MEDI D611 - Internal Medicine/Neurology Clerkship

Credits: 12

A twelve-week, twelve-credit-hour required clerkship in the third year consisting of two weeks of Neurology, six weeks of inpatient wards, and four weeks of outpatient or subspecialty medicine. During the inpatient portions of the rotation, students perform as active members of the student/resident/fellow/attending physician team. In some cases, the team is a consultative service (subspecialty electives and Neurology) and in others, the team is the primary patient care service (general medicine wards and the intensive care unit). Students are assigned patients, obtain medical histories, perform physical examinations, evaluate laboratory data, and analyze the information in order to define patients’ problems and formulate a diagnostic and therapeutic care plan. Performance is reviewed both during specific preceptor-student contacts and during student presentations on rounds with the team. During the ambulatory portion of the rotation, students work closely with resident, fellow, and attending preceptors, discussing each patient encounter in depth and participating in didactic sessions. Students become familiar with concepts of time management and performance of focused patient assessments. Throughout this clerkship, emphasis is placed on the interpretation of clinical findings in terms of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of disease and the subsequent translation of this information into rational decisions about management. The clerkship provides students, through their active participation, with opportunities to observe the diagnostic process as it unfolds and to develop competence in evaluating broad clinical problems. For Neurology in particular, the focus will be to broaden students’ basic neuroscience knowledge and learn to apply this knowledge clinically. Students will also develop skills in taking a focused neurological history and conducting a thorough neurological examination. Primary methods of instruction include lecture, case-based self-study and discussion, clinical preceptorship, educational conferences, standardized/simulated patients, small-group discussion, and teaching rounds. Modes of assessment include the Internal Medicine NBME subject examination, Neurology departmental exam, clinical evaluations, and an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Demonstration of mastery of a prescribed set of clinical skills, included on the Clinical Skills Attainment Document, is required for successful completion of this clerkship.

Note: Restricted to medical students

University of South Carolina

Schools & Colleges

University Offices

Resources

University Campuses

Social Media

MEDI D611 - Internal Medicine/Neurology Clerkship