Undergraduate Medical Education
The Division of General Internal Medicine (GIM) provides educational experiences to students in both the preclinical and clinical years. Courses offered and administrated by faculty in GIM include the following:
Patients
Scheduled as the final teaching block of the foundational years, students arrive at the Patients course having completed their training in FOM 1, FOM 2, ICE and DCS. Thus, the course is situated at the crossroads of their foundational educational experience and their clinical clerkships. The Patients course represents the culmination of the integrated curriculum and serves as a stepping stone from which the students will confidently move ahead, through a month-long journey looking ‘backward’ at their FOM experience. Upon completion of the course, students will have an improved ability to apply pathophysiologic principles to nonspecific signs and symptoms across all organ systems.
Internal Medicine Clerkship
Housed in the Care of Adults block during the Core Clinical Experiences (CCE) of 3rd year, the Internal Medicine Clerkship is a cornerstone rotation for students. During this time, students rotate through inpatient wards in both our tertiary care academic institution, as well as a community medical center, and also care for patients in an ambulatory clinic. They are guided through this experience by a Longitudinal Preceptor who provides weekly didactic sessions and case-based learning in a small-group environment.
Primary Care Flexible Clinical Experience (FCE)
During the Core Clinical Experiences (CCE) of the 3rd year, students have the option to explore a supplementary rotation in primary care at our main academic primary care clinic. During their rotation, students perform comprehensive histories, physicals, and assessments on new patients, work directly with preceptors monitoring patients with chronic diseases and evaluate ambulatory patients with common acute problems. They also gain exposure to other aspects of academic primary care, such as medical education and administration.
Primary Care Elective
Building on skills learned in the CCE, this fourth-year elective provides students an opportunity to participate at a higher level in the delivery of comprehensive primary care. In addition to direct patient care, the student also participates in the Medicine Residency Ambulatory core curriculum and has the opportunity to develop a longitudinal project. Depending on the interests of the individual student, he/she may also gain experience in the pre-operative assessment clinic, in medical education, or in primary care administration.