Common Questions about the Family Medicine Clerkship

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THE STUDENTS?

For this 8-week experience, students join a community-based Family Practice and learn about primary care through a structured experience with a mentor. Students participate in a full spectrum of family practice such as office care, hospital rounds, the consultation/referral process, medical staff meetings and aspects of community involvement. Students live in the community and largely adopt their preceptor's schedule. The Department helps to arrange housing for those who need it. A Common Problems curriculum serves as a guide for learning along with texts and a community project. The rotation starts with a two-day orientation and seminars at the Department in New Orleans, and students return to New Orleans at mid-block for additional seminars. The last three days of the Clerkship also take place in New Orleans when the students take exams, present their projects to their peers, and give feedback on their experience.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO TAKE A ROTATION IN A PRIVATE OFFICE?

Clinical teachers find the presence of students stimulating and refreshing with a positive influence on their own lifelong learning, while communities, hospitals and medical staffs are pleased to be contributing to the medical education needs of the state and country. Therefore, students are very well received. The level of teaching may exceed that of other experiences because of the one-on-one relationship that often develops between preceptor and student. Students are also well received by private patients who view them as professionals and as colleagues of the preceptor. It is the exception when a patient will not want to be seen by a student. Students will not be seeing every patient that comes to the office each day, so as to allow time to think, read, learn and also give the instructor time to keep up his/her pace while the student works at his/her appropriate pace. The preceptors find that they can manage to keep their office flowing with relatively little disruption by planning and with the help of their office personnel. This is important to keep in mind, since preceptors are volunteers, and the student is a guest in their practices and communities for the two months.

WHAT IF I NEED TO MISS A DAY DURING THE CLERKSHIP?

Anticipated absences must be approved first by the Department and then by the Office of Student Affairs, subject to medical school policy. Departmental Excused Absence Forms are available from the Senior Program Coordinator in the Department. Complete this form in advance and have the absence approved by the Department BEFORE requesting an Excused Absence Letter from the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
We will FAX our Departmental approval to Student Affairs as confirmation that you have notified the Course Director, and will also notify your preceptor/site. If you're sick or another urgent situation arises that prevents you from fulfilling any duty, inform the preceptor and the Department as soon as feasible and then daily of your status. (Department: 504-988-4700; after hours: 504-864-6000 and ask to speak with the FP faculty member on call)