SELECT SINEA - Inpatient Acting Internship

PRIMARY GOALS OF SELECTIVE

Provide students with advanced expertise in the neurologic evaluation of patients in primarily the in-patient setting, but also to involve basic neurologic problems in the out-patient clinic. Student will be expected to improve skills in both taking the neurological history, as well as performing the neurological examination. In addition, students will be expected to improve their differential diagnostic abilities for neurologic disease, as well as enhance their skills in management of neurological patients both in a ward and clinic environment.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: (The Student will)

1. Improve skills in obtaining a neurologic history and performing a neurologic examination.

2. Become familiar with the performance and interpretation of EEGs, EMG/Nerve Conduction Studies, Sleep Studies, Evoked Response Testing, EEG Telemetry and neurophysiological surgical monitoring by accompanying their patients to these procedures.

3. Improve performance of certain procedures such as the lumbar puncture, and in interpretation of Neuroimaging

Studies.

4. Improve diagnostic abilities in neurologic disease, especially in those problems presenting as cognitive disturbances, altered mental status, syncope/seizures, sensory and motor disturbances, basal ganglion dysfunction, and headache presentations.

5. Learn to choose and utilize various medications seen in neurologic practice as those for management of stroke, epilepsy, dementia, movement disorders, central nervous system infections, neuromuscular junction and headache problems; as well as conditions such as spasticity and neuropathic discomfort.

RESOURCES FOR LEARNING

1. On the ward, the student will extensively evaluate with history and neurologic examination at least three patients per week, following them with daily evaluations and subsequent notations, which will become part of the hospital chart.

2. In the out-patient setting, the student will attend at least once a week the Residents’ Continuity Clinic at which time one to two new patients and/or 2-3 follow-up patients will be evaluated with the particular resident and faculty attending.

3. The student clerk will also attend conferences with their team residents including noon conferences and weekly

Grand Rounds and other appropriate lectures and seminars as able.

4. Textbooks, including the third year Perkin’s Neurology and Adams and Victor’s Principles of Neurology available in the library, as well as journals available digitally and researched via PubMed, will be used to enhance learning from the particular patient that the student is evaluating. Via these resources, the clerk will become familiar with the typical presentation, neurologic findings, pathophysiology, and treatment modalities of his patient’s problem, and be able to present this to his ward team.

PARTICIPATING FACULTY

Members of the Department of Neurology as ward service attending or attending in the Residents’ Continuity Clinic, neurophysiology and neuroimaging facilities.

EVALUATION (GRADE WILL BE BASED ON)

Student will receive a passing grade if they demonstrate increasing proficiency in the above objectives. This will be evaluated by their team resident and attending with feedback throughout the month to further improve any deficiencies which may occur. They will be expected to demonstrate a professional demeanor and wear appropriate attire for the clinic or ward. Their attendance at conferences, ward rounds, and clinics will be carefully monitored and all absences must be pre-approved. Punctuality will be mandatory for a passing grade. Student will also be asked to take part in 260 evaluations of residents and staff. A written accounting of patients evaluated with their specific diagnoses will be required.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS:

These will include conferences, lectures, the ward service and clinic outpatient service. The student will be expected to take call with the resident until 11 p.m. on that resident’s call night. Clerks will attend neurophysiology lab to observe testing on their specific patients. All activities will be performed at the LSU Health Science Center.

All

Pass/Fail