Components Of Internal Medicine Clerkship
Clinical assignments
Students are assigned to a clinical
site 3 times for two week rotations 12-week clerkship. Specific expectations at each
site (attending, rounds, call schedule, etc.) will be outlined on the first
day. (see separate note in folder re. computer orientation at the VA).
Patient Care
Third year students should carry 2 -4 (no more than 5)
patients at a time. Students should follow closely all aspects of each patient's
care, and should be up-to-date on the patient's clinical status, lab data, medications,
etc. For ambulatory rotations, patient care responsibilities will vary according
to the site and preceptor(s).
Student call
Students will follow call schedule of their team.
Students are not expected to take call during the last week of the clerkship
(Monday through Friday).
Attending Rounds
The attending physician should meet with the students
alone a minimum of twice per week, and will meet with the entire team at least
three times a week. Students may be asked to present cases, prepare presentations
on specific topics, and are expected to participate actively in discussions.
Patient write-ups and SOAP notes
Each student is required to submit 1 complete
write-up for evaluation by the end of the clerkship and a portfolio of a minimum of twelve (maximum of 24) team assessed write-ups and SOAP notes comprised of six H&Ps and six SOAPs; six must be assessed by the attending, and six by the residents. However, the more you turn in, the better because it shows the assessors how hard you are working and could have a favorable effect on your overall, final write-up grade.
Lectures/Conferences
A limited amount of lectures will be given by the Clerkship Director on Tuesdays
from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, see schedule for details. The House Staff lecture series (12:15 WSK 103) and Departmental Grand Rounds (Thursdays, 7:15 am,
WSK Alumni Auditorium) are also highly recommended.
Chief Resident Sessions
Outpatient students will meet with one of the three Medicine Chief Residents on Thursday at 10:00 am - these sessions will most focus on ECG interpretation and understanding. Also to note - VA inpatient students will meet with the VA Chief Resident on Wednesdays
at 2:00 pm.
Interdisciplinary Courses
Bioethics are covered
during the Internal Medicine clerkship, as part of a medical school-wide curriculum.
Bioethics is a separate
course, which is held throughout the school year on a monthly basis. You will
follow your Bioethics schedule for dates/times/locations of these classes, which
will take precedence over the Internal Medicine clerkship.
Evaluation
Final grades are determined by the departmental grades committee, and include
clinical evaluations by faculty and house officers (25%), performance on the
final written exam (25%), quality of write-ups (20%), ECG quiz (10%). Submission
of all required write-ups, satisfactory clinical performance, and a passing
score on write-ups and the written exam are required to pass. For a grade of
Honors, performance should be outstanding in all areas of evaluation and test
score must be at or above the five-year class mean. For a grade of High Pass,
performance must be superior in all areas of evaluation and test score must
be at or above 67. Test score must be 62, to earn a grade of Pass. Each component
of the course must be successfully completed in order to pass the clerkship.
In accordance with College of Medicine requirements, the Internal Medicine clerkship
aims to assign approximately 15-20% Honors, another 20-25% High Pass (for no
more than 40% Honors and High Pass grades), and 60-65% Pass grades over the
course of an academic year.
Ongoing Feedback/Support
Students should initiate a meeting for
feedback with the attending physician and the senior resident halfway through,
and again near the end of, each four-week rotation. The clerkship director(s)
will meet with each student mid-way through the clerkship to discuss any aspect
of grading/evaluation a student wishes to cover. There is a mid-rotation practice
exam (does not count toward final grade) designed to give students an idea what
format the test will take, to allow them to assess their knowledge base, and
to plan study strategy for the rest of clerkship.
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