GASTROENTEROLOGY
Learning outcomes of the course unit
The following are the clinical and educational expectations of medical students rotating on the GI service:
1. Medical students will be assigned to GI clinics, as well as to either the inpatient GI consultation service. On the inpatient consult service and in clinic, students will see and evaluate patients, read about their problems, and present them to the GI fellow and/or teaching attending.
2. Medical students are also expected to attend all GI conferences held during their rotation, as well as GI Grand Rounds.
3. Residents and medical students should also attend all endoscopic and echographic procedures done on the patients they follow on the inpatient service.
Prerequisites
No
Course contents summary
Trainees will gain exposure and acquire experience in the evaluation and management of adult patients with a broad range of acute and chronic GI problems in the supervised hospital and clinic settings.
2. Trainees will develop an appreciation of standard GI endoscopic procedures, such as how they are done, indications, contraindications, potential findings, how to act upon the findings, limitations, and complications.
3. Medical knowledge of medical students is enhanced in a number of ways-- through patient care contacts, by attending teaching rounds, by reading about the problems and conditions their patients have, and through teaching conferences they attend and participate in during the rotation.
4. The rotation will provide medical students with the ability to develop competence in professionalism, manifested through a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to patients of diverse backgrounds.
Recommended readings
Manuale di Gastroenterologia, Unigastro. Edizione 2004-2006
Teaching methods
The principle teaching method is case-based discussions by the medical student with the fellow and attending physician on the consult service or in the clinic. Residents and medical students initially evaluate the patient, including performing a history and physical exam, and gathering appropriate laboratory and x-ray data. The trainee often does preliminary educational reading about the case at this point (particularly on the inpatient consult service). The case is then presented to the GI fellow and/or attending. The fellow/attending verify key portions of the history and physical exam. The fellow and attending also provides teaching and discussion on pertinent clinical and pathophysiologic aspects of the case. Medical students are also expected to attend various endoscopic procedures as described above. This will provide an overview of common procedures such as EGD, esophageal dilation, PEG placement, colonoscopy, capsule endoscopy, and ERCP.
Teaching on this rotation is also supplemented by conference attendance, by conference presentations and discussions, and by independent self-learning.
