Four-Week Electives for the Clinical Continuum - Family & Community Medicine

This rotation consists of a predominant inpatient experience for the senior student.  The students follow patients admitted to the Baton Rouge General and Baton Rouge Health Center under the supervision of the senior resident and rotating FP faculty member.  They attend and actively participate in Morning Report.  They are also assigned two one-half-days/week to see patients in the Family Health Center, precepted by a faculty member that they are paired with.

Location: Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Faculty: Rotating Family Practice faculty.
Time Offered: All blocks (Blks 01-10)
Quota: 1 student per block depending upon availability of the preceptor.
Evaluation Process: The rotation supervisor will conduct an end of the rotation feedback and evaluation session.

Preventive Medicine And Public Health - Tulane School Of Medicine And Tulane School Of Public Health (MDFC PPH TPH)

This Selective will provide students with an interest in general preventive medicine and public health, a unique opportunity to gain insight into the practice of clinical and population-based preventive medicine.  A one-on-one "preceptorship" with a preventive medicine resident(s), who is supervised by the program faculty, will allow students to explore public health and preventive medicine practice.  The student will follow the preventive medicine resident and participate in the resident's scheduled activities (includes care of patients seen in public health or other clinical settings, project administration and management, review of population based clinical data).

During the Selective, the student will observe and discuss Preventive Medicine/Public Health and Preventive Medicine trained physician roles in medical practice.  In addition, students will participate in the weekly seminar and Journal Club sessions (1.5-2 hour sessions once weekly) with the Preventive Medicine residents and program faculty.  These sessions include interesting presentations and discussions of key topics in disease prevention, health promotion, and program/project administration.

Objectives:

The Selective objectives are as follows: 

1. to identify the difference between population-based versus the patient-based Preventive Medicine and Public Health,
2. to identify the roles that Preventive Medicine trained physicians play in the community and other practice settings,
3. to identify components of Preventive Medicine/Public Health practice,
4. identify Public Health and Preventive Medicine issues in the clinical care of patients,
5. participate in projects related to Public Health and Preventive Medicine.

(Request a copy of the weekly schedule from the course director's office by calling (504) 988-2556.)

M.A. Krousel-Wood, MD, MSP Director, Preventive Medicine Residency Program, Course Director
Faculty: (To be determined based upon the site or sites selected.)
Quota: 2 students
Time Offered: Blks. 02, 04 09, & 10
Duration: 1 month
Methods Of Evaluating Student Performance: Faculty and residents will complete an assessment form of the student's performance.

How Course Is Evaluated By The Course Director: Director will evaluate the course by reviewing student and faculty/resident evaluations (written and oral) and student activities.

How Course Is Evaluated By Students: Students will complete an assessment form of the course.  In addition, direct feedback is obtained from the students at a meeting between the student(s) and the director.

Family Practice Research (MDFC RES TMC)

An opportunity for students interested in Family Medicine and/or primary care research to learn about research topics and methods appropriate to primary care research.  The student may develop a research proposal and protocol, conduct a systematic review of the literature, conduct a research project under faculty supervision, or participate in research underway in the Department of Family & Community Medicine.   Research related to prevention, physical activity, healthy eating, weight loss, or domestic violence is encouraged.  Other topics may be considered.

Objectives:

The student will be able to do at least five of the following

1. Be able to state the steps in the research process
2. Understand the importance of protection of research subjects and be able to locate information about how to protect subjects and apply for IRB approval
3. Be able to select the appropriate method (e.g., qualitative, observational, cross-sectional, RCT) for the topic they wish to research
4. State their research question
5. Formulate a testable hypothesis
6. Conduct a literature review and synthesize their findings
7. Critique the quality of published studies
8. Develop a sampling plan
9. Develop or use data collection tools
10. Collect data in a manner consistent with a research protocol
11. Develop an analysis plan with assistance
12. Analyze data
13. Interpret data and state conclusions.

The student will meet regularly with faculty throughout the Elective and be guided to published and on-line resources to meet their individually negotiated learning objectives.  The student will participate in on-going research within the Dept of Family & Community Medicine or conduct an appropriate part of a research project/process of their own development.

Rebecca A. Meriwether, MD, MPH, Course Director
Faculty: Rebecca A. Meriwether, MD, MPH, Pamela McMahon, PhD, MPH, Pamela Wiseman, MD
Quota: 2-3 students/year max
Time Offered: Blocks 1-10 by special arrangement
Prerequisite: Approval of Course Director based on proposal for research project, preparation for project proposed, and availability of faculty for mentoring.
Methods Of Evaluating Student Performance: Students will receive individual mentoring by faculty and on-going feedback and guidance throughout the elective.  Faculty will provide constructive criticism on documents written by the student related to the research tasks undertaken (e.g. plan for a literature search & review with search terms; research protocol; analysis plan; etc.). Students will complete a self-evaluation tool at the beginning and end of the Elective.

How Course Is Evaluated By The Course Director: Process review by faculty during and following each elective.  Student evaluations and change in student self-evaluation during the Elective.

How Course Is Evaluated By Students: Evaluation form to be completed at conclusion of Elective.  Change in self-evaluation during the Elective.

Hospice Elective (MDFC FC NOL)

Students are allowed to participate in the interdisciplinary team approach to patient care during this elective. They will see how Hospice provides and alternative to routine home care and repeated hospitalizations. Students will be permitted to take part in home/nursing home visits and team meetings. They will work with the team members (Physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains, hoem health aidews, bereavement counselors and volunteers) in the care of patients.

Objective:

The objective of the Hospice elective is to expose students tot he team approach to palliative care.

Larry Durante, MD, Course Director
Faculty: Hospice team
Quota: Two
Time Offered: Blocks 1-10
Duration: One month
Prerequisite: Students taking this elective should have completed most of their clinical rotations.
Evaluation Process: Students will be evaluated by the Hospice team members who worked with them during this time.
Student Evaluation: Evaluation form to be completed at the conclusion of the elective.

Anesthesiology Basic Science & Clinical Research Dermatology Family & Community Medicine Medicine Neurosurgery Obstetrics/Gynecology Opthalmology Orthopaedics

Otolaryngology Pathology Pediatrics Pharmacology Psychiatry/Neurology Radiology Surgery Urology