Clinical Sciences
Clinical Skills+. Core Clerkships. Electives.
The Clinical Sciences Program provides students with knowledge and training in clinical skills, patient contact, and medical practice, and involves the Fifth Semester and subsequent Semesters (Trimesters) of Core and Elective Rotations at QUCOM ACGME Accredited US-Based Affiliated Teaching Hospitals + Healthcare Systems. The Clinical Sciences Curriculum includes Five (5) Semesters (Trimesters) of Clinical Core and Elective Rotations. After completing the Basic Sciences and after passing USMLE Step 1, QUCOM students advance to the Clinical Sciences Phase of the Program. During the Core Clerkship Year and Elective Rotations, students gain valuable training, develop clinical skills, learn to be a part of a medical team, and train alongside Residents and Attending Physicians in each Core Specialty.
Semester 5
AICM 2511: Advanced Introduction to Clinicial Medicine
Advanced Introduction to Clinical Medicine (AICM) builds upon previously acquired basic science knowledge and clinical skills. AICM prepares student for a successful transition to the clinical clerkships through additional patient contact in clinical facilities in the United States. Emphasis is placed on improving techniques of the physical examination and diagnostic skills. Critical thinking will be refined to strengthen the ability to formulate rational clinical hypotheses and differential diagnoses. By the end of the course, students will be able to demonstrate their improved critical thinking skills, their accrual of knowledge on mechanism of disease processes, and their clinical acumen by making cogent written and oral presentations in a patient-care setting. Important segments of the program will include lectures on statistics and epidemiology. Biostatistics as related to medicine is covered in lectures, emphasizing the process of collecting data and the statistical methods to evaluate hypothesis outcomes: Type I and Type II errors. Statistical tests are explained as to their use to analyze data from epidemiological studies: parametric tests; non-parametric tests; categorical tests. Epidemiology covers types of research study designs, risks and odds ratio to analyze cohort and case-control studies. QUCOM students will learn how testing factors must be bias free, reliable and valid (sensitivity & specificity) as they relate to the prevalence of diseases. Students study the distribution and determinants used to control global illness. Types of analysis are the cornerstone of population heath and inform policy decisions: for treatment and prevention. Lectures on medical ethics examine the biological, developmental, environmental, and social/cultural aspects of cognition, emotions, and behavior. Students will observe and learn the importance of the doctor-physician relationship and develop skills for clinical interviewing. Topics covered will include the review of possible legal and ethical dilemmas as well as strategies for their resolution. As part of this course, medical ethics introduces ethical, professional and legal issues that are likely to impact the practice of medicine today and in the future. Students are taught to recognize ethical, professional, and legal conflicts in general clinical settings and through case studies and small groups, and learn how to examine these issues and resolve such conflicts appropriately. © 2023-2024 QUCOM-Licensed Digital Course Catalogue. All rights reserved.
OSCE Development of Objective Structured Clinical Examination Skills
MBSR Basic Sciences Review
Clinical Core Clerkships
The 3rd Year involves 48 weeks of Clinical Core Rotations completed in ACGME Accredited US Teaching Hospitals. Up to 12 weeks may be completed in Caribbean, Canada, and the United Kingdom, when affiliation agreements are established in those jurisdictions.
