Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clerkship

Catalog description

VISITING: Open to visitors. TYPE OF CLERKSHIP: Selective 1. DESCRIPTION: Our clerkship emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to the patient severely disabled by acute spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, stroke, major trauma, and other neurologic disabilities. Concentration is on clinical evaluation, prevention of complications and participation in long-term planning for maximum independence and improving the quality of life for the patient. The student functions integrally as a member of the treatment team and participates in all aspects of patient care, including inpatient admissions, multidisciplinary evaluations of new admissions, patient care rounds, teaching and team conferences, therapy sessions, formal case presentations, neuroscience grand rounds, journal club and didactic lectures. The team approach, using multiple medical and therapeutic modalities, is key to our patients' success. Students will observe and may participate in routinely performed procedures that aide in optimizing function including peripheral joint injections, chemodenervation, peripheral nerve blocks and/or intrathecal baclofen pump management for spasticity. Additionally, they may observe and participate in electrodiagnostic studies that aide in diagnosis of peripheral nervous system pathology. Students may also have the opportunity to study the lifestyles of outpatients when they return to the community, investigate community resources, and assess the ongoing medical issues of individuals with disabilities in PM&R outpatient clinics. Additionally, students will spend time in outpatient PM&R clinics evaluating patients with spine and musculoskeletal/sports conditions. There are several locations for this four-week rotation in which having personal transportation would be highly advisable but not required. Students will spend two weeks at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, one…