UNDER SERVED CARE

For Students Under Served Care Clerkship Requirements (3rd Year)
•	Under Served Care Syllabus
•	Required Booklist
•	Evaluation Forms; Clinical encounter log, procedure logs
Under Served Care Rotation Sites & Faculty
•	Meet the Under Served Care Faculty
•	Under Served Care Site-Specific Instructions
Under Served Care Fellowship and Career Information
•	Under Served Care Fellowships and Careers
•	Under Served Care Web Links and Resources
For Faculty
•	Faculty Development and CME Program
•	Useful Faculty Development Links (go to Quick Links)
•	Clinical Faculty Application
•	Preceptor Evaluation of Students

 

 

 

 

 

 

Under Served Care Syllabus

Chair:

Linda Frasca, M.D. (lfrasca@vcom.vt.edu)
Associate Professor
Office: #139 Knollwood
Phone: 540-231-7188

Rotation Credit Hours:

---

Goals

The department’s goal is to foster a passion for Primary Care, Underserved Care and to encourage students to practice in an Appalachian underserved community!  This is one of the missions of VCOM and this USC rotation has selected its teaching faculty to also serve as mentors for our students.  Many of the USC Faculty participates in international medical mission trips.

---

Rotation Description

During the third year USC rotation, students expand their knowledge of Family Medicine in a wide variety of clinical settings.   The curriculum is taught through 20 on-line cases, and reinforced through assigned readings found on the Student Encounter Log from the required text Rakel (2011), and through one-on-one student-preceptor experiences.    The Core USC Competencies that are to be gained in the third year are found below. Prior to beginning the rotation students should view the following on the portal for specific instructions and also the lecture on VCOM July 2011 updated:

• Introduction to VCOM USC Clerkships

Clinical Setting in Which Rotation Occurs

The USC rotation is very unique as each clinical site is different.   Students may experience the clinical practice of a rural physician from office based practice to the Emergency Room, hospitalized patients, nursing homes and occasionally home visits. The one month rotation in the third year may be completed in the Appalachian Region or at one of the school's international sites.  Due to the variety of practice opportunities and formats on this rotation, students should review their specific site instructions for a more detailed description of their specific practice setting.

---

Requirements for Completion

Required Textbooks:

• Rakel: Textbook of Family Medicine 8e, Elsevier/2011 (Available in electronic format on the VCOM Library)
• Somatic Dysfunction in Osteopathic Family Medicine, by Kenneth E. Nelson, DO,FAAO, FACOFP.

The specific reading assignments in this textbook have been designed to correspond to the core clinical topics for the rotation and can be found below under the Clinical Modules – Required Curriculum And on the required USC student encounter log.

Requirements for Successful Completion of the Under Served Care Rotation:

1. Attendance according to VCOM and preceptor requirements. (see Student Handbook)
   
2. Read and study the 21 Clinical Modules
3. Read and study theOMM Core Curriculum Assignments (+)
   10 OMM test questions are added to the  USC core exam from the following chapters:
1. The required reading text for the third year OMM curriculum:
    Somatic Dysfunction in Osteopathic Family Medicine, by Kenneth E. Nelson, DO,FAAO, FACOFP.
   Ch 23 - The Patient with Larson’s Syndrome, Functional Vasomotor Hemiparesthesia Syndrome
   Ch 24 – The Patient with Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
4. Submit a completed student encounter log
   1. Student Encounter Log
5. Rotation Evaluations:
   • Student Site Evaluation. Students must complete and submit at the end of rotation.
   • Preceptor Evaluation form
     • It is the student's responsibility to ensure that all clinical evaluation forms are completed and submitted online or turned into the Site Coordinator or the Clinical Affairs Office at the completion of each rotation. Students should inform the Clinical Affairs Office of any difficulty in obtaining an evaluation by the preceptor at the end of that rotation
6. Successful completion of the end-of-rotation written exam.
   1. 100 USC questions from the 20 clinical modules
   2. 10 OMM test questions from the assigned readings
      

RETURN TO TOP

---

Clinical Modules - Required for Completion

The USC curriculum is delivered through the following 20 modules covering common clinical conditions seen in an USC setting.  Each of the following topics has specific learning objectives and is accompanied by an assigned reading (found also on the Student Encounter Log) in the text as well as an online case.    The USC end-of-rotation exam questions will be derived directly from the specific objectives presented in each of the below modules. 

