FAMILY MEDICINE (CFM 306)

Length:

6 weeks

Credits:

6 credits

Department:

Community and Family Medicine

Contact Information:

Director:

Ernestine Lee, MD, MPH, Leah Matthew, MD, Jessie Reynolds, MD, MEd, M. Scottie Eliassen, MS

Title(s):

Dr. Ernestine Lee, Co-Director of Family Medicine Clerkship
Dr. Leah Matthew, MD, Interim Co-Director of Family Medicine Clerkship
Dr. Jessie Reynolds, Co-Director of Family Medicine Clerkship
M. Scottie Eliassen, Associate Director of Family Medicine Clerkship

Education:

Dr. Lee: MD, University of South Florida; MPH, University of South Florida
Dr. Reynolds: MD, Indiana University School of Medicine; MEd, Western Governors University
M. Scottie Eliassen: MS, Dartmouth College

Coordinator:

FM Clerkship Coordinator
603.646.5789

Hinman Box:

7015

Office Location:

DHMC, Rubin 4th Floor

Academic Summary:

Family Medicine is a required six week clerkship taking place through a community-based preceptorship with family physicians in regional and distant teaching sites, online assignments, videoconferences and two Geisel faculty-led seminar days. Students spend five weeks in clinic.

Clinical Overview:

During the six week clerkship, students complete a five-week clinical preceptorship at one of our clerkship teaching sites located in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Maine, Montana, or New Mexico. Our sites offer a range of precepting models, from working one-on-one throughout the clerkship to changing preceptors each half-day in clinic.

Course goals are achieved through the preceptorship, formal seminars, a simulated patient experience, videoconferences, and assignments. In addition to preceptor feedback on clinical skills, students receive ongoing feedback from clerkship faculty on assignments.

Students participate in two days of Geisel faculty-led seminars, skill sessions, and presentations before beginning the clinical preceptorship and a wrap-up session upon completion of the preceptorship. During the preceptorship, students participate in synchronous videoconferences with peers and clerkship faculty.

The Family Medicine Clerkship is an outpatient rotation. Students are not expected to take call, although some may choose to do so when their preceptor(s) are on call. In addition, many sites offer evening or weekend hours in which students may be asked to participate.

Course and Program Objectives:

Essential Skills and Conditions:

Expectations:

Family Medicine clerkship students are expected to be active and enthusiastic learners.

Attitude & Behavior:

Respect for patients, preceptors, and staff should always be shown. Conduct should adhere to the code outlined in the student handbook. Attire should be professional and in keeping with the assigned preceptor site. White coats should be taken to preceptor sites the first week, but may not be required at all locations. Name tags should always be worn.

Evaluation:

***The official, most up to date details of this clerkship's grading and evaluation practices are located on the course CANVAS page per Geisel Policy.***

The following provides a general description only:

A clerkship grading committee will review the multiple methods of assessment to determine your final grade. The committee will take into consideration your performance on the Clinical Student Performance Evaluation including preceptor comments, the clerkship’s core curriculum (written assignments; engagement, teaching, self-directed learning, and reflection), and the NBME exam.

Site Selection:

You may choose from a range of distant or regional Family Medicine sites. If you choose a regional site, you will be asked to complete a preference form. The clerkship office will make your site assignment based on site availability and your learning preferences. Regional sites are located throughout NH, VT, and MA. Placements may be up to 2.5 hours away from the Upper Valley. Students placed over an hour from the Upper Valley are provided housing.

If you choose a distant site, you will select the specific site through the lottery. All sites, both regional and distant, are described in more detail on the clerkship's Site Descriptions wiki and in the Clerkship Guide.

Distant Family Medicine rotations provide unique opportunities to experience greater cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity. In a given year, these opportunities may include the following sites:

Valdez, Alaska
Ft. Defiance, Arizona
Cottonwood, Idaho
Belfast, Maine
Liberty, Maine
Stockton Springs, Maine
Waterville, Maine
Missoula, Montana
Shiprock, New Mexico

Student-written descriptions of our clinical sites are available here:
Family Medicine Site Descriptions
(When prompted to log in, use your Dartmouth NetID and password.)

View Sites for this Clerkship