Inpatient/Outpatient US Clinical Experience in Critical Care/Pulmonology in Houston in Houston

Information about this clinical experience:

You will be under the supervision of a physician board-certified in internal medicine and pulmonary / critical care. This physician holds a hospital appointment within the HCA Houston Healthcare System as well as other hospitals in the greater Houston area. The preceptor is an experienced educator and teaches family medicine residents at Sam Houston State University.

During this clinical experience, you will split your time between the inpatient and outpatient settings. In the hospital, you will take part in daily rounds within the intensive care unit. A wide range of patients with life-threatening conditions will be seen. The emphasis will be on learning how to stabilize, evaluate, and treat these critically ill patients while working within a multidisciplinary team. Rotators will have the opportunity to observe bronchoscopy, thoracentesis, and other procedures. To prepare for the critical care part of this clinical experience, we recommend using the following resources:

Medical Student’s Guide to the Intensive Care Unit

The ICU Survival Book

In the clinic, you will encounter the typical conditions seen in an outpatient pulmonology practice, including obstructive sleep apnea, COPD, asthma, interstitial lung disease, and lung cancer. Students will be able to observe how PFTs, home sleep studies, and walk tests are performed and interpreted. We recommend that you read the following articles to help you prepare for the clinical experience:

A Comprehensive Review of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

An Update on Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome—A Literature Review

Management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Review Focusing on Exacerbations

Going Back to the Basics: An Asthma Review

Interstitial Lung Disease: A Review

The practice has an active research focus and is a center for clinical trials. Currently, 3-4 trials are underway involving patients with obstructive sleep apnea, COPD, and lung cancer. Rotators can observe how the preceptor’s research team screens patients for enrollment, performs follow-ups, and monitors progress. As clinical trials are often done in hospitals and outpatient practices associated with residency programs, this can be an excellent opportunity to gain insight into this important area.

During your experience, you will learn the following U.S. medical practices under the preceptor’s supervision:

• Taking patient histories under supervision.

• Performing physical exams under the physician's supervision.

• Presenting patients.

• Interpreting pulmonary function tests and thoracic imaging.

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

The activities above will mostly take place in the outpatient setting. As a result of hospital policies, inpatient activities will be more observational.