Goals

The Faculty will strive to:

1. Expose senior medical student to the scope of health issues of the homeless and indigent.
2. Students will gain insight to the mechanics and complexities of operating and organizing a primary care clinic. They will also interact with a variety of medical services including the Department of Health, Child/Adult Protective Services, and Mental Health and Mental Retardation.

Objectives

Upon completion, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate and cultivate interview and examination skills.
2. Develop a differential diagnosis and treatment strategies for common problems of the homeless.
3. Learn to work with limited resources and construct creative ways to overcome limitations.
4. Develop follow up plans in a transient population.
5. Create appropriate letters of notification for reportable diseases.
6. Recognize social issues that demand quick attention.
7. Maintain a professional and respectful relationship with the patients.
8. Learn how to set up, organize, and manage an outpatient medical clinic.
9. Identify educational health prevention topics and strategies for the homeless.

Learning Activities

1. Work a total of 80 hours (4 hours per week) at Martha’s Health Clinic for a total of at least 20 weeks or works a total of 40 hours (4 hours per week) for a total of at least 10 weeks. The weeks do not need to be consecutive.
2. Attend Student Board or Executive meetings.
3. Create a written report about your educational experience at Martha’s Health Clinic.
4. Participate in the daily mechanics of running the clinic.
5. Interaction with area health agencies.
6. Provide patient education.
7. Students will read about illnesses encountered.
8. Make an education display/poster for the patients of Martha Health Clinic directed toward preventive medicine and specific health concerns for the homeless.
9. Provide information to patients about social services available to them.
10. Perform necessary laboratory work.

Learning Resources

1. Richard D. Haines Medical Library at Scott & White
2. Social Work Services/P.A.L.A.D.I.N. at Scott & White
3. Local health agencies
4. Attending physicians
5. Clinic academic files

Evaluation

1. Students will be evaluated based on a record of attendance, the written/oral report, and standard evaluation forms from the attending physicians overseeing the clinic.

Course Evaluation

1. Students will evaluate the overall utility and usefulness of the course, using the standard form. Copies of the evaluations will be forwarded to the course coordinator and the executive officers of the clinic.

Elective Administrator(s)

Robert A. Henry, Jr., DO

Department of Family and Community Medicine
1402 West Ave H
Temple, Texas 76504

Phone: (254) 771-7707
Email: rahenry@swmail.sw.org

John Manning, MD

Department of Family and Community Medicine
1402 West Ave H
Temple, Texas 76504

Phone: (254) 771-7707
Email: jmanning@swmail.sw.org

Coordinator(s)

Laura Gibson
Program Administrator

Department of Family and Community Medicine
1402 West Ave H
Temple, Texas   76504

Phone: (254) 771-7707
Pager: 0927
Email: lgibson@swmail.sw.org