.jpg)
OUTPATIENT US Clinical Experience
IN family medicine
Specialty: Family Medicine
​
MD2B Connect Physician ID # 231
​
Where will this rotation take place: This outpatient US clinical experience will take place in Los Angeles, California.
​​​
Hours: Monday through Friday 8 AM to 5 PM
​
​Hours have been provided by the preceptor. Hours are subject to change at the preceptor’s discretion, but the minimum total hours will remain approximately the same.
​
What you will do: You will be under the supervision of a highly experienced family physician known for providing holistic care to patients through a combination of Western medicine, homeopathy, and other modalities. The attending had a background in surgery and surgical research before finding her calling in family medicine. After completing family medicine residency, she opened up her practice in Southern California. She has held hospital appointments at Lakewood Regional Medical Center and Los Alamitos Medical Center. She has educated international medical graduates from all over the world and is dedicated to helping learners grow through experiences in her practice.
​
When she opened her practice ten years ago, she recalls that many patients were dissatisfied with conventional care. Medications were not always the answer and patients sought her advice about supplements and other non-traditional treatments. Hoping to provide these patients with other options, she trained in homeopathy and bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. One interesting treatment she offers is hormonal therapy for patients suffering from traumatic brain injury symptoms. Research indicates that some TBI patients experience significant improvement with such treatment.
​
Seeing that many of her patients were suffering from depression, anxiety, addiction, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, she also has made the treatment of these conditions a major part of her practice. Given that most patients with psychiatric illness initially present to their primary care physicians, she feels that all doctors need to be well versed in the evaluation and management of patients struggling with their mental health. She is a known expert in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), a cutting edge treatment for depression. Of note, in her practice, she collaborates with a psychiatrist colleague. For one week of the rotation, students will spend time with the technician learning how to perform EEG, TMS, and neurofeedback. (Please note that this experience remains within the regulations of California pertaining to the unlicensed practice of medicine. Rotators will not be practicing medicine but will be learning under the guidance of the physician preceptor)
​
Rotators will have the opportunity to observe how the preceptor interacts with these patients in a compassionate manner. This preceptor is known for her bedside manner, listening skills, and patient-centered nature. Her patients appreciate that they are never hurried through their visit, with a typical visit lasting 30-45 minutes. Useful articles to read before starting the rotation include:
​
-
Managing Behavioral Health Issues in Primary Care: Six Five-Minute Tools
-
Bioidentical Hormones: An Evidence-Based Review for Primary Care Providers
-
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: A Clinical Primer for Nonexperts
-
Neurofeedback: A Comprehensive Review on System Design, Methodology and Clinical Applications
​
You will receive regular feedback on your performance.
​
Who should consider this rotation: International medical graduates (IMGs) and students seeking US clinical experience in family medicine. IMGs interested in psychiatry will also find this experience useful given the large number of patients seen in this practice with mental health illness.
​​
How to obtain a letter of recommendation: The rotator should ask the preceptor for a LOR near the conclusion of the rotation. Dr. Desai has provided the physician with guidelines about best practices in letter writing that meet residency program requirements. In some cases, the preceptor may ask the rotator to write a letter of recommendation draft.
​During the rotation: Our team will be checking in periodically with you to ensure that you are having an optimal experience. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions during the rotation.
Inpatient/OUTPATIENT US Clinical Experience
IN family medicine
Specialty: Family Medicine
​
MD2B Connect Physician ID # 269
​​
Where will this rotation take place: This inpatient and outpatient US clinical experience will take place in Los Angeles, specifically in Orange County.
​​
Hours: Monday – Thursday 9 AM to 4 PM
​
Hours have been provided by the preceptor. Hours are subject to change at the preceptor’s discretion, but the minimum total hours will remain approximately the same.
​​
What you will do: You will be under the supervision of a physician who is board-certified in Family Medicine with considerable teaching experience. This physician is on staff at several long-term acute care hospitals in Orange County.
Mornings will mostly be spent in the preceptor’s outpatient practice, seeing on average 8-12 patients per day. In the clinic, you will see a range of issues with a focus on health promotion, disease prevention, and diagnosis and treatment of both acute and chronic illness. As a significant number of patients will have chronic conditions, this will be an excellent opportunity to become familiar with how family medicine physicians assess, monitor, and treat these problems. Of note, this physician is utilizing technology to provide better care for these patients. For example, through remote monitoring used by the practice, this physician can acquire information from patients between visits, allowing more frequent data points and the opportunity to change or adjust treatment at quicker intervals. This is part of a chronic care management program that the physician participates in, and this experience will allow you to become more familiar with how physicians tackle these challenging issues.
Most afternoons will be spent at long-term acute care facilities or skilled nursing units providing care to medically complex patients requiring extended time for recovery. On average, 15-20 patients are seen every day between several facilities. In these institutions, you will learn how to care for their diverse and many needs, dealing with such issues as polypharmacy, dementia and delirium care, capacity assessments, end-of-life planning, and fall risk reduction. You will also see how care of these patients requires input from and collaboration with families and interprofessional staff (e.g., nurses, physical and occupational therapists, etc.).
After a few days of observation, you will take on an increasing role in patient encounters and learn the following under the preceptor’s supervision:​
​​
-
Taking patient histories.
-
Performing physical exams under the physician's supervision.
-
Presenting patients.
-
Writing or entering clinic progress notes (Practice Fusion EMR)
-
Researching the literature to answer clinical questions at the point of care.
-
Educating patients.
-
Spending time with other healthcare professionals in the office to understand their roles and responsibilities.
​
Who should consider this rotation: International medical graduates (IMGs) and students seeking US clinical experience. IMGs seeking careers in family medicine or internal medicine will find this rotation useful.
How to obtain a letter of recommendation: The rotator should ask the preceptor for a LOR near the conclusion of the rotation. Dr. Desai has provided the physician with guidelines about best practices in letter writing that meet residency program requirements. In some cases, the preceptor may ask the rotator to write a letter of recommendation draft.
​
​During the rotation: Our team will be checking in periodically with you to ensure that you are having an optimal experience. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions during the rotation.