Department:

Family and Community Medicine
Title: Rural Family Practice Acting Internship(meets AI requirements) - MFCM983R
Faculty: Department of Family Practice
Reporting Location: Report to assigned clinic at 8:00 am on first day of rotation -
Johns Community Hospital
Scott and White Taylor-Johns Clinic, Taylor, Texas
Scott and White Gatesville Clinic, Gatesville, Texas
Duration: Four Weeks
Number of Students: One
When Offered: All Year except December
Prerequisite: Fourth Year Status
Description: Students are required to take call about every four nights in the local hospital, assuming responsibility (under attending physician's supervision) for inpatients' diagnostic work-ups, management, and discharge planning. Students will become familiar with issues in health care delivery, including DRG's, effective utilization of resources, and quality of care. Students will also have time in outpatient care, developing similar strategies. Opportunities exist for scrubbing in on surgical cases and performing bedside procedures. Students may participate in hospital committees and County Medical Society meetings, time permitting. Students will be graded upon their performance of their duties, and are expected to give a case presentation to the Clinic Staff during the fourth week of the rotation.

Goals - The faculty will strive to:

  1. Expose fourth year medical students to the lifestyle of family practitioners, with respect to both inpatient and outpatient care, as well as familiarizing the student with duties associated with internship. This opportunity allows responsibility while under supervision and permits the student an intimate look at the demands and rewards of rural primary care.

Objectives - Upon completion of the rotation, the student is expected to:

    1. Demonstrate the ability to interview and examine patients, entering information clearly in patient records.
    2. Develop a differential diagnosis and diagnostic strategy.
    3. Order appropriate laboratory and imaging studies.
    4. Incorporate cost-effectiveness and risk-benefit concepts into patient care.
    5. Develop interpretation skills and select appropriate treatment strategies.
    6. Understand interactions of multiple health problems and multiple medications.
    7. Display understanding of health care team approach in inpatient care, including contribution of allied health professionals, and utilization review.
    8. Develop appropriate discharge planning and outpatient follow-up.
    9. Present data logically and concisely in verbal presentation.
    10. Demonstrate comprehension of family practice concepts, in long- term management of patient's health, in illness' impact on the family, and community health issues.

Learning Activities:

    1. Perform admission history and physical examinations and evaluations; developing diagnostic and therapeutic plans; performing emergency room evaluation.
    2. Rounding on assigned patients, writing progress notes and orders (which will be co-signed by attending physician); dictating discharge summaries and helping with discharge planning.
    3. Participating in outpatient clinic as directed.
    4. Self directed reading/research on cases seen during the rotation.

Learning Resources:

    1. Local hospital/clinic medical library.
    2. Med-line searches through the medical library at Scott & White Hospital
    3. Attending staff physicians.

Student Evaluation:

  1. Student will be evaluated using the standard A&M evaluation forms as pass/fail.

Course Evaluation:

    1. The standard A&M elective faculty evaluation form will be utilized.

Course Director:
 Johns Community Hospital
Franklin Chang, M.D.
Scott & White Taylor-Johns Clinic
Taylor, Texas 76574
(512) 352-5251 <

NOTE: This experience is also open to fourth-year students other than TAMUS HSC students.

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