M4 Clinical Electives

• MED MD 457: Outpatient Clinical Neurology: Movement Disorders
  This elective is for the BUSM student to provide students with a broad exposure to the neurological subspecialty of Movement Disorders. During this 2-week elective, students will participate in different clinical activities with Movement Disorder sub-specialists. During this elective, students will learn to evaluate, diagnose, and manage patients with different movement disorders such as ataxia, Parkinson's Disease, and gait disorders.
• MED MD 458: Outpatient Clinical Neurology: Pain
  This elective is for the BUSM student to provide students with a broad exposure to the neurological subspecialty of Pain Neurology. During this 2-week elective, students will participate in different clinical activities with Pain sub-specialists. During this elective, students will learn to evaluate, diagnose, and manage patients with different Pain related disorders such as headache, back pain, neck pain and other pain-related conditions.
• MED MD 459: Outpatient Clinical Neurology: Sleep Medicine and Cognitive Disorders
  This elective is for the BUSM student to provide students with a broad exposure to the neurological subspecialty of Sleep medicine. During this 4-week elective, students will participate in different clinical activities with Sleep sub-specialists. During this elective, students will learn to evaluate, diagnose, and manage patients with different Sleep-related disorders.
• MED MD 460: Outpatient Clinical Neurology: Epilepsy
  This elective is for the BUSM student to provide students with a broad exposure to the neurological subspecialty of Epilepsy. During this 2-week elective, students will participate in different clinical activities with Epilepsy sub-specialists. During this elective, students will learn to evaluate, diagnose, and manage patients with different Epilepsy disorders such as generalized seizures, focal seizures, as well as managing AEDs.
• MED MD 461: Neurosurgery
  Fourth year students electing Neurosurgery will have an opportunity to make daily ward rounds with an attending neurosurgeon, perform clinical examinations, discuss differential diagnosis and diagnostic procedures. Under direct supervision, the student may participate in patient management and follow up. The student will also have the opportunity to review and learn about the interpretation of different diagnostic tests, such as angiograms, CT and MRI of the central nervous system. The student will be able to attend and participate in weekly neurosurgical teaching conferences. Ongoing research projects within the department are available to stimulate the student's academic interest. In the operating room, the student will be instructed about the duties of a surgical assistant and will be exposed to the surgical anatomy of the brain and spine. The student will also be encouraged to evaluate the patients post-operatively, especially in the setting of the intensive care unit.
• MED MD 463: Neurocritical Care
  This elective is for the BUSM student to provide students with a broad exposure to the field of neurocritical care. Students will learn how to approach the diagnosis, work-up, initial emergent management and long-term care of critically ill patients with neurological illness.
• MED MD 464: Mixed Neurology
  This elective is for the BUSM student to provide students with a broad exposure to the field of outpatient neurology based on the students' areas of interest. During this 4-week elective, students may choose to take 2 different 2-week outpatient rotations through different neurology sub-specialties to learn and further explore their interests. Sub-specialty options include movement disorders, pain, sleep/cognitive, epilepsy, or neuromuscular.
• MED MD 465: Outpatient Clinical Neurology: Neuromuscular
  This elective is for the BUSM student to provide students with a broad exposure to the neurological subspecialty of neuromuscular medicine. During this 2-week elective, students will participate in different clinical activities with neuromuscular sub-specialists. During this elective, students will learn to evaluate, diagnose, and manage patients with different neuromuscular disorders.
• MED MD 466: Neuroradiology
  
• MED MD 470: Breastfeeding Medicine
  The Breastfeeding Medicine elective's first week is composed of an independent study module (the Wellstart lactation curriculum) along with other relevant lactation resources and readings. During the remaining three weeks of the elective, the student will apply their knowledge in lactation clinics, breastfeeding classes, and new mother support groups in the community. This elective is expected to be 40 hrs/week for 4 weeks. This elective will benefit any future physician who expects to care for breastfeeding mothers and their infants in any capacity. While students destined for OB/Gyn, Pediatrics, or Family Medicine are a natural audience for this information, any medical student who desires greater knowledge and confidence in management of breastfeeding problems will benefit from this elective. The student will be required to obtain preceptor signoff and feedback on their assessment and management of specific breastfeeding problems. The student will also keep a portfolio of written journal entries documenting all patient encounters, as well as narrative reflections on outpatient learning experiences. The student will also identify a research question based on a patient encounter, search out answers to this question in the current literature, and create an evidence-based case presentation. The student will present this case at the OB/Gyn Maternal-Fetal Medicine noon conference during the rotation.
