M4 Clinical Electives

• MED MD 536: Breast Imaging
  The Radiology Elective is for the BUSM student to gain a deeper experience in a limited number of areas in radiology, based on their particular interests. This could include a variety of imaging modalities such as general radiology, CT, MRI, or ultrasound. Elective students will build upon the fundamental knowledge obtained in the general radiology Selective to better understand radiology's role in the care of patients and to practice with image and radiologic report interpretation in their selected areas. In addition, elective students will become familiar with radiologic study selection to best answer specific clinical questions and imaging study acquisition from both the technical and patient perspectives. Course Electives include: Neuroradiology, Pediatric Radiology, Body Imaging, Breast Imaging, Musculoskeletal Imaging The elective takes place in the Department of Radiology at Boston University Medical Center. At the beginning of the elective, the student will identify an attending radiologist with whom they plan to spend the majority of their elective time with as their mentor. This radiology attending will also be responsible for completing the student's evaluation at the end of the elective rotation. Elective students are expected to follow the Radiology Elective daily schedule which will be distributed and available on Blackboard. Through clinical observation in the imaging suites and radiology reading room, elective students will interact with patients, radiology technologists, residents, fellows and attending. Through required readings within each subspecialty, students will focus on studying on the subspecialty-specific Required Diagnoses that are assigned to each subspecialty within the Radiology elective.
• MED MD 537: Musculoskeletal Imaging
  
• MED MD 545: Medical Care of the Surgical Patient
  The elective is designed to provide an opportunity for the student interested in a surgical or medical career to gain experience in the management of medical problems in the surgical patient. Students spend one month on the Medical Consult Service and work under the direct supervision of two senior medical residents and the medical attending. He/she will actively participate in completing inpatient consultations including generation of management plans, daily work rounds and twice a week didactic sessions. The student is expected to work Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. There is no overnight call. The student will also participate in two half-day sessions per week in the Pre-Procedure Clinic, located in Shapiro Lower Level, where patients scheduled for elective surgery are assessed by providers from both Surgery and Anesthesia departments. Students considering surgery including orthopedics, anesthesia, or internal medicine careers have found this elective valuable. The interactions of medical and surgical illness are complex and may complicate management in the perioperative period. Many questions commonly arise. What are the risks of surgery and general anesthesia in patients with a given set of medical illnesses' What are the predictors of these risks' Can they be reduced by preoperative measures' How should medical problems be managed before and after surgery' What complications might be expected' It is hoped at the conclusion of this elective, the student will have an appreciation of how medical problems in the perioperative period should be approached diagnostically and therapeutically. The Medicine Consult service is also the primary care team for patients admitted to Boston Medical Center with acute hip fractures, as the patients have many medical comorbidities that make their preoperative and postoperative management challenging. Students should contact the Medicine Consult service director, Dr. Henry Trier, via email (Henry.Trier@bmc.org) in the week prior to starting service for more information as well as link to educational supplemental materials. A core syllabus of articles from the medical, surgical and obstetrical literature relevant to medical consultation is available and should be picked up from the coordinator one week prior to beginning the rotation.
• MED MD 559: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery-Maxillofacial Trauma and Temporomandibular Joint Surgery
  
• MED MD 560: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery-Pathology and Reconstruction
  
• MED MD 561: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery-Orthognathic Surgery
  
• MED MD 562: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery-Dentoalveolar/Maxillofacial Infections
  
