Electives
FAM300: Externship in Family Medicine
This four-week course is designed for upper-level students with interest in family medicine. Students will be involved in designing a four-week curriculum which meets their particular goals and interests in the field of primary care. Students will have the chance to work with members of the Department in various clinical settings, including the Family Medicine Center, Labor and Delivery floor, Procedure Clinic and opportunities in the West Philadelphia community.
Particular emphasis will be put on improving focus, time management, and assessment skills. Students will independently evaluate then present their patients to senior residents or attending physicians. During the course of the rotation, students will present a discussion on topic germane to family medicine.
FP325: Primary Care Sports Medicine Elective
This is a four-week elective designed for upper-level students with a particular interest in primary care sports medicine. Students must have completed their required clerkships in family practice and orthopedics to be eligible. The student will spend four clinic sessions per week with a primary care sports medicine specialist focusing on the non-surgical management of sports and exercise related injuries. Emphasis will be placed on the diagnosis and treatment of common musculoskeletal problems and advanced physical exam skills. The student will also spend four clinic sessions per week at Penn Family Care seeing a broad spectrum of primary care problems. The student will be responsible for a 30-minute presentation on a topic in primary care sports medicine. Two half-days per week will be reserved for project time and selected readings.
FAM326: Community Medicine and Public Health Elective
This experience will provide medical students with a diverse exposure to Community Medicine and public health in Philadelphia. The elective can be shaped to the individual interests of the student. There are two primary frameworks for the elective:
- A two-week exposure to public health venues; or
- A four-week, service-based project
During the two-week public health offering, students will rotate with Family Medicine residents during their Community Health block rotations. Students can arrange on-site exposures to public health venues such as:
- Ambulatory Health Services
- Division Disease Control
- Lead Poisoning
- Medical Examiner’s Office
- Maternal Child Family Health
- Environmental Health
- Behavioral Health
- Women's Health
- Violence
We may be able to accommodate students interested in more in-depth work in a particular area who would prefer a more longitudinal experience a few selected sites.
For students interested in service-learning opportunities, we can offer a structured service-based rotation in collaboration with existing departmental-community partnerships or support student-community partnerships that have already been developed or those currently seeking to develop collaborative partnerships. Content will include close faculty mentorship and self-learning modules on community based participatory research and outreach. Examples of existing collaborations include: the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health's longitudinal community medicine curriculum at the Charles R. Drew School and our recently developed educational service program to the East Parkside Residents Association.
Clinical sessions during the elective are negotiable, including sessions at several Federally-Qualified Health Centers affiliated with the department.
FAM400: Sub-Internship in Family Medicine
This four-week course is designed for upper-level students with interest in Family Medicine. Students rotate on the inpatient Family Medicine service at Presbyterian Medical Center and serve in the capacity of an Intern. The team has a night-float structure, so there is no overnight or weekend call. This rotation meets the requirement for a Sub-Internship in Module 5.