Clerkship Opportunities for Medical Students

Clerkship in Primary Care Medicine at Stamford Hospital

Clerkship Overview: This clinical clerkship consists of five weeks seeing patients in an outpatient clinic setting, both independently and with residents and attending physicians. Students will develop skills in history taking and physical examination, focusing on assessments and treatment plans. Mid-session and end-of-session feedback will be provided to each student by the clerkship director. Each student will be asked to present a topic on Preventive Medicine (e.g., screening, primary prevention, immunization) in the fourth week of the rotation. In addition to primary care clinic experience, this rotation provides the opportunity for students to see patients in sub-specialty clinics including Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Infectious Disease, Endocrinology, Dermatology, and Pulmonology/TB. Required didactic teaching sessions during this rotation include weekly review of topics and literature in primary care, as well as one half-day weekly of academic sessions on varying topics.

This clerkship will introduce students to the principles and practice of Primary Care Medicine:

• Performance of accurate and efficient History and Physical Examinations
• Knowledge of the evaluation and management of common primary care complaints as well as chronic disease management
• Essentials of preventive medicine (e.g., disease screening, primary prevention)
• Motivational patient interviewing skills
• Common issues in outpatient medical subspecialties (i.e., Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Infectious Disease, Endocrinology, Dermatology, Pulmonology)

Primary Care clerkship learning objectives:

• Learn foundational skills in an outpatient medical practice
• Acquire skills in taking accurate and complete History & Physical Examinations
• Develop clinical reasoning skills
• Perform case presentations (written and oral)
• Establish good work habits and professionalism
• Develop communication skills and positive rapport with patient

Primary Care clerkship faculty:

• Tzivia Moreen, MD – Primary Care Physician and Geriatrician, Primary Care Medicine Clerkship Director. Area of interest: Geriatric Medicine
• Celeste Cox Baldwin, MD – Primary Care Physician, Primary Care Clerkship Coordinator and Clinic Director.
  
  

Clerkship in Family Medicine

This clinical clerkship provides an opportunity for students to have clinical experiences in ambulatory practices. Students will learn the core skills and knowledge essential to the practice of primary care: diagnosis and treatment of common outpatient complaints, management of chronic medical conditions, and strategies for health promotion and disease prevention. The site offers a full spectrum family medicine practice; seeing adults, pediatrics and obstetrics. The student will see patients under the supervision of senior residents and faculty. The students will participate in the residency educational conferences while on this rotation.

The clerkship will introduce students to the principles and practice of Family Medicine:

• Observe how family physicians provide for the ongoing medical needs of their patients.
• Learn how to focus on discrete portions of the patient’s medical history and physical concerns with the confines of an office visit.
• See patients presenting with acute medical problems as well as chronic disease follow up and preventative health exams

Family Medicine clerkship learning objectives:

• Develop a primary care evidence-based approach to the diagnosis and management of problems commonly seen in a primary care office
• Increase communication skills with patients
• Perform a complete and accurate history and physical
• Interpret basic laboratory data.
• Present patient information to attendings, residents and colleagues in an accurate and concise manner.
• Understand the relevance of biopsychosocial, familial, socioeconomic and community factors to provide patient-centered care.

Family Medicine clerkship faculty:

• Kathleen Nurena, MD – Medical Student Clerkship Director, Assistant Residency Program Director. Interest: Pediatrics, Medical Education
• Joseph Connelly, MD – Chair, Department of Family Medicine, Board-Certified, Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Interest: Palliative Medicine
• Deborah Pinto, MD - Assistant Residency Program Director. Interest: Obesity Medicine
• Henry Yoon, MD – Residency Program Director. Interest: Interdisciplinary Education, Public Health/Emergency Medicine
  
  

Clerkship in Internal Medicine

This clinical clerkship consists of four weeks on an inpatient Medical service at Stamford Hospital. Students will learn the core skills and knowledge essential to the practice of internal medicine, including the diagnosis and treatment of common acute and chronic medical conditions. Students become an integral part of the Medicine team, pre-rounding on their patients, presenting their patients during attending rounds, and composing admission and progress notes. Students will see patients under the supervision of senior residents and faculty. The students will participate in the residency educational conferences while on this rotation.

