Program Overview

This 4-week clerkship is largely an ambulatory care educational experience in Family Medicine residency programs and community-based private practices. The goals of the clerkship are to help students to integrate basic science and clinical knowledge and to apply them to patient care, to learn skills important in Family Medicine and to experience, first hand, the practice of family physicians. Family Medicine is a specialty with emphasis in breadth rather than depth and is associated with great diversity in patients ages and types of medical problems. Continuity, preventive medicine and family issues are emphasized. Minor office procedures, obstetrics, women's health, sports medicine, community medicine are part of many family practices.

The clerkship syllabus is available online on ANGEL. Most students enjoy their rotations and we hope you will too. If you have questions/problems with your site, please contact:

Dr. David Richard, MD, Clerkship Director, (drichard@hmc.psu.edu), phone 717-531-8736
Dr. Todd Felix, MD, Assistant Clerkship Director (tfelix@hmc.psu.edu), phone 717-531-8736
Wendy Willenbecher, Clerkship Coordinator, (wwillenbecher@hmc.psu.edu), phone 717-531-8736

Clerkship Goals

To participate in an outpatient family medicine practice with emphasis in family oriented comprehensive care.
To develop knowledge, skills, and attitude for identifying, evaluating, and managing common medical problems as presented in the practice of family medicine.
To develop, expand, and apply basic medical problem-solving skills; areas of emphasis will include medical interviewing, the physical examination, patient management, patient education and health promotion, and appropriate follow-up.
To develop an awareness of the impact of community dynamics and resources upon the practice of family medicine.

Specific Objectives and Expected Competencies

Upon successful completion of the family medicine clerkship, each third-year medical student should possess an appropriate level of the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to accomplish the following goals and objectives:

To refine basic clinical skills which are essential to practicing family medicine effectively
The student will be able to
Demonstrate a basic level of competency in the history, physical examination, and problem-solving skills.
Obtain a focused, problem-oriented history and physical in an efficient manner.
Present a patient case in an orderly, thorough, and efficient banner.
Record a complete and organized SOAP note.
To employ a primary care approach to the diagnosis and management of the most common problems seen in the family medicine setting.
The student will be able to:
Formulate a differential diagnosis based on findings from the history and physical exam.
Initially manage common acute illnesses using a focused, problem-oriented approach.
Make basic diagnostic and treatment decisions that consider the limitations of clinical data.
Identify serious, life-threatening conditions early in the treatment of acutely and chronically ill patients.
To establish effective doctor-patient relationships by using appropriate interpersonal communication skills.
The student will be able to:
Demonstrate interpersonal skills that enhance communication with the patient and the patient's family.
Demonstrate a basic knowledge of issues of informed consent and confidentiality.
Develop diagnostic and treatment plans in partnership with patient and patient's family.
To gain knowledge, and awareness of the principles and applications of health promotion and disease prevention in the family medicine setting.
The student will be able to:
Identify health risks in given patients, families, and communities.
Use appropriate screening tools and protocols for health maintenance, including immunizations, in specific populations.
Select protocols for reducing identified health risks.
Develop effective strategies for behavioral change.
Implement patient education in daily practice.
The student will develop an awareness of, and a sensitivity to, the psycho-social, cultural, familial, and socioeconomic aspects of medical problems as the relate to patient management.
The student will be able to:
Collect and integrate psychosocial, cultural, familial, and socioeconomic data in patient care
Recognize the social, community, and economic factors that affect the patient's health, access to care and treatment options.
Practice cost-effective patient care when making patient management decisions.
To gain exposure to, and an understanding of, the practice of family medicine and the role of the family practitioner within the health care delivery system.
The student will be able to:
Describe the role of the family physician as a coordinator of care.
Describe the important factors related to communication during the patient care process, including communication with other health care providers and consultants.
Recognize appropriate consultation resources and discuss effective use of these resources.
Understand the roles of other health care professionals and how to work with them to coordinate patient care.
Describe the various settings in which family physicians provide care.
To provide comprehensive, coordinated, and continuous as well as episodic health care to the individual patient and family regardless of patient characteristics, specific disease, or setting of the patient encounter.
The student will be able to:
Encourage the patient seen for episodic or acute illness to seek continuing medical care.
Document in the problem-oriented patient record appropriate information for acute and continuing care.
Assess the patient's adherence to a treatment plan.
Monitor a patient's response to treatment and modify a patient's treatment based on his/her initial response.
Recognize the need for the family physician's continuing role and responsibilities in the care of patients during the process of consultations and referral.
To develop knowledge and skills related to common medical office studies and procedures practiced in the family physician's office.
The student will be able to:
Describe the indications for diagnostic tests and common medical office procedures.
Obtain informed consent for common office procedures.
Demonstrate cost effective use of diagnostic tests and evaluative procedures.
Interpret the findings of common office lab tests and studies.
Describe the reliability, indications, and potential complications of common tests and procedures.
To demonstrate knowledge and skills required for lifelong learning and the competent practice of medicine.
The student will be able to:
Demonstrate principles of lifelong learning including research, reading, and inquiry.
Utilize appropriate resources to answer clinical questions.
Record and present data in an accurate and objective way.
Illustrate the use of universal precautions when examining patients.
Exhibit intellectual curiosity and self-motivation to promote self-learning.
Display attitudes and professional behavior appropriate for clinical practice.

Clerkship Overview

Orientation

Orientation to the clerkship, required for ALL students, will occur on the first day of the rotation at Hershey Medical Center from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Agenda for Orientation at Hershey Medical Center:

  8:00 -   9:00     Information Mastery/EBM
9:00 -   9:30     Clerkship Requirements/Overview
9:30 -   9:45     Specialty of Family Medicine
9:45 - 10:45     Interactive Standardized Patient Workshop
10:45 - 11:00     Back Exam Demonstration
11:00 - 11:15     Break
11:15 - 12:15     Professional Curriculum
12:15 -   1:00     Lunch (Provided)
1:00 -   2:30     Interactive Sports Medicine Workshop
2:30 -   5:00     Reading time/Travel time

Orientation specific to your clerkship site will occur on the first day at your site (Tuesday). Students will report to their assigned clerkship sites following the orientation at Hershey Medical Center. Please read carefully the instructions posted on ANGEL relative to your site regarding time and place to report. All students will meet with their site directors for an orientation to the site.