Outpatient US Clinical Experience in Internal Medicine in San Francisco

Information about this clinical experience:

You will be under the supervision of an internal medicine physician who has considerable experience teaching medical students. In the past, the preceptor taught students from the UCSF School of Medicine.

Through the course of over three decades in medicine, this physician has had a remarkable impact on several groups of patients that suffer from healthcare disparities. Both LGBTQ+ and HIV patients encounter significant barriers in accessing and receiving healthcare. Although there are many factors leading to disparities in the care of these patients, there is no doubt that inadequate clinician knowledge of or experience in LGBTQ+/HIV care contribute to the overall problem.

This stems from curricular gaps in undergraduate and graduate medical education, with one study showing only a median of 5 hours of time spent teaching LGBTQ health in U.S. medical schools. Of note, nearly one third of schools reported having zero hours of content in their curriculum. The lack of training and education in medical school and residency have made it difficult for these patients to find informed and knowledgeable clinicians to provide the care that they deserve. According to GlobalRxPh, 90% of primary care physicians rate their HIV knowledge as “none” or “low”.

As this physician preceptor is highly experienced in the care of LGBTQ+ and HIV patients, this will be an excellent opportunity to see how a primary care physician meets the diverse needs of this patient population. To help you make the most of your learning during this clinical experience, we recommend that you read the following resources:

A Guide to Taking a Sexual History (CDC)

Goals Framework for Sexual History Taking in Primary Care

Managing HIV in Primary Care: What Every Physician Needs to Know in 2025

Primary Care for Adults with HIV

Best Practices in LGBT Care: A Guide for Primary Care Physicians

The preceptor is known for having a wonderful bedside manner and is well regarded for the amount of time spent with patients. Patients praise this physician for being kind and attentive, a great listener, and making them feel heard and supported. The physician will be an excellent role model for rotators seeking to refine their communication skills.

During your experience, you will learn the following U.S. medical practices under the preceptor’s supervision (please note that this experience remains within the regulations of California pertaining to the unlicensed practice of medicine):

• Taking patient histories under supervision.

• Performing exams under the physician's supervision.

• Presenting patients.

• Writing or entering progress notes (Practice Fusion EMR)

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

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