• MED MD 570: Gastroenterology
  Emphasis is placed on the diagnosis and management of patients with common gastrointestinal disorders. The student sees outpatients referred to the GI Clinic and patients hospitalized with gastrointestinal problems on the wards of the Menino Pavilion. The student is expected to make daily morning work rounds with the Fellows, see new patients in consultation, and participate in all of the activities including seminars, Journal Club and clinical conferences sponsored by the Gastroenterology Section.
• MED MD 572: Diagnostic Neuropathology
  At the end of the elective, the student will be able to functionally approach common neuropathology entities, including formulating clinical and pathological work-up of the case, choosing appropriate special studies, and generating differential diagnoses. Specifically, the student will actively participate in the sign-out of the cases above. In addition, the student will participate in interdepartmental conferences attended by the Departments of Neurology, Surgical Neurology and Radiology. Further, students will attend brain autopsy dissections to gain insight into normal neuroanatomical structures as well as pathological conditions of the brain. The elective will take place in the Pathology Department, Sixth Floor, 670 Albany Street. Students will interact with pathology residents, pathology lab personnel, and pathology attendings. Pathology residents will alert students about neuropathology cases, surgical cases and autopsies. Approximately 1.5 hours per day on average will be devoted to teaching contact.
• MED MD 573: Ophthalmology
  Students will work with residents and faculty at BMC. Activities will involve examining patients in the outpatient clinic and the in-patient consultation service. A clinic work sheet will be used to guide the student in the development of examination skills and to ensure that the student participates with faculty, fellows and residents in a discussion of selected ophthalmic topics. Students will spend time on subspecialty services such as triage, consults, neuro-ophthalmology, retina, glaucoma, pediatric ophthalmology, cornea, and oculoplastics. Students will also have the opportunity to attend ophthalmic procedures in the office and surgical procedures in the operating room. Students will be required to prepare a short (10 minute) slide presentation on a case encountered during their rotation, including a discussion of the differential diagnosis and main clinical teaching points. Students will be required to prepare a short (10 minute) slide presentation on a case encountered during their rotation, including a discussion of the differential diagnosis and main clinical teaching points.
• MED MD 575: Renal Disease
  Each student, under the supervision of clinical fellows and staff, participates in the evaluation and management of patients with acute and chronic renal disease, fluid and electrolyte problems, acid-base disturbances, etc. The major focus of activity is the clinical consult services, where students are taught the skills of clinical evaluation of patients for renal disease and participate in daily work rounds as well as formal attending rounds (3-5 sessions per week). Students are expected to attend all clinical and research conferences, including clinical journal club, clinical conference, pathology conference and renal research conference. Active student participation, including patient presentation at clinical conference, is encouraged.
• MED MD 576: Orthopedics - Kaiser
  Students will learn the basic exams and history components of musculoskeletal care, fracture care and other Orthopedic injuries pertaining to bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves which allow you to move, and be active. Students will also perform physical exams and observe operation room cases. Medical students will work with orthopedic surgery attendings one on one at the clinic and hospital. They will see patients independently as well as in tandem with the attending, obtain a focused history and physical, report to the attending with his/her findings and develop a basic plan on how to diagnose and treat the patient. This elective will have both inpatient and outpatient experiences. Students will obtain experience with Sports Medicine, Total Joint Replacement, General Orthopedics, Hand Specialty, Ready access to Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy, Pediatric Specialty, Fracture Clinic, Fastrac Surgery, and Orthopedic Education. Students will be given enough of an experience where they can decide if Orthopedics is a career that they may pursue.
• MED MD 577: Palliative Care
  This elective is designed to give students with an interest in palliative care increased exposure to the role of the palliative care provider in the inpatient setting. Students will participate as members of the palliative care team during which time they will staff palliative care consults, attend family meetings, and learn more about the role of the palliative care provider in the care of patients in the inpatient setting. Students will also spend time involved in self-directed teaching sessions, using a curriculum developed by the National Cancer Institute. Modules include topics such as how to perform a comprehensive palliative care assessment, cancer pain management, loss/grief/bereavement, survivorship, the last hours of living, communicating effectively, clarifying diagnosis and prognosis, negotiating goals of care, clinical trials, withdrawing nutrition/hydration, conflict resolution, advance care planning, physician-assisted suicide, cancer doctors and burnout. Students will complete all modules by the conclusion of the two or four week elective. Additionally students will be asked to conduct a literature search on topics relevant to palliative care and will be asked to present one topic weekly to the faculty.
• MED MD 578: Clinical Rheumatology