Clinical Cores Descriptions
The Internal Medicine Clincial Core Clerkship
The Internal Medicine Clinical Core Clerkship was developed to teach students the basic skills needed to succeed in all other rotations and beyond. Students will learn techniques for gathering clinical information in the form of Patient History and Physical Examinations. They will learn how to interpret and evaluate basic foundational tests such as the EKG, radiographs and laboratory tests. They will learn to take the information gathered and turn it into a comprehensive active and inactive problem list with an insightful and appropriate Differential Diagnosis. Students will develop Plans for Management to include diagnostic, short and long term therapeutic measures, as well as patient education. Learning how to become a proficient documenter is a critical requirement for students so that they can graduate from Medical School knowing how to produce accurate and thorough patient records. Proper communication skills will be taught at each step through formal case presentations, calling consults, sign-out rounds, and discharge planning rounds. During the 12 week medicine rotation (inpatient and ambulatory), students are expected to meet and exceed the following requirements and challenge themselves to be proactive learners and ask questions. The objectives of the clerkship are to develop proficiency in approaching the diagnosis and therapy of serious medical illness, to foster an appreciation of disease as the expression of deranged physiology, to inculcate habits of critical inquiry and self-education, and to enhance an appreciation of the physician’s responsibility to the patient. Inpatient teaching is carried out on rounds with house staff and attending physicians and at conferences and lectures specifically organized for the clerks. Each student must undertake a systematic program of daily reading in standard texts and journals. Students will also be provided with exposure in ambulatory settings, with teaching conducted by the preceptor and/or residents, in both hospital clinic venues and preceptor faculty practices.
The Surgery Clinical Core Clerkship
The Surgery Clinical Core Clerkship was developed to expose medical students are exposed to a variety of clinical scenarios where surgery is recommended as a course of action. The clerkship focus will not only be on surgical techniques, but will also on the pathophysiology of surgical disease and pre and post-operative therapies. During this experience, students will be required to compile both short and detailed patient histories, as well as perform patient physical examinations. Students will perform two exams per week on surgical services patients and follow them through their surgery and post-operative care. This includes mandatory operating room attendance for those patients where the student obtained admission history and performed the pre-operative physical examination. The clerkship course is very practical in that students will assist in the operating room to gain an understanding of real life basic surgical techniques, surgical discipline in relation to asepsis, and care of the unconscious patient. Students will be trained to recognize the most common post-operative complications. Students will be required to perform patient follow-up to include pathological evaluation and radiology and rehabilitation medicine, where applicable. There will also be the opportunity to work on manual skills such as venipuncture, placing and removing sutures, and urethral catheterization. Students will be closely supervised at the start of this rotation but will migrate towards indirect supervision as skills develop and the course progresses.
The Pediatrics Clinical Core Clerkship
The Pediatrics Clinical Core Clerkship focuses on the study of children and their physical, mental and emotional development. Students will study common childhood diseases and disorders so that they may diagnosis, manage, and learn how they can be prevented. Students will learn the childhood developmental stages, from newborn through adolescence, as well as the medical, social, and educational factors that can influence individuals in childhood. The special needs of the handicapped child will be included. Throughout the clerkship course, the importance of “bedside manner” and patient empathy will be instilled. Reading for this course will focus on the normal child, taking histories, performing physical examinations, the principles of infant feeding, how children respond to illness and hospitalization, as well as fluid and drug therapies. Upon successful completion, students will be able to examine children of all ages and collect the appropriate clinical and pediatric information needed to formulate a comprehensive treatment plan that may be easily explained to both parents and to the young patient, where appropriate.
The Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinical Core Clerkship
The Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinical Core Clerkship provides students with the knowledge to treat and diagnosis various gynecological disorders and pregnancy, from start to end, including normal/abnormal development, labor, delivery and the puerperium. Students become proficient in taking patient histories and performing pelvic exams that include the use of the speculum and obtaining cervical cultures. Patient care in the operating and delivery rooms is also covered. Students witness labor, delivery of cases, installation of intravenous infusions, recording of portograms and help with problems associated with anesthesia. Students will visit specialty clinics concerned with pre- and post-natal care, family planning, infertility, and high-risk cases. The program is taught though lectures, teaching rounds, and attending conferences. Students are expected to follow their patients’ progress carefully and read about their condition. Public health issues regarding reproduction, maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, sexually transmitted disease, cancer detection, and human sexuality will all be addressed.