• MED MD 473: Substance Use Disorder in Pregnancy
  The student works with the Obstetric and Addiction Medicine staff caring for high-risk pregnant patients, in an ambulatory setting. The student will have significant outpatient supervised clinical responsibility for the pharmacologic management of chemical dependency during pregnancy, participating in all aspects of antenatal and post-partum care. Pregnancies complicated by substance use disorder including opioids, cocaine and alcohol will be the focus of this elective. Each student is expected to complete a supervised, scholarly clinical presentation during this rotation.
• MED MD 480: Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Care
  This elective is based at Boston Medical Center and the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. The student will participate in outpatient activities of the core faculty members including surgical oncology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology clinics. Students will also participate in the operative management of breast cancer patients as assistants in the operating room. Exposure to breast imaging technology and interpretation, breast cancer pathology interpretation, and genetics will be incorporated through sessions in those disciplines. In addition, select newly diagnosed patients will be identified at the beginning of the elective and the student will follow those patients to all consultations and treatments. Students will be expected to participate in weekly multidisciplinary breast tumor board including preparing and presenting case presentations for discussion with direct faculty guidance. Students will be exposed to early breast cancer, locoregionally advanced breast cancer, and metastatic breast cancer, gaining an appreciation for the full spectrum of presentation. Integration of expertise from all disciplines will be emphasized. Landmark clinical trials in breast cancer will be reviewed and discussed through a program of assigned reading and discussion with faculty. This is primarily an outpatient elective with rare select inpatient activities. The student will be expected to participate in clinical activities on all weekdays during the elective. There will be no weekend responsibilities.
• MED MD 481: Clinical Hematology/Oncology
  The course in clinical hematology/oncology is designed to prepare students to evaluate and manage hematologic and oncologic disorders. The student will be exposed to patients both in the ambulatory and inpatient hospital setting. He/She will be expected to participate in the initial evaluation of in-patient consultations. In addition, they will have the opportunity to work with an attending physician in at least one outpatient Hematology or Oncology clinical activity per week. The student will be instructed in the technique of performing a bone aspiration and biopsy. In addition considerable time will be spent with the attending interpreting both peripheral blood and bone marrow smears. The student will also attend the weekly clinical and research conferences, which will afford him/her an exposure to the scholastic activities of the section.
• MED MD 482: Ambulatory Hematology and Oncology
  This 2-week elective provides an immersive and educational experience in ambulatory hematology/oncology. This will allow students to explore interest in the field and apply their knowledge in a clinical setting. Student will gain experience in the outpatient care of patients with hematology and oncology conditions. Students will participate in the initial diagnosis and workup, treatment selection, and monitoring of patients during treatment. There will also be opportunities to attend educational meetings, including disease-specific tumor boards, joint BMC/VA case conference, and the rise and shine morning lecture series.
• MED MD 487: Advanced Otolaryngology
  This elective provides an intense learning experience for students interested in a career in Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, and for others with specific interest in head and neck cancer, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, allergy involving the nose and sinuses, and the auditory system. Students observe and work with faculty and residents in the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at the Boston Medical Center. Approximately half of the time is devoted to learning how to evaluate and treat ambulatory outpatients with otolaryngologic disorders. The other half of the time is spent observing and assisting in the operating room and evaluating hospitalized patients. Students are expected to attend weekly teaching conferences including Friday morning case conference, Pathology conference, Radiology conference, Audiology conference, Tumor Board conference, and structured Wednesday afternoon didactic lectures.
• MED MD 488: Otolaryngology Multi-Site Elective
  This Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery elective is designed to immerse Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine students in Otolaryngology, which includes head and neck cancer, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, allergy involving the nose and sinuses, and the auditory system, as well as introduce them to two of our resident rotation sites. The student will be an integral part of the Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery team in the ambulatory outpatient clinic, with hospitalized patients, and in the operating room at Boston Medical Center, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, and the Veterans Affair Boston Health Care System (VA Boston) during this 4-week elective.