  Students will participate in all activities of the clinical rheumatology service, including in-patient consult rounds, arthritis clinics, and a formal teaching program. Students will see in-patient consults at Boston University Medical Center under the supervision of the clinical arthritis fellow and staff and present these cases to the faculty attending of the month. Students will be expected to read and informally report on recent writings which are pertinent to the patients they work up. Students will also spend four half-days per week in the Boston Medical Center and VA Arthritis Clinics. The elective also includes 3 to 4 hours per week of formal education to teach students the central concepts and basic skills of rheumatology. Clinical rounds are made 3-4 times per week.
• MED MD 579: Primary Care Sports Medicine
  The curriculum will include multiple experiences in primary care sports medicine. A sample of a weekly schedule of clinic time and other experiences would be the following: - 9-10 half days of Primary Care Sports Medicine at the Ryan Center, BMC at Melnea Cass, Boston Sports Performance Center, and community health centers - Wednesday Morning Sports Medicine Conference 7 am - via Zoom - 1/2-day BU Athletic Training Room physician clinic working one on one with one of the primary care sports medicine physician as they evaluate BU student athletes - Game coverage: will vary depending on the time of year and block but anticipate at least 1-2 game coverage opportunities per week of the elective. Please note much of the game coverage occurs in the evening and/or the weekends, so student needs to be aware they may have to work late and possibly on the weekends. - A car is recommended; however we can make adjustments if the student does not have access to a car. The student will be evaluated throughout their rotation on their musculoskeletal examination skills. Students who will derive the most benefit from this rotation are self-motivated and active learners.
• MED MD 580: Urology
  Full-time clerkship of one month's duration offered by the Urology Department for two students during each month. Students will be assigned to Boston Medical Center. Students will participate in all aspects of general urology, functioning as integral members with the urology resident staff. They will be assigned to perform primary urologic consultations on patients from other services; in addition they will participate in the evaluation and management of urology service patients. Students will have the opportunity to prepare for the operating room and participate/observe surgical cases. Students of exceptional excellence may be assigned to striker positions during their elective. They will become proficient in the evaluation of a variety of urologic problems, including urologic neoplasms, neurogenic bladder, reconstructive urologic surgery, urinary calculus disease, obstructive uropathy and sexual and transgender medicine. Students will be direct participants in all department conferences and will be expected to contribute to the didactic teaching program of the department.
• MED MD 582: Maternal Child Health
  This elective gives students a true family medicine-centered experience to include prenatal/perinatal care (including labor and delivery), inpatient postpartum care for women, as well as newborn nursery care for their infants. The student will spend mornings on the postpartum floor caring for women and their infants - you will focus on issues such as breastfeeding (including spending time with our lactation consultants), the newborn exam, routine postpartum care, maternal counseling and anticipatory guidance. Afternoons will be spent either seeing primary care patients in clinic (including as many prenatal/pediatric visits as possible), or researching a maternal/child health topic of your choice to be presented at the end of the elective. Students take call overnight on labor and delivery one night per week, allowing them an opportunity to be actively involved in deliveries and all aspects of labor and delivery care. Each student chooses one weekend to work with the postpartum/nursery rounder to get more direct clinical experience. Participation in this elective provides you with a wonderful opportunity to be an active and important team member with a lot of independence. Students who will derive the most benefit from this rotation are self-motivated and active learners.
• MED MD 584: Primary Care at BU Student Health Service
  The Primary Care elective at BU's Student Health Services (SHS) Department of Primary Care (PC) provides students with an opportunity to engage in a university-based, outpatient primary care clinic serving a diverse domestic and global population. The MS4 will be part of a multi-disciplinary team and will participate in daily patient care. Simulating a primary care physician, they will be expected to conduct and document a thorough history, physical, assessment, differential, and plan. They will be assigned and guided by a physician and may have opportunities to rotate in other departments of SHS (Behavioral Medicine, Wellness, Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center (SARP), and Athletic Training).
• MED MD 585: Primary Care Clinical Acting Intern
  
• MED MD 586: Endocrine, Diabetes and Nutrition
  Students work closely with the faculty and fellows on the inpatient endocrine and diabetes consult services. They will see a wide variety of endocrine and weight management problems in the clinics. Two weeks will be spent on the inpatient diabetes team and 2 weeks on the endocrine consult team. The consultation team provides help in the diagnosis and management of complex endocrine problems on the medical and surgical services. Formal rounds are made with the endocrine-attending physician or diabetes attending on a daily basis. In addition to inpatient rounds, students will have the opportunity to rotate in the outpatient clinics depending on workload and inpatient volume. Students are required to attend weekly endocrine conferences which include guest lecturers, research conferences and fellow case presentations, and will be asked to present on an endocrine topic during their elective.