Outpatient US Clinical Experience in Family Medicine in Los Angeles

Information about this clinical experience:

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, the doctor opened up a practice in Southern California. The physician has held hospital appointments at Lakewood Regional Medical Center and Los Alamitos Medical Center. The preceptor has educated international medical graduates from all over the world and is dedicated to helping learners grow through experiences in the practice.

When the doctor opened the practice ten years ago, the doctor 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, the physician trained in homeopathy and bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. One interesting treatment the doctor 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 patients were suffering from depression, anxiety, addiction, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, the doctor also has made the treatment of these conditions a major part of the practice. Given that most patients with psychiatric illness initially present to their primary care physicians, the doctor feels that all doctors need to be well versed in the evaluation and management of patients struggling with their mental health. The physician is a known expert in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), a cutting edge treatment for depression. Of note, in the practice, the preceptor 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 bedside manner, listening skills, and patient-centered nature. 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:

• Bridging the Communication Gap Between Physicians and Their Patients With Physical Symptoms of Depression

• Managing Behavioral Health Issues in Primary Care: Six Five-Minute Tools

• Depression in the Primary Care Setting

• 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

• American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology Disease State Clinical Review: A Neuroendocrine Approach to Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury