The goal of the subinternship in family medicine is to provide students with an intensive experience in the care of hospitalized patients.

The subintern will act as the primary physician (under the supervision of family medicine residents and faculty) for a panel of patients admitted to the Family Medicine Inpatient Service (FMIS). The subintern will be responsible for all aspects of the care of his or her patients, including admission history and physical, diagnostic and treatment plan, daily progress notes, discharge planning, family communications and patient education.

The student will participate in all educational activities and conferences and will be expected to present his or her patients at daily attending rounds. In addition to caring for adults with medical illnesses, the subintern may have the opportunity to attend women on labor and delivery and participate in the care of newborns in the delivery room and the nursery.

The number of patients on the service (and in particular the number assigned to the subinterns) is deliberately limited so as to facilitate the teaching functions of the rotation, permit attendance at conferences and allow adequate time for student-patient interactions and independent study.

Topics given particular attention during the subinternship include:

• history taking and physical examination;
  
• differential diagnosis;
• the pathophysiology of disease;
  
• clinical decision making;
  
• rational selection and interpretation of diagnostic tests;
  
• hospital therapeutics;
  
• use of consultants;
  
• discharge planning;
  
• patient education;
  
• and the interaction of illness with psychosocial factors, family and community environment.

Students must contact the course coordinator for permission prior to elective selection/registering.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of FMD700

Modules: A-F (Fall only) Blocks: 1-2 (Fall only)

No. of students: 2

Course Director: Andrew B. Symons, MD

Course Coordinator: Michelle Kline