Southwest Campus

Community Internal Medicine

Hettinger, ND

IMED 9120

Participating Faculty:
Kent R. Hoerauf, M.D.
Brian G. Willoughby, M.D.

Offered: To be arranged
Positions: 1

Objectives of the Elective:

To gain an understanding of the general principles and practice of internal medicine in a community or primary care setting. The student will learn basic skills in interpreting EKGs, pulmonary function tests, laboratory data as well as basic skills in selected diagnostic procedures when available. The student will gain appreciation of a health care delivery system in a rural setting and the socioeconomic impact of a rural economy.

Instructional Activities:

The student will see selected inpatients that demonstrate a particular physical finding or medical problem and follow that patient after discharge in time reserved in the clinic. Student will review selected EKGs and pulmonary function tests. Student will give a conference of a subject in depth to the medical staff at completion of the rotation.

Standards of Performance (Outcomes) Indicating Attainment of Objectives:

  1. The student will need to apply skills learned in physical diagnosis in working up selected patients in the hospital, research the presenting patient problem in general medicine textbook and recommend texts and be able to present the history, pertinent physical findings and patients' problems in an organized fashion.
  2. Student must provide reasonable differential diagnoses pertaining to each problem, select appropriate laboratory and diagnostic procedures to confirm or rule out various differential hypotheses and outline appropriate treatment for the patient's problems.
  3. The attending physician will evaluate the student following each patient presentation. Upon completion of the rotation, the student will receive summary evaluation regarding his/her demonstration of general knowledge, aptitude, motivation and interaction with patients and staff.

Criteria for Grading:

  1. Students will be evaluated regarding his/her demonstration of general knowledge, aptitude, motivation, and interaction with patients and staff.
  2. A written evaluation will be presented to the student and to the assistant dean for the appropriate campus.