Outpatient US Clinical Experience in Internal Medicine in Chicago

Information about this clinical experience:

You will be under the supervision of a board-certified internal medicine physician who has an extensive background in teaching international medical students and graduates. The doctor has had a longstanding hospital appointment at Louis A. Weiss Memorial Hospital, an institution that has an IMG-friendly internal medicine residency program.

The preceptor is known for having a wonderful bedside manner and is well regarded for the amount of time spent with patients, attentiveness to their concerns, and compassionate nature. The physician will be an excellent role model for rotators seeking to refine their skills in delivering patient-centered care.

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

• Taking patient histories under supervision.

• Performing exams under the physician's supervision.

• Presenting patients.

• Writing notes (no EMR).

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

• Educating patients under supervision.

• Spending time with other healthcare professionals to understand their roles and responsibilities.

This experience will also provide an opportunity for rotators to learn how to perform venipuncture, conduct and interpret ECGs, and perform urinalysis. Although it is often assumed that students will have acquired these skills prior to residency, the evidence indicates that many students today have difficulty gaining experience in these areas. This has led organizations like the AAMC to define the type of activities that medical school graduates must be able to do on the first day of residency. Four core procedures were identified: venipuncture, intravenous line insertion, bag and mask ventilation, and basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Opportunities to perform and interpret ECGs will also be presented to students during this clinical experience. As a resident, you will be called upon to perform your own ECGs and therefore you must be technically proficient in this important procedure. However, we know that it is common for healthcare professionals, including physicians, to make errors when performing these tracings. In one study, ECG leads were misplaced in nearly 2/3 of all cases, increasing the risk of false-positive findings. This experience will help you refresh your knowledge in accurately performing and interpreting ECGs so that you can draw proper conclusions and avoid medical error.