Preceptorships

FCM 650 and FCM 660 Family Medicine Intensive Preceptorship

FCM 650 and FCM 660 are requirements in the 2nd year of the  curriculum.

Course Description

Second-year students are placed in the offices of primary care physicians to observe and participate in the delivery of quality and evidence-based primary healthcare. These rotations allow students to observe the role of the primary care physician in the continuity of care for their patients. Students are supplied an appropriate environment to practice and refine skills in data gathering, communication, physical examination, medical documentation, differential diagnoses development, physician-patient relationships, clinical problem solving, ethical decision making, patient education, and lifelong learning.

FCM 660 allows students to complete their preceptorship while on selected international rotations offered by the Institute for Global Health. All assignments and expectations are the same as the in-state rotation.

Goals

• Exploration of the roles played by primary care physicians in the community ambulatory care setting, and their connection to specialist care.
• Development and practice of professionalism skills.
• Incorporation of information and skills acquired in the classroom setting to the management of patient care in the ambulatory setting.
• Preparation for learning during 3rd and 4th year clerkship rotations.
• Development and practice of physician-patient interaction skills.
• Orientation to use of standardized assessment tools used in the primary care setting.
• Interaction with other healthcare professionals in the primary care ambulatory setting.

Objectives

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Exhibit professional dress and behavior, including maintaining courteous, productive, and positive interactions with patients, office staff, and physicians.
• Demonstrate appropriate time management skills during a patient encounter.
• Recognize the importance of work/life balance and of continuing education.
• Gather data appropriately from patients, other health care professionals, and outside resources.
• Demonstrate basic skills in medical documentation.
• Consider and apply osteopathic principles and practices while providing comprehensive patient assessments and treatment plans.
• Obtain an accurate and thorough history of illness and past medical history from a patient in a comfortable, non-judgmental atmosphere.
• Use OPPQRSTA mnemonic for a problem-focused visit, conduct an appropriate history for chronic condition follow-up, as well as obtain past medical history (PMHx), past surgical history (PSHx), social history (SocHx), medication allergies, and current medication list.
• Obtain an appropriately sequenced and technically accurate physical exam of all necessary body systems.
• Develop and document the subjective, objective, assessment, and plan aspects of an office note.
• Utilize evidence-based medicine to develop a treatment plan.
• Students will utilize skills learned in OPC by completing a comprehensive Acute Visit Office Note
• Formulate clinical questions in a clinical environment.
• Observe the roles of medical assistants, nurses and other health care professionals and how roles interact with patients and primary care physicians.

For further information on the preceptorship program, please contact Rebecca Reagan, program coordinator at (517) 353-4732.