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Family Medicine & Community Health Elective Course Description

Course Name: Correctional Medicine Inpatient Elective
Course Number: FC-439
Elective Type: B1
Coordinator(s): Warren Ferguson, MD
warren.ferguson@umassmemorial.org
Department: Family Medicine & Community Health
Sites Available: Lemuel Shattuck Hospital (Jamaica Plain) =LEMU
Months Offered: E1-M10
Number of Students / Month: 1
Prerequisites: Completion of 3rd Year Clerkships
Elective Description:
The Lemuel Shattuck Hospital is the primary site for hospital based and specialty medical care for the Mass. Dept. of Correction. We provide both inpatient and outpatient medical management with variety of medical/surgical subspecialties. The 8 North floor is the main floor for inpatient medical/surgical service. At any time, between 18-22 correctional patients are distributed among services: the teaching acute medicine service; the surgical service; the orthopedic service and medical affiliated services including HIV/ID, pulmonary, rehab and TB services. The acute medicine team consists of a medical attending, a third year Internal Medicine resident from Tufts-NEMC, (3) Tufts Transitional year interns, (1) Carney medical intern and generally one fourth year Tufts Medical student. The Intensive Care Unit hosts an average of four critically ill patients including correctional patients. Our medical correctional patients present with a variety of complicated medical problems and illnesses. Some of the most common admitting diagnosis are: Substance Abuse Toxicity and Detoxification, Liver Cirrhosis with its complications, HIV related disease, Seizure disorder and malingering, dehydration and hunger strike, foreign body insertions and other self induced injuries.

We also see a large number of admissions for coronary artery disease, peptic ulcer disease, inflammatory bowel disease, cellulites, GI bleed, sepsis, respiratory failure, pneumonias, pancreatitis, CNS infection, etc.

Learning Objectives for this four week rotation:
By the end of the experience, learners will:
  1. Know the common acute conditions for which inmate patients are hospitalized.
  2. Develop skill in managing these acute conditions including: sever drug and alcohol detoxification, acute infections including complications of chronic infections.
Note: N/A
Location: Lemuel Shattuck Hospital (Jamaica Plain) = LEMU
Website: Family Medicine Department  http://www.umassmed.edu/fmch/