Specialty: Cardiology

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MD2B Connect Physician ID # 141

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Where will this rotation take place: This outpatient US clinical experience will take place in Phoenix, Arizona as well as rural areas 1-2 hours outside of Phoenix. Transportation to the rural areas will be provided by the physician preceptor. 

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Hours: Monday - Tuesday 6:30 AM to 4 PM; Wednesday 8 AM to 4 PM; Thursday 6:30 AM to 4 PM; Friday 8 AM to 4 PM

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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.

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What you will do: You will be under the supervision of a physician who is board-certified in cardiology. He is on staff at Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix and St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center. He has been actively involved in the education of internal medicine residents and cardiology fellows at Banner. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, and is a member of the American College of Cardiology.

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Knowing that rural patients have limited access to cardiac care, he has made it his mission to improve access to care in rural communities in Arizona. Three days every week, he travels to communities 1-2 hours from Phoenix to deliver care in these areas. He finds this very fulfilling, and is eager to share the joys of rural medicine with the next generation of physicians. For the IMG, this will be an excellent opportunity to experience medicine in underserved areas. Your involvement in this rotation has the potential to make you a more attractive candidate to residency programs that have a rural focus or component. 

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Please note that two days of every week will be spent in his Phoenix office. 

 

The rural areas that this physician serves have suffered from a lack of access to cardiac care, a situation that has only worsened due to the pandemic. As a result, the volumes of patients seen in this rotation will be high and require you to work as part of a team to maintain patient flow in a timely and efficient manner. Although this will significantly reduce the amount of teaching time following your patient encounters, you will have substantial time in the car to and from these rural areas to discuss important topics in cardiology with the attending and ask any questions related to patient care. Prior rotators have also delivered topic presentations to the preceptor during the period of car travel.  

 

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:​

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·    Taking patient histories.

·    Performing physical exams under the physician's supervision.

·    Presenting patients.

·    Writing or entering clinic progress notes.

·    Researching the literature to answer clinical questions at the point of care.

·    Educating patients.

·    Giving talks or topic presentations to the team. 

·    Spending time with other healthcare professionals in the office to understand their roles and responsibilities.​

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Who should consider this rotation: International medical graduates (IMGs) and students seeking US clinical experience in family medicine, internal medicine, or cardiology.

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​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. 

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​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.

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See Where Our Students Applying to Internal Medicine Have Received Interviews or Matched

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Read Dr. Desai's Interview with Dr. Roy Ziegelstein (Vice Dean for Education at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Former Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center) about How to Match Successfully in Internal Medicine