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Clinical Experiences

August 16, 2023-December 14, 2023

Course Director
Andrew McCormick, MD
Associate Professor
Departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine
mccormickaa@upmc.edu

Course Director
Betty Liu, MD
Associate Professor
Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
liuby@upmc.edu

Course Description

The Clinical Experiences Course involves 3 placements for one month each (4 sessions): the first is in a primary care office; the second is in a physical medicine & rehabilitation clinic, based on the student’s preference; and the third is a service-learning experience with a community agency or public health project. Each student also participates in a specialized session at a substance-abuse treatment program.

Course Goals:

  1. To participate in the provision of medical care in the setting of a physician’s office.
  2. To further develop skills learned from other courses in the Introduction to Patient Care Block.
  3. To recognize the need to incorporate a patient’s unique social and cultural characteristics to optimize their care.
  4. To appreciate the impact of health care financing on medical practice.
  5. To appreciate the spectrum of disease across a variety of healthcare
  6. To understand and describe the concept of the patient-centered medical home and its relevance to the future of health care delivery.

Course Objectives:

  1. Enthusiastically participate in an outpatient physician practice.
  2. Maintain a patient Learning Log. Include diagnoses, pertinent historical/physical and management data.
  3. Practice parts of the physical examination or history under a physician’s guidance when appropriate.
  4. Observe the interactions between experienced physicians and their patients.
  5. Discuss with physicians/office staff the impact of third-party payers on medical practice.
  6. Reflect on the broader issue of health care delivery and access to care while participating in your various CE settings.
  7. Identify important community resources for medically uninsured/underinsured patient

Specific Goals in PMR rotation:

  1. To become familiar with the many aspects of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialty
  2. To become familiar with the roles of Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Rehab Nursing, and Speech Therapy in rehabilitation within the inpatient and outpatient setting
  3. To become familiar with Neuropsychology and its role in rehabilitation.
  4. Experience patient centered care in an interdisciplinary setting.
  5. Learn the role of rehabilitation in chronic illnesses in the inpatient and outpatient setting.
  6. Be familiar with the definitions of disability and impairment.
  7. Be exposed to the diversity of patients and diagnoses in the Rehabilitation specialty.

Educational Methods

  • Preceptorship
  • Patient write-up
  • Patient care activities
  • Clinical skills development
  • Independent study
  • Case study
  • Community encounter/community-based work

Curricular Themes

Access to quality health services, Child health/healthcare, Communication skills, Community health, Educational and community-based programs, Geriatric health/healthcare, Health care financing, Health communication, HIV, Human development, Medical ethics, Mental health and mental disorders, Patient health education, Preventive medicine, Public health infrastructure, Substance abuse

Evaluation

Evaluation is based on preceptor assessment, the patient handout/health education brochure, and the course final examination.

Grading: Students are required to pass Clinical Experiences 1 to pass the Introduction to Patient Care Block, Section 2. Grading for the block is Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.

Grading: Students are required to pass Clinical Experiences 2 to pass the Introduction to Patient Care Block, Section 3. Grading for the block is Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.

Requests for excused absences should be submitted here. Unexcused absences may result in grading penalties as outlined in the Policy on Absence and Attendance.