• MED MD 490: Pathology Elective
  This elective will allow the 4th year Boston University medical student to explore the discipline of Pathology by allowing them to do rotations in Surgical Pathology, Cytopathology, Hematopathology and Laboratory Medicine to comprise a total of 4 weeks for the elective. They will work with the Course Director and Coordinator to develop the 4-week experience. The Surgical Pathology rotation, resection and biopsy divisions, with a duration of two weeks are held in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Boston Medical Center. Responsibilities include participation in gross prosections, frozen section evaluations, microscopic evaluation of surgical pathology specimens with histologic diagnosis and differential diagnostic considerations and performance of autopsies. Students are supervised by pathology residents, faculty on service and pathology assistants. The Cytopathology rotation (shared with the Hematopathology rotation), one week duration, is held in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Boston Medical Center. During this rotation the student will value the clinical application of cytopathology to include diagnosis, differential diagnosis, ancillary tests and therapy. Responsibilities include evaluation of gynecologic and non-gynecologic specimens, participation in the fine needle aspiration service and daily cytology sign-out with the cytology fellow, resident and staff cytopathologist. The Hematopathology rotation (shared with the Cytopathology rotation), one week duration, is held in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Boston Medical Center. During this rotation the student will develop the skills needed to interpret and formulate a differential diagnosis of the more commonly occurring disorders seen in peripheral blood, bone marrow, and lymph node biopsies. The student will gather pertinent clinical history on assigned cases, and review the slides with the resident rotating in the hematopathology service. During sign out with the attending faculty and resident, the student will have the opportunity to present their brief case histories, and summarize available laboratory data. Morphologic evaluation and case interpretation will take place during sign out. The Laboratory Medicine rotation, one week duration, is held in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Boston Medical Center. During this period the student will rotate through Hematology, Blood Bank, Clinical Chemistry and Microbiology services and attend Amyloid and Hematopathology Conferences. Through these rotations, students will gain an understanding of the role of the pathologist in patient care in a multidisciplinary professional team. At the end of the block students will present to attendings, residents and pathology assistants an interesting anatomic or clinical case they encountered during the elective. Supervision and feedback will be provided during our daily sign out sessions. Students are supervised da
• MED MD 500: Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
  The focus of this elective will be on gaining an understanding of normal developmental processes; attachment, autonomy, mother-infant interaction, coping, Piaget's cognitive theory, temperament. Different types of screening techniques will also be taught; and Denver Developmental Screening Test skills will be practiced. Structured activities will include supervised consultations, a literature seminar, ongoing child development activities in the Pediatric Department and Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and participation in the various clinics. Flexibility in the elective exists for those who wish to gain some experience with children with specific developmental problems, e.g., learning disabilities, prematurity, and in utero substance exposure.
• MED MD 501: Pediatric Gastroenterology
  The pediatric gastroenterology elective is an opportunity for students to learn to recognize and manage common gastrointestinal disorders in children (ages birth to 22 years) including: abdominal pain, constipation, chronic diarrhea, recurrent vomiting, hematochezia, hematemesis, failure to thrive, abnormal liver function tests, etc. The majority of the student's time will be spent in the outpatient GI clinic. The student will be assigned to evaluate patients with an attending during a clinic session, with increasing independence after he/she demonstrates competency in obtaining the core elements of the history and physical exam. Through this experience, students will gain familiarity with both the initial work-up as well as the long-term management of patients with both acute and chronic illnesses as mentioned above. The student will learn the initial approach for new patients as well as long term management of chronic illnesses. The student will also attend endoscopy session one or two morning a week, and will learn the indications for procedures, exposure to normal and abnormal findings, and post-operative care. When there are pediatric GI inpatient consults, the student will be responsible for evaluating and then presenting the new consultations during daily rounds. The student will follow these patients throughout their admission, writing progress notes, reviewing relevant radiologic imaging and finding related journal articles to augment his/her understanding of each patient's gastrointestinal disorder. The student will present relevant journal articles during rounds, communicate consultant recommendations to the floor team and reference applicable material learned in their daily progress notes.
• MED MD 502: Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  The course is designed to assist the student in developing expertise in the diagnosis and management of pediatric infectious diseases with emphasis on the clinical pharmacology of antimicrobial agents and newer modalities of diagnostics. The student will participate in the activities of the pediatric infectious disease group at Boston Medical Center, including in-patient consultation, daily rounds, and conferences. Experiences will include viral, bacterial, and fungal diagnostic labs, as well as Infection Control. Students will have an opportunity to attend Pediatric HIV and International Health Clinics. Students will be evaluated on the basis of their participation in rounds and conferences and one clinical presentation to members of the division at the end of the month.