Clerkship Structure
Educational Philosophy
"The third-year internal medicine clerkship's role in the education of medical students is to teach fundamental knowledge and develop skills and behaviors necessary to care for adult patients, regardless of the students' final career paths. In the context of caring for patients, medical students learn a logical approach to diagnosis of significant symptoms and signs, basic therapeutic approaches to common diseases ranging from emergent to chronic, and an understanding of the role of the internist in caring for people across the spectrum from healthy to critically ill." (Woolliscroft, JO. The Internal Medicine Clerkship and the National Debate on Primary Care Education. Am J Med. 1994;96:IV-VII.)
We believe that this mission is best achieved by providing students hands-on experience combined with in-depth reading and discussion. Recently, a national consortium of experts published a core curriculum for the internal medicine clerkship. This curriculum identifies the national consensus view on course priorities. Interaction with patients remains the cornerstone of the curriculum. Students, under supervision, are assigned patients for evaluation. Faculty will help students to develop basic clinical competencies in the context of encounters with patients. Core clinical competencies and priorities are defined later in this syllabus. Teaching conferences and other instructional activities supplement, but in no way replace bedside interaction with patients.
Organization of the Clerkship
Bismarck
The clerkship is divided into four weeks on the Internal Medicine teaching service and two two-week sessions with an internist or subspecialist.
Fargo
The clerkship is divided into two rotations of four weeks each. Each student will be assigned to four weeks on a hospital teaching service. Hospital teaching services are located at Sanford Health. Students will be assigned to four weeks with a preceptor at an ambulatory site.
Grand Forks
The clerkship is divided into four weeks on the hospitalist teaching service and four weeks with a preceptor(s) at an ambulatory site. All are located at Altru Health System.
Disability Access Statement
The University of North Dakota is committed to providing equal access to students with documented disabilities. To ensure access to this class and your program, please contact DSS to engage in a confidential discussion about accommodations for the classroom and clinical settings. Accommodations are not provided retroactively. Students are encouraged to register with DSS at the start of their program. More information can be obtained by email UND.dss@UND.edu or by phone at 701.777.2664.
Clerkship Goals and Objectives
| Objectives | UND SMHS MD Competencies | Phase 2 Benchmarks |
|---|---|---|
|
IMED-01: Perform a complete history and physical exam of an adult patient presenting with a common complaint to a general internist office or hospital medical ward. |
3.1 |
3 |
|
IMED-02: Demonstrate clinical reasoning ability by formulating an appropriate differential diagnosis for a common medical problem /presenting complaint. |
3.3 |
5 |
|
IMED-03: Describe a basic therapeutic and diagnostic plan for common medical conditions. |
3.2, 3.4 |
6 |
|
IMED-04: Communicate patient case information effectively and efficiently in oral and written formats. |
3.7 |
1, 3 |
|
IMED-05: Demonstrate self-directed learning skills. |
1.1, 1.3 |
8 |
|
IMED-06: Demonstrate professional behavior in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. This is in line with our medical school’s pillars of excellence and with medical licensing standards in the United States and abroad. |
1.1 - 1.10 |
1, 2, 3, 7 |
|
IMED-07: Develop understanding of Social Determinants of Health (SOD) and their relevance to healthcare. |
2.8, 2.9 |
7 |
| IMED-08: Describe and demonstrate an understanding of the integration of basic sciences
in internal medicine and patient care. |
2.1, 2.2, 2.4 | 5 |