The Psychiatry Clinical Core Clerkship
The Psychiatry Clinical Core Clerkship provides students with an understanding of psychological factors in physical illness. Students will learn important concepts, how to perform a mental status examination, compile full psychiatric histories, determine a differential diagnosis and suggest methods of treatment. Students will familiarize themselves with the major psychiatric syndromes with childhood onset, how to detect and treat them and manage emergencies. Students will attend ward rounds and outpatient sessions. They will be assigned at least one patient per week where they will perform a full work-up, discuss examination findings and track patient progress throughout the duration of the rotation. Mandatory attendance at case conferences and seminars is required. It is recommended that students participate in group sessions such as Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, group therapy, as well as pre and post discharge group management.
The Family Medicine Clinical Core Clerkship
The Family Medicine Clinical Core Clerkship is an introduction to the aspects of family medicine that are applicable to all fields of medical practice, including the comprehensive and continuous care provided by family physicians to patients of all ages. Topics include recognizing the impact of chronic illness on patients and their families, as well as cultural considerations and practicing in a diverse population. Students will be taught how to operate with the highest standards of professional behavior and clinical competence. Learning will take place at Hospitals, Family Medicine outpatient facilities, residency programs, emergency rooms, and family medicine community preceptors' offices. Faculty will educate and provide feedback on student’s patient visits, attend teaching rounds, and attend didactic lectures. Students will keep a digital log of patient encounters and present cases to Clinical Preceptors. Emphasis will be placed on continuity of care, communication skills, and the integration of medical care, preventive medicine and problem solving. Students will be required to take the NBME exam. This rotation will increase medical knowledge, and foster the development of clinical skills and professional demeanor. Medical Knowledge: Topics will include the study of normal psychosocial development at various stages of life, understanding the role of a healthy lifestyle and preventive medicine in decreasing the risk of disease, learning about the epidemiology of common disorders in diverse populations, detecting and reducing their incidence, educating outpatients to care for themselves effectively, and addressing the special needs of the geriatric population with short and long-term treatment plans. Clinical Skills: Students will develop the ability to use evidence-based decision making in clinical practice, identify and develop strategies for the issues underlying a patient’s visit, compile patient history, and perform physical exams in order to diagnose and treat patients in the family medicine office. This clerkship will also cover principles of End of Life, Hospice and Palliative Care. Professional Behavior: Students will need to demonstrate empathy and respect for all races and cultural backgrounds regardless of social economic status or sexual orientation. They will hold themselves to a strict code of ethics supported by accountability, dependability, and responsibility. Students must show humility, compassion, integrity, and honesty when dealing with patients, colleagues, and the healthcare team. The rotation will promote pro-active health and wellness for the future doctor and for their patients and colleagues.
Clinical Electives
The 4th and Final Year involves clinical hospital rotations in 27 weeks of elective specialty and subspecialty rotations which are chosen by the student and approved through the Office of the Dean. QUCOM requires students to complete the 27 weeks of elective rotations (typically) in four-week blocks. Medical Students may elect Specialty and Subspecialty Rotations and the Clinical Elective Rotations do not need to follow the order of disciplines listed below. Students are advised to save some of the electives for the last year in order to be in rotations at hospitals at which they choose to apply for residency training.
Addiction Medicine/Chemical Dependency
Adolescent Medicine
Adult Pain Management
Ambulatory Medicine
Anesthesiology
Burn Surgery
Cardiology
Child/Adolescent Psychiatry
Clinical Research
Colorectal Surgery
Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program
Critical Care
Dermatology
Emergency Medicine
Endocrinology
Family Medicine
Forensic Pathology
Gastroenterology
General Surgery
Geriatric Medicine
GYN Oncology
Hematology/Oncology
Infectious Diseases
Interventional Cardiology
Neonatology
Nephrology
Neurology
Neurosurgery
Occupational Medicine
Ophthalmology
Orthopedic Medicine
Orthopedic Surgery
Pain Management
Pediatrics
Perinatology
Peri-Operative Medicine
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Plastic Surgery
Preventive and Social Medicine and Public Health
Psychiatry Consultation and Liaison
Radiology
Rheumatology
Orthopedic/Sports Medicine
Surgical Oncology
Trauma
Urgent Care Urology
Urology
Vascular Surgery