ELECT EOFMC - Outpatient Senior Elective

Primary Goals:

To provide student’s experience in the application of essential Family Medicine skills, attitudes, and knowledge in community outpatient setting.

Specific Objectives:

The students will be able to:

• Develop skills in obtaining medical history and physical exam findings relative to the common disorders encountered in Family Medicine.

•  Improve their skills in the diagnosis, evaluation and management of common outpatient disorders, and preventive health care.

• Document appropriately, and compare documentation requirements to those at the Shreveport campus.

•  Recognize the effects of social and cultural variables on the health and management of patients in the outpatient setting, and compare these effects with those on campus.

•  Describe how the following relate to a successful clinical practice: time management, the doctor patient relationship, office management and medical economics, medico-legal issues and risk reduction, the health care team and community resources, appropriate referral practices and continued medical education.

•  Increase their knowledge of fundamental principles of medicine, specific disease entities, and normal variants through conferences, reading, and other self-study modalities, and be able to discuss the practical application of that information.

•  Discuss the specialty of Family Medicine, and the management of patients within the context of continuity of care by primary care physicians.

Resources for Learning

•  Participating faculty: LSUHSC -  Alexandria Family Practice Residency faculty.

•  Texts: As recommended by assigned preceptor

•  Workshops: Periodic small group discussions, and didactic conferences with Family Practice residents.

•  Hands -on Experience: Supervised evaluation of patients in the community setting.

•  Computer Assisted Instruction: Library Research

•  Directed Readings: As recommended by assigned preceptor

•  Self-directed Learning: Focused review of topics directly related to patient care.

Please refer to SIFMB for additional learning and evaluation information.

Evaluation

•  Students will receive a passing grade if they complete all required activities as presented above, and demonstrate the professional attributes essential to the practice of medicine.  These professional attributes include; appropriate grooming, punctuality, attendance at all required activities unless appropriately excused, a respectful and caring approach to patients, adherence to stated and applied rules of conduct, and appropriate interactions with all faculty and staff. The residency faculty preceptors will complete evaluation forms. The course director will determine the final grade.  Students at risk of failing will be handled on a case-by-case basis.  They will be notified personally and/or in writing of any concerns in a timely fashion, and will be offered a reasonable opportunity to improve their performance.

•  The course director may develop and require students to complete self-study and evaluation forms when necessary to document achievement of course objectives.

AHEC     Application     must    be  submitted  approximately  6  weeks prior  to  requested  Block. See Website.

1)   List any specific core physical exam skills to be taught in your course.

The core examination skills learned in the junior year including examination of the head, neck, heart, lungs, abdomen and extremities will be reinforced, in both adult and pediatric patients.

2)   List any specific clinical skills as well as attitudes and behaviors that you will be evaluating during your course and how these will be done in a structured manner (LCME).

Skills and behaviors will be evaluated by the preceptor in an ongoing fashion after direct observation and interaction with the student in daily clinic.  The written evaluation form will be completed by the preceptor(s) working with the student. Specific attention will be given to attendance, maturity, fund of knowledge, self-education, oral and written presentations, clinical skills, interpersonal skills in relating to patients and staff, and improvement noted during the course.

3)   Copy of evaluation form to be used in your course for the grade determination.

See page 63

3)   Grading process, number and timing of evaluations.

Preceptor(s) evaluation will occur in an ongoing fashion and results will be submitted formally by means of the evaluation form at the end of the rotation.

4)   Identify handouts, text and other major resources to be purchased by students or provided by the department if different from previously provided.

Not applicable

5)   Describe any Computer usage anticipated for the course.

Computer time will be used to research specific medical problems identified by the preceptor during the course of practice.  The preceptor and course director will assist the student in this endeavor and provide topics for research when none are identified in the course of practice.

6)   Describe any anticipated teaching of or use of problem solving skills to be part of your course

The student will be introduced to community based clinical problem solving skills while observing the preceptor.  The student will also be assigned patients to evaluate by history taking and examination, and will formulate an impression and plan which will be presented to and discussed with the preceptor prior to his or her evaluation of the same patient.

7)   List which medical school objectives will be covered at least in part within your course objectives (LCME)

•  Demonstrate a working knowledge of the normal structure and function of the human body and its major organ systems; the structural and homeostatic dysfunctions that cause disorders; the impact of human development, growth, and aging on normal and disordered structure, function and behavior; and the pathophysiologic basis of human diseases.

•  Demonstrate the ability to evaluate patients, organize and present patient information, and properly manage patients by: being able to conduct a medical history and physical examination (comprehensive and focused); developing judgment concerning when a comprehensive or focused evaluation is appropriate; reliably eliciting appropriate information in a history and detecting abnormal findings on the physical examination; correctly identifying the patients’ medical problems, including psychosocial and behavioral problems; formulating accurate hypotheses as to the causes and solutions of these problems; developing appropriate strategies for exploring these hypotheses, including the use of laboratory tests and imaging studies; properly and safely performing routine technical procedures; and formulating a management plan.

•  Diagnose and manage patients with common acute and chronic medical conditions; recognize and institute initial treatment for patients with serious or life-threatening conditions.

•  Critically read, analyze, and interpret the biomedical literature to stay informed and current with developments in medicine.

•  Access and evaluate epidemiological data relating to risk indicators for disease in order to practice effective preventive medicine and to foster healthy behavior.

•  Develop skills in the use of computers and related technologies to: study and access current clinical information; retrieve, analyze, document and relay information about patients; communicate optimally with peers and faculty; and collect, analyze, interpret and report information regarding clinical cases and biomedical research.

• Treat patients using accepted moral and ethical guidelines; exhibit integrity and compassion, understand the importance to patients of privacy and dignity; and give careful attention to the impacts of human diversity, the needs of the medically underserved, and the needs of dying patients when no cure is possible.

•  Recognize the unique nature of the doctor-patient relationship: demonstrate respect for the roles of other health care professionals; communicate effectively orally and in writing with patients, patients’ families, colleagues, and other medical personnel.