Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Elective (3rd year) 2.5 Credits/Maximum of 2.5

Catalog description

This course provides exposure to the pediatric cancer patient and the field of Pediatric Oncology by closely following several patients through their full range of illness experiences. PED 710A Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Elective (2.5) This course is designed to introduce third year medical students to the field of Pediatric Oncology in a unique way. Students will be assigned selected patients under treatment for cancer or hematologic disease. Students will follow these patients and their families closely for the 2-week selective, but in addition to focusing on the medical care, the student will follow each patient through his or her entire experience. The student will be expected to research the primary disease and other medical issues of their assigned patients, attend daily rounds, and will also accompany and observe the patient through experiences related to their illness. These may include diagnostic tests, physical therapy, dietary, pharmacy, social work contact, play activities, and clinic visits and home visits if the patient is discharged. The student's experience will require contact with multiple consultants and departments involved in the care of their patients, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, the team psychologist, teachers, social workers, child life, dieticians and others. Each student will meet at least weekly to discuss the assigned patients with one of the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology attendings and with the team psychologist. Rather than write daily notes, the student will keep a journal and prepare a written or oral presentation on at least one of their patients.The overall goal of the elective is to allow students to appreciate the scope of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology through the eyes of the patient and the entire medial team. This unique approach should lead the student to integrate knowledge and gain insight into the medical field not available through any other rotation.Evaluation will be by faculty but may include comments by the patients, their families, and other members of the medical team, as well as the quality of the student's final presentation.