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 preceptor is Clinical Assistant Professor at two U.S. medical schools – University of Central Florida and Florida State University.

Rotators will have opportunities to see patients with undiagnosed symptoms or concerns, acute complaints, and chronic disease. There will be an emphasis on health promotion and maintenance, disease prevention, and patient education. The doctor is known for providing patient-centered care with a focus on compassion. Because this physician has been involved in several community outreach programs, this will also be an excellent way to learn about how primary care physicians are making an impact on the community beyond direct one-on-one patient care.

This attending also has an interest in addiction medicine. Given the scope of opioid addiction in the U.S., efforts to combat it will require the involvement of all physicians, not just specialists in addiction medicine. The specialty of family medicine has been called upon to lead the way and this physician has embraced that responsibility. Some useful resources to prepare you to see patients with opioid addiction include:

How Family Physicians Can Combat the Opioid Epidemic

Medications for Addiction Treatment Guide (see Buprenorphine section pages 41-45)

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

• Taking patient histories.

• Performing physical exams under the physician's supervision.

• Presenting patients.

• Entering clinic progress note (you will have access to the 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.