
  Problems in Consultation Medicine
   J of Gen Int Med - Vol 3, Nov/Dec 1988

Steven Cohn:
  The Role of the Medical Consultant
   Med Clin N Am - Vol 87 2003: 1-6

Stephen Salerno et al:
  Principles of Effective Consultation
   Arch Intern Med - Vol 167, Feb 2007