Family Medicine/ Primary Care Medicine I

Catalog description

The Family Medicine / Primary Care Medicine Clerkships teach the management of diseases commonly encountered in the ambulatory care setting. The Family Medicine / Primary Care Medicine Clerkships will be completed over two, four-week clinical rotations at various ambulatory sites. Each student will spend at least four weeks in family medicine with other opportunities to rotate in outpatient internal medicine. Emphasis is placed on patient-centered, efficient, and cost-effective medical care of patients of all ages. Students are encouraged to practice subtle interview skills such as setting an agenda with patients, extensive physical exam skills, and the opportunity to work 1:1 with an attending. Primary care prioritizes comprehensive clinical reasoning, the use of life events, family history, and the impact of illness on the family to inform patient-centered decision making and optimal care. During this clerkship students will be challenged by diagnosing diseases at various stages of illness. Disease presents early on the front lines of medicine, which creates an opportunity for students to develop strong clinical reasoning skills and apply illness scripts and other important techniques taught in the didactic curriculum to formulate the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment plan. Students will have the opportunity to complete the Family Medicine / Primary Care Medicine Clerkships in a variety of settings, including urban, suburban, and rural healthcare communities. The first Family Medicine / Primary Care Medicine Clerkship course students complete will be PAS 303 and the second will be PAS 304. The Family Medicine End of Rotation Exam is a required component of PAS 303 and PAS 304 and will be held on the last Thursday of each rotation.This course is offered to students enrolled in the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program only.