Medical Students

This required system‑based block integrates the basic sciences into a study of the pulmonary system in both health and disease. Each of the basic science topics is incorporated into an integrated body of knowledge utilizing both didactic and self‑directed learning methods, and clinical models.

Fall semester

Number of students: 180

Required course for all second year medical students (MS2)

Course Director: Sanjay Sethi, MD

The objective of this rotation is to teach the clinical and laboratory techniques necessary for diagnosis and management of patients with pulmonary diseases. Students will actively participate in evaluation of patients seen by the pulmonary disease services at Buffalo General or VAMC. This will include pulmonary consultation both in the inpatient and outpatient setting. In addition, daily learning sessions are conducted, covering such fields as pulmonary function interpretation, X-ray diagnosis, and selected clinical topics. Exposure to sleep apnea (at the VA) and bronchoscopy is also available.

At the end of this rotation, the students should be able to outline a diagnostic and therapeutic program for a patient with pulmonary disease. They should have thorough understanding of pulmonary function studies and be experienced in the interpretation of chest X-rays.

Prerequisite: MS3 or MS4

Modules: A-M Blocks: 1-4

Number of students: 3

Course Director: Alberto F. Monegro, MD

Course Coordinator: Nancy Niedermayer

The fourth-year clinical elective in sleep medicine will allow the student to become familiar with the various sleep problems people encounter. Such problems include sleep apnea, insomnia, periodic limb movements, parasomnias and circadian rhythm disturbances. Over the course of four weeks, the student will be exposed to various diagnostic and therapeutic techniques used in the field of sleep medicine. The student will attend a few sleep medicine clinics a week. Additionally, instruction and exposure will be given regarding interpreting polysomnographic recordings as well as polysomnogram hookups. The student will attend and partake in multidisciplinary sleep medicine conferences as well as sleep medicine journal club. The medical student is given a sleep rotation schedule and will become familiar with sleep centers in Buffalo and the surrounding area as well as the sleep medicine attendings. 

Prerequisite: MS4

Modules: D-K

Number of students: 1

Course Director: Eric Ten Brock, MD

Course Coordinator: Nancy Niedermayer

The MICU rotation will provide students with direct experience in caring for critically ill patients in the Medical Intensive Care Unit. The student will be an active participant in the MICU and have primary patient care responsibility with supervision given by the MICU resident and attending staff regarding daily care of patients in the MICU. A limited caseload will be assigned and daily work rounds and attending rounds with the house staff and MICU attending physicians will be expected. Presentations of recently admitted and existing patients will be performed on a daily basis. Exposure to critical care procedures such as CVP’S, arterial lines, and Swan Ganz catheterizations will be available. A limited MICU lecture series and MICU manual will be provided.

Upon completion of the rotation, the student should have a basic understanding of the needs of critically ill patients. A rudimentary knowledge of mechanical ventilation and the types of pharmacologic intervention required in an ICU setting is also expected.

Prerequisite: MS4 and successful completion of MED 802

Modules: A-K

Number of students: 5

Course Director: Alberto F. Monegro, MD

Course Coordinator: Nancy Niedermayer

This required system‑based block integrates the basic sciences into a study of the pulmonary system in both health and disease. Each of the basic science topics is incorporated into an integrated body of knowledge utilizing both didactic and self‑directed learning methods, and clinical models.

Fall semester

Number of students: 180

Required course for all second year medical students (MS2)

Course Director: Sanjay Sethi, MD

The objective of this rotation is to teach the clinical and laboratory techniques necessary for diagnosis and management of patients with pulmonary diseases. Students will actively participate in evaluation of patients seen by the pulmonary disease services at Buffalo General or VAMC. This will include pulmonary consultation both in the inpatient and outpatient setting. In addition, daily learning sessions are conducted, covering such fields as pulmonary function interpretation, X-ray diagnosis, and selected clinical topics. Exposure to sleep apnea (at the VA) and bronchoscopy is also available.

At the end of this rotation, the students should be able to outline a diagnostic and therapeutic program for a patient with pulmonary disease. They should have thorough understanding of pulmonary function studies and be experienced in the interpretation of chest X-rays.

Prerequisite: MS3 or MS4

Modules: A-M Blocks: 1-4

Number of students: 3

Course Director: Alberto F. Monegro, MD

Course Coordinator: Nancy Niedermayer

The fourth-year clinical elective in sleep medicine will allow the student to become familiar with the various sleep problems people encounter. Such problems include sleep apnea, insomnia, periodic limb movements, parasomnias and circadian rhythm disturbances. Over the course of four weeks, the student will be exposed to various diagnostic and therapeutic techniques used in the field of sleep medicine. The student will attend a few sleep medicine clinics a week. Additionally, instruction and exposure will be given regarding interpreting polysomnographic recordings as well as polysomnogram hookups. The student will attend and partake in multidisciplinary sleep medicine conferences as well as sleep medicine journal club. The medical student is given a sleep rotation schedule and will become familiar with sleep centers in Buffalo and the surrounding area as well as the sleep medicine attendings. 

Prerequisite: MS4

Modules: D-K

Number of students: 1

Course Director: Eric Ten Brock, MD

Course Coordinator: Nancy Niedermayer

The MICU rotation will provide students with direct experience in caring for critically ill patients in the Medical Intensive Care Unit. The student will be an active participant in the MICU and have primary patient care responsibility with supervision given by the MICU resident and attending staff regarding daily care of patients in the MICU. A limited caseload will be assigned and daily work rounds and attending rounds with the house staff and MICU attending physicians will be expected. Presentations of recently admitted and existing patients will be performed on a daily basis. Exposure to critical care procedures such as CVP’S, arterial lines, and Swan Ganz catheterizations will be available. A limited MICU lecture series and MICU manual will be provided.

Upon completion of the rotation, the student should have a basic understanding of the needs of critically ill patients. A rudimentary knowledge of mechanical ventilation and the types of pharmacologic intervention required in an ICU setting is also expected.

Prerequisite: MS4 and successful completion of MED 802

Modules: A-K

Number of students: 5

Course Director: Alberto F. Monegro, MD

Course Coordinator: Nancy Niedermayer