Inpatient US Clinical Experience in Family Medicine/Internal Medicine in Orlando

Information about this clinical experience:

You will be under the supervision of a board-certified family medicine physician who serves as a hospitalist. The preceptor works within the AdventHealth Hospital System and has a one week on and one week off schedule. The physician is a passionate teacher and precepts family medicine residents who are training in the AdventHealth Winter Park residency program. However, please note that students participating in this experience will not be working with residents.

This preceptor is invested in making sure that students have a strong learning experience. The physician prefers to touch base with rotators several days before the start day to discuss specifics regarding logistics and the typical workday. During this conversation, you are encouraged to share any goals you have for the experience so that the preceptor can meet your needs. 

At 8 AM, your morning will begin with a review of the patient list with the attending physician. The list will include both newly admitted patients and established patients on the service. After you receive your patient assignments, you will start with prerounds. During prerounds, the team will gather the relevant information needed to develop the day’s care plans for the patients on the service. Following prerounds, you will join the preceptor for attending rounds. You will visit patients at the bedside with the team and have a chance to present cases, including your assessment and plan, to the attending.

At 10 AM, you will meet for multidisciplinary rounds. This will be an opportunity for the entire team to meet and discuss patients, current challenges in care, and barriers to discharge. This will be an excellent opportunity to observe how an interprofessional team of physicians, case managers, and nurses collaborate with one another to provide high-quality care.

Your afternoons will be spent in different ways. For part of the time, you will practice your note-writing by working on a handwritten simulated note which you will present to the preceptor for review and feedback. On most days, you will be asked to present a topic. Once a week, you will accompany your preceptor to the ED to see how patients are admitted to a hospitalist service.

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

• Taking patient histories.

• Presenting patients.

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

• Educating patients.

• Delivering talks about important topics.

• Teaching other team members.

On the weeks you have off, you will be assigned readings on topics that are important but do not get the attention they deserve during medical school and residency. Off week assignments will include nutrition, wellness, and financial literacy. Please read the following articles to understand the importance of this aspect of the clinical experience:

Nutrition Education in Medical School, Residency Training, and Practice

Empowering Physicians with Financial Literacy

Goals will include:

• Learn to cook healthy meals and bring in the recipes you learned. This is both for yourself and to teach your patients.

• Create an exercise program for yourself.

• Learn about nutrition and how it can cure and prevent diseases.

• Learn about nutrition for specific metabolic diseases.

• Teach patients how to counsel about weight loss, methods, diets, plans, etc.

• Financial Literacy for physicians: Establish financial goals, create a budget, plan what you will do with your income