Clerkship
Policy
Be Punctual
Students are expected to be on time to
work. Tardiness will not be favorably looked upon. If you are going to be
late, call those expecting you in advance.
Be Professional
Remember you will need to earn the respect
and trust of your patients. You are expected to be polite and behave and
dress professionally. Be empathetic of your patients’ needs and
respectful of their privacy. Be careful not to discuss patient cases in
public settings as their illness and history are confidential. In
addition, drape patients appropriately during exams and request a
chaperone when necessary. You are the “ambassador” of Penn State College
of Medicine; be courteous to all you come in contact with including
preceptors, residents, staff and peers.
Be Careful
As a student, you should not act
independently or without the knowledge of those legally responsible for the
care of the patients. If you are uncertain about a situation, it’s best to
ask your preceptor.
Emergencies/Illness
We encourage the request for time off to be
kept to a minimum, as this is a very short rotation. However, if an absence
is necessary, prior approval is required from the clerkship director. In
the event of unexpected emergencies/illnesses, the student must telephone
the preceptor/site director and the clerkship director to report the
absenteeism on the first day of being absent and the nature of the
emergency/illness. Time off from the clerkship must be made up whenever
possible.
Requirements
The student will:
- attend an orientation session and skill workshop at
Hershey on the 1st day of the clerkship
- attend an orientation session on the first day at your
site and share the pre-clerkship self-assessment, with your
preceptor
- participate in providing care to patients in a family
medicine practice at least 8-9 half days per week
- interview, examine, and formulate a management plan for
each patient encounter
- share findings with a physician supervisor who will be a
faculty member or a senior level resident
- write SOAP notes for each patient encounter during each
of your clinical sessions
- spend a minimum of one day in a community private
practice of a Board Certified Family Physician
- be directly observed taking a history
- be directly observed doing a back exam
- complete the two required computer cases:
-
Low Back Pain (PSU
email address required)
-
Smoking Cessation (#18) (PSU
email address required)
- participate in a home visit, nursing home visit, and/or a
family interview when possible
- visit a community agency (e.g. Hospice, shelter,
rehabilitation program) and complete the Agency Summary
Information form
- meet with the site director for mid-rotation interview
and assessment
- participate in an exit interview with the site clerkship
supervisor in regards to the clerkship experience
- Complete the post-clerkship self-assessment (on the
right side of the same forms as the pre-clerkship
self-assessment). This form is to be returned along with
your assignments to the clerkship director at Hershey
Medical Center.
- complete the required readings and assignments
- attend the final debriefing evaluation session (beginning at
7:45 AM)
on the last day of the clerkship and pass the final
examination
Reading:
The required test is
Essentials of Family Medicine, Sloane 5th edition. This edition
includes thePoint, an online resource website. It provides USMLE-style
questions and answers for review and self-assessment. Follow the instruction
on the inside cover of the text to access the website. Copies of Sloane are
available on reserve in the George Harrell Library.
Required chapters: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8
Recommended chapters: 9, 11, 15, 16, 18, 21, 37, 40, 45, 48
and 49
In addition, you are expected to do reading on the
presenting problems of the patients you have encountered during
this clerkship. The Sloane text will provide an overview
of family medicine as a discipline as well as a guide for
approaching patients with common medical problems.
However, you are not limited to Sloane. You are encouraged
to use other textbooks and online resources.
Additional Useful References
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