The clerkship will introduce students to the principles and practice of Internal Medicine:

• Evaluating and admitting patients from the Emergency Room
• Caring for critically ill inpatients
• Understanding when patients require a higher level of care
• Learn how to perform venipuncture, arterial blood gas sampling and other skills if applicable (e.g., lumbar punctures, paracentesis)
• Understanding and participating in disposition planning

Internal Medicine clerkship learning objectives:

Learn foundational skills in becoming a physician such as:

• Conduct history & physical examinations
• Develop clinical reasoning skills
• Perform case presentations (written and oral)
• Establish good work habits and professionalism
• Develop good bedside mannerisms with inpatients
• Learn the importance of teamwork

• Work up eight to ten patients

  • Follow at least two patients at any one time
  • Perform five patient write ups
  • Perform an observed history & physical examination
    
    

Clerkship in Surgery

This clinical clerkship provides an introduction to the principles of the surgical care. During the five week rotation, third year medical students are immersed in the clinical milieu of both general surgery and surgical subspecialties. The experience is based primarily in the inpatient setting, both on the wards and in the operating room; however, there is also participation in outpatient care. There is a didactic teaching component supplemented with independent study.

The clerkship will introduce students to the principles and practice of Surgery:

• Participate in the preoperative evaluation, operative management, and postoperative care of patients presenting with a wide variety of surgical pathologies.
• Learn basic principles of surgery, to include wound care, suture and tissue handling, surgical anatomy, and operative dissection.
• Obtain experiences in different surgical subspecialties, gaining perspectives unique to them.

Surgery clerkship learning objectives:

• Understand basic principles and practices with respect to aseptic technique and surgical decision-making, both in the intra- and perioperative setting.
• Develop a working knowledge of basic surgical anatomy, particularly with respect to the abdomen and pelvis.
• Understand perioperative patient management principles, both in the ward and intensive care unit settings.

Surgery clerkship faculty:

• Kevin Dwyer, MD – Medical Student Clerkship Director, Residency Program Director. Interest: Trauma, Medical Education
• William Symons, MD – Vice-Chair of Administrative Affairs, Department of Surgery, Interest: Complex Hernia Repair
• Michael Ebright, MD – Vice-Chair of Operations, Department of Surgery; Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery Interest: Thoracic Oncology, Reflux Disease
• David Yuh, MD – Chair, Department of Surgery; Medical Student Clerkship Director (Stamford Affiliation Interests: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Minimally-Invasive Mitral Valve Repair

Clerkship in Obstetrics & Gynecology

The obstetrics and gynecology clerkship is a five-week rotation spent at Stamford Hospital. The main objective is to familiarize students with the signs and symptoms of normal and abnormal reproductive function and to teach the basic examinations in obstetrics and gynecology. The course will emphasize and reinforce skills for taking an appropriate history, performing a physical and pelvic examination, formulating a differential diagnosis as well as a treatment plan, and properly managing patients.

The student may gain exposure to the medical-surgical aspects in the subspecialty areas of gynecologic oncology, reproductive endocrinology, and perinatology.

The primary didactic vehicles will consist of formal lectures with assigned readings. Small-group preceptor sessions along with conferences will supplement the core.

Obstetrics & Gynecology clerkship learning objectives:

• Knowledge for Practice: Demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical, epidemiological and social-behavioral sciences, as well as the application of this knowledge to patient care in obstetrics and gynecology
• Patient Care: Provide patient-centered care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of obstetric and gynecologic health problems and the promotion of women's health
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in the Professionalism and Personal Development: Demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities and an adherence to ethical principles, demonstrate the qualities required to sustain lifelong personal and professional growth
• Practice-Based Learning and Improvement: Use information technology to access medical information, critically assess current literature to support his or her own education and provide accessible educational information to patients. Use feedback to identify areas for improvement.
• Systems-Based Practice: Work effectively with other health care professionals, in inpatient and outpatient settings as well as in the operating room and labor and delivery suite, to provide patient-focused care. Respond appropriately to medical errors if they arise.

Obstetrics & Gynecology clerkship faculty:

• Paul Bobby, MD – Medical Student Clerkship Director & Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine. Areas of interest include: Medical Complications of Pregnancy, Genetics, Fetal Testing, Quality & Safety.
• Scott Chudnoff, MD – Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Areas of interest include: Minimally Invasive GYN Surgery, Fibroids, Research
• Frances Ginsburg, MD – Associate Residency Director, Director of Reproductive Endourology and Interfertility, General GYN
• Setul Pardanani, MD- Residency Directory, Director of Ambulatory Care. Areas of Interest include: Ambulatory care, well women visits, ambulatory prenatal care
• Carol Fucigna, MD – Vice Chair, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Areas of interest include: Menopause, Office Gynecology, prenatal care.
• Elizabeth Aronow, MD – Generalist, Obstetrics & Gynecology. Areas of interest include: Office Gynecology, Prenatal Care.
• Julie Geiser, APRN. Areas of interest include: Ambulatory Care, Well Women Visits, ambulatory prenatal care.