Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431
561-297-4828
COMinfo@health.fau.edu
Visiting Students and Electives
Year 4 is designed to expand on the clinical knowledge and skills acquired over the last 3 years of medical school. Students will be encouraged to manage clinical problems with the degree of independence required in the first year of postgraduate level of training. The 45 weeks of Year 4 begin with one week of orientation and ends with a two-week Transition to Residency course. The rest of the year is divided into ten 4-week blocks and one 2-week block for rotations. There are 28 weeks of required rotations: a 4-week Acting Internship, 12 weeks of Selective Rotations and 12 weeks of Elective Rotations. There are 14 additional weeks of discretionary time for additional rotations, research, completion of the USMLE Step 2 exams, and interviewing for residency.
Acting Internship Rotations
The overall goal of this course is for the student to provide care for a group of patients, applying knowledge and clinical reasoning to medical practice. These rotations provide the opportunity for the student to assume a high level of responsibility for patient care in the inpatient setting. The student will be an integral member of the medical team.
Selective Rotations
Selective rotations explore the diversity of medical fields and increase the educational experience, providing hands-on patient care through the scope of medical specialties. Students will provide patient care in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. Often the student will work with an Attending to provide consultations in the specific specialty.
Elective Rotations
Fourth year electives accommodate the diverse educational needs of medical students. They offer students the opportunity to explore diverse options in the field of medicine and provide them the opportunity to broaden the scope of their medical knowledge and skills.
Transition to Residency Course
This two-week capstone course is offered in March at the end of year 4. It prepares students to work effectively as residents. The course emphasizes the skills needed to start residency and be an effective team member. This is also an opportunity for the class to work together one last time before graduation.
DESCRIPTION: This clinical rotation will expose students to the specialty of General Surgery. Students will have the opportunity to learn by examining and providing care for patients, with a focus on the most common surgical problems. Students will be part of the inpatient surgical team. Students will participate in admissions, rounds, consultations, surgeries and discharge activities. Students will care for a panel of patients. The importance of work ethic and interpersonal skills will be emphasized.
Course Goals:
Block length: 4 weeks
Night shifts: Possible
Weekends: Yes, 1-2 per month
Educational Activities: Students should participate in educational activities available at the rotation site if there is no interference with their responsibilities for patient care.
DESCRIPTION: This clinical rotation will expose students to the specialty of Internal Medicine. Students will have the opportunity to learn by examining and providing care for patients, with a focus on the most common medical problems. Students will be part of the inpatient medical team. They will participate in admissions, rounds, consultations, and discharge activities. They will care for a panel of patients. The importance of work ethic and interpersonal skills will be emphasized.
Course Goals:
Block length: 4 weeks
Night shifts: Possible
Weekends: Yes, 1-2 per month
Educational Activities: Students should participate in educational activities available at the rotation site if there is no interference with their responsibilities for patient care
DESCRIPTION: This rotation offers medical students a challenging clinical experience in emergency medicine with a broad range of clinical pathology, in a closely supervised environment. The student will work eleven 10-12 hour shifts when rotating for four weeks, some of which must be at night. . Students attend a five-hour didactic conference each week at Bethesda Health. Students will learn the basics of emergency medicine with one on one instruction from board certified attending physicians. Students will be exposed to history taking and physical exams. They will determine a diagnosis and plan of treatment for each patient. The importance of work ethic and interpersonal skills will be emphasized.
Course Goals:
Block length: 2-4 weeks
Night shifts: Yes
Weekends: Yes
Educational Activities: Students will participate in educational activities available at Bethesda Health.
DESCRIPTION: This research elective offers medical students a challenging research experience at Florida Atlantic University. Students will work on a project with the Associate Research Director or one of the core faculty. Statistics, reading and research methodology will be a part of ongoing lectures.
Course Goals: Each student will learn the basics of emergency medicine research using a structured one-on-one discussion and participation in on-going research projects and/or the genesis of new projects.
Block length: 2-4 weeks
Night shifts: Possible
Weekends: Possible
Educational Activities: Activities will be individually designed and created for the student on an individual basis. Students attend a five-hour conference each week at Bethesda Health.
DESCRIPTION: The student will have an opportunity to work three 12-hour EMS shifts a week. Additional opportunities during this rotation include shifts with our EMS Director, didactic lectures, and time with EMS administrators. The rotation will be designed around the preferences of each student. This rotation will expand a knowledge base of emergency medicine in the subspecialty of EMS with one on one instruction from emergency medicine board-certified physicians as well as our board certified EMS director. The importance of work ethic and interpersonal skills will be emphasized.
Course Goals:
Block length: 2-4 weeks
Night shifts: Yes
Weekends: Yes
Educational Activities: Students attend a five-hour conference once a week at Bethesda Health.
DESCRIPTION: This rotation offers medical students a challenging clinical experience in emergency medicine ultrasound with a broad range of clinical pathology, in a closely supervised environment. Students attend a five-hour conference each week at Bethesda Health. Students will learn the basics of emergency medicine ultrasound with one on one instruction from board certified attending physicians. Students will be exposed to emergency medicine ultrasound exams and techniques. The importance of work ethic and interpersonal skills will be emphasized.
Course Goals:
Block length: 2-4 weeks
Night shifts: Yes
Weekends: Yes
Educational Activities: Students attend a five-hour conference each week at Bethesda Health.
DESCRIPTION: The rotation offers medical students a challenging clinical experience in pediatric emergency medicine with a broad range of clinical pathology, in a closely supervised environment. The student will work ten 9-12 hour shifts when rotating for four weeks and five 9-12 hours shifts when rotating for two weeks, some of which must be at night. Students attend a five-hour didactic conference each week at Bethesda Health
Course Goals: Students will learn the basics of pediatric emergency medicine with one on one instruction from board certified attending physicians. Students will be exposed to history taking and physical exams. They will determine a diagnosis and plan of treatment for each patient. The importance of work ethic and interpersonal skills will be emphasized.
Block length: 2-4 weeks
Night shifts: Yes
Weekends: Yes
Educational Activities: Students attend a five-hour conference each week at Bethesda Health.
Internal Medicine inquiries: Getchens Plancher at gplancher@health.fau.edu
Surgery inquiries: Hillary Cohen at hdcohen@health.fau.edu
Emergency Medicine inquiries: Colleen Mayer at mayerc@health.fau.edu