Thus success on the exam will require that students study thoroughly the 20 modules (reinforcing these topics with the readings in Rakel) and the OMM assignments.

1. Pneumonia [+]

2. Skin Lesions and Common Office Dermatology Procedures   [+]

3. Skin Infections and Superficial Fungal Skin Infections   [+]

4. Sinusitis  [+]

5. COPD [+]

6. Chest Pain [+]

7. TIA/ CVA [+]

8. Knee Pain [+]

9. Occupational Disorder [+]

10. Gastritis vs. Ulcer Disease [+]

11. Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding [+]

12. Acute Confusion [+]

13. Managing Simple Fractures [+]

14. Dehydration [+]

15. Laceration and Suturing  [+]

16. Neisseria Meningitis [+]

17. Sports Injury [+]

18. Dermatitis [+]

19. The Red Eye [+]

20. Insomnia [+]

21. OMM Core Curriculum Assignments [+]

RETURN TO TOP

---

Clinical Performance Objectives

While the end-of-rotation exam is derived from the didactic curriculum and objectives described above in the “Clinical Modules – Required Curriculum” section, the end-of-rotation evaluation completed by your geriatric preceptor is based on clinical core competencies.  These core competencies reflect student performance in 6 key areas: communication, problem solving, clinical skills, medical knowledge, osteopathic medicine and professional and ethical considerations.  Your end-of-rotation evaluation from your preceptor will be based directly on your performance in these 6 core competencies as described below.  

1. Communication - the student should demonstrate the following clinical communication skills:
   
   1. Effective listening to patient, family, peers, and healthcare team
      
   2. Demonstrates compassion and respect in patient communications
      
   3. Effective investigation of chief complaint, medical and psychosocial history specific to the rotation
      
   4. Considers whole patient: social, spiritual & cultural concerns
      
   5. Efficiently prioritizes essential from non-essential information
      
   6. Assures patient understands instructions, consents & medications
      
   7. Presents cases in an accurate, concise, well organized manner
      
      
2. Problem Solving – the student should demonstrate the following problem solving skills:
   
   1. Identify important questions and separate data in organized fashion organizing positives & negatives
      
   2. Discern major from minor patient problems
      
   3. Formulate a differential while identifying the most common diagnoses
      
   4. Identify indications for & appliy findings from the most common radiographic and diagnostic tests
      
   5. Identify correct management plan considering contraindications & interactions
      
      
3. Clinical Skills - the student should demonstrate the following problem solving skills:
   
   1. Assesses vital signs & triage patient according to degree of illness
      
   2. Perform good auscultory, palpatory & visual skills
      
   3. Perform a thorough physical exam pertinent to the rotation
      
      
4. Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine - the student should demonstrate the following skills in regards to osteopathic manipulative medicine
   
   1. Apply osteopathic manipulative medicine successfully when appropriate
      
   2. Perform and document a thorough musculoskeletal exam
      
   3. Utilize palpatory skills to accurately discern physical changes that occur with various clinical disorders
      
   4. Apply osteopathic manipulative treatments successfully
       
5. Medical Knowledge – the student should demonstrate the following in regards to medical knowledge
   1. Identify & correlate anatomy, pathology and pathophysiology related to most disease processes
   2. Demonstrate characteristics of a self-motivated learner including demonstrating interest and enthusiasm about patient cases and  research of the literature
   3. Are thorough & knowledgeable in researching evidence based literature
   4. Actively seek feedback from preceptor on areas for improvement
   5. Correlate symptoms & signs with most common disease
      
      
6. Professional and Ethical Behaviors - the student should demonstrate the following professional and ethical behaviors and skills:
   1. Is dutiful, arrives on time & stays until all tasks are complete      
   2. Consistently follows through on patient care responsibilities
   3. Accepts & readily responds to feedback, is not resistant to advice
   4. Assures professionalism in relationships with patients, staff, & peers
   5. Displays integrity & honesty in medical ability and documentation
   6. Acknowledges errors, seeks to correct errors appropriately
   7. Is well prepared for and seeks to provide high quality patient care
   8. Identifies the importance to care for underserved populations in a non-judgmental & altruistic manner

RETURN TO TOP

---