UME Clinical

Year 3 (Module 4): Core Clinical Clerkships begins in January of year two and continues through December of year three. The required clinical rotations consist of both inpatient and ambulatory experiences and emphasize management of acute and chronic illness, health maintenance, and prevention. Clinical activities are augmented with periodic basic science seminars which reinforce mechanisms underlying disease and the utilization and development of clinical pathways and guidelines.

Third year medical students are required to nutritionally assess patients during their medicine, surgery, and pediatrics clerkship rotations. During these clinical clerkships, students have the opportunity to interact with patients, complete a nutrition assessment and present this data to a physician preceptor who is part of our core faculty team. Individual nutrition syllabi have been developed for the medicine, surgery, and pediatric clinical clerkship outlining why nutrition is important for each rotation, reinforcing how this information can be integrated into the medical history and physical examination.

Students are given an orientation to the nutrition requirement and syllabi during the first day of each rotation which describes course goals and objectives. Examples of the diagnoses and surgical procedures for students to select are suggested as well as specific questions within the past medical history, social history, and family history that pertain to nutrition. Examples of signs and symptoms within the review of systems and physical examination with nutritional implications are also given. This information is summarized in nutrition checklists specific for each rotation in order to prompt students during the interviewing process. In addition, a sample student write-up is provided along with the syllabi during orientation.

Students are expected to document the individual's height, weight, BMI, and to calculate the percent weight change if a weight loss had occurred. Laboratory data with nutritional significance are also described and discussed depending on the patient's medical problems. A comprehensive assessment of the individual's nutritional status as well as diagnostic and educational plans related to the nutritional status of their patients is expected Students receive a separate grade for nutrition in the third year which reflects these three write-ups and are evaluated on both their written and oral presentations.

UME Basic Science/UME Clinical/Program Evaluation