Adolescent Medicine Elective

Catalog description

Adolescent Medicine is a division in the department of Pediatrics. The Adolescent Medicine elective course will allow students four weeks to further immerse into the Adolescent Medicine subspecialty. Students will have the opportunity to directly care for adolescent patients (ages 10-24 years old) and learn about the multidisciplinary collaborative care approach utilized in the Adolescent Medicine division at Penn State Children's Hospital. Students will become familiar with the complex interdisciplinary medical care of the adolescent population. The course will allow students to experience many aspects of care offered by Adolescent Medicine clinicians for adolescent-specific health concerns, such as eating disorders, weight management, gender incongruence, menstrual abnormalities, sexual and reproductive health, and addiction medicine. Students will spend time at various levels of patient care, including outpatient, inpatient, and partial hospitalization programs. Students will have the opportunity to assume ownership of patients, see patients independently with both direct and indirect supervision, and participate in medical decision making and medical documentation. Students will be expected to act professionally and learn about the importance of adolescent confidentiality. By the end of the 4-week elective, the students will be expected to present a journal club article that emphasizes a relevant topic in the field of Adolescent Medicine.