Medical Student Programs - Electives
EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Emergency Medicine
This elective provides a supervised opportunity to work in a busy urban emergency department. Students are assigned to either Covenant HealthCare or St. Mary’s of Michigan. Ten-hour shifts are synchronized with those of the attending physicians (40 hours per week). Shifts are varied in order to provide a broad range of experience. (Click here for more details)
EMS
This elective is a senior-level experience in prehospital emergency medicine,
which allows the student to be among the first members of the health team to
evaluate undifferentiated patients. Students are exposed to a wide variety of
experience with prehospital providers within the Saginaw Valley Medical Control
Authority jurisdiction. Optional experience with air medical and local first
responders is available. (Click here for more details)
FAMILY PRACTICE
Family Practice Outpatient
During this elective, you will experience a patient load similar to that which is routinely seen in a Family Practice office. You will accompany the resident on call and the attending faculty on rounds, and see patients in the Family Practice office. Patient load will be appropriate to your level of experience. Under supervision of Family Practice faculty, you will have the opportunity to perform deliveries and assist in surgery, pulmonary function testing, Holter monitoring and video flex sigmoid exams.
Family Practice "Sub-Internship"
This elective involves admission, evaluation, treatment and follow-up of selected patients under the supervision of residents and faculty on the Family Medicine Service. The service includes about 20 family practitioners from the community who admit patients to the teaching service. You will have primary responsibility for history and physical evaluation and ordering labs, diagnostics and medications. You will follow four to six patients at a time, attend all morning reports and take two or three nights of in-house call with the residents on service. The first half of the elective is spent on the Family Medicine Service. For the last two weeks, you will see outpatients in the Family Practice Center. After morning rounds with the teaching faculty and resident on call, you will see patients on your own with appropriate faculty preceptorship operating a student-run clinic.
INTERNAL MEDICINE
Cardiology
Learning the special bedside skills for performing cardiac examinations and clinical evaluations. Your existing knowledge of basic electrocardiographic principles will be an important foundation for this course. The elective covers the various arrhythmias, including their detection and management, and reading and interpreting EKGs.
Critical Care
In this course you will study critically ill patients with one or more organ system failures. Your participation will include patient evaluation as well as multiple laboratory values and changing hemodynamic and pulmonary status. You’ll also learn the basic principles of supportive care for patients with pulmonary, cardiac and renal failure.
Endocrinology - Metabolism
This elective gives you a chance to evaluate patