The course is designed to advance the students’ knowledge and skill in diagnosing and management of outpatient musculoskeletal problems. This elective will build on the students’ previous knowledge gained from ICM and the third-year week in orthopaedic surgery. It will enhance students’ ability to diagnose and treat the ambulatory patient with musculoskeletal complaints. 

Students will attend the outpatient clinic at the UB Sports Medicine Institute. The Institute treats a wide variety of musculoskeletal and sports medicine problems in athletes and the general population. An evening walk-in clinic provides exposure to acute musculoskeletal problems. Students can spend time in our physical therapy suite, learn musculoskeletal radiology, see athletes in the UB training room, learn about being a team physician and participate in game/event coverage.

Our staff includes sports medicine-trained orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine-trained primary care physicians, and an orthopedic nurse practitioner.

Students will be taught important history taking techniques for musculoskeletal problems. They will be taught physical diagnosis of the musculoskeletal system and learn to develop a differential diagnosis of musculoskeletal disease. Appropriate (and cost efficient) diagnostic workup of various musculoskeletal problems will be learned.

The students will have the opportunity to see the continuum of orthopaedic treatment. This will give them important knowledge to counsel their own patients with musculoskeletal problems and have a better understanding of which patients will be better served by getting an orthopaedic consultation.

Textbooks on basic physical diagnosis and essentials of orthopedic and sports medicine will be used. Videotapes of the proper way to perform a musculoskeletal physician exam will also be utilized. 

Prerequisite: MS3 or MS4

Modules: A-K  Blocks: 1-4

Number of students: 1

Course Director: Michael Freitas, MD

Course Coordinator: Tammy Smith, C-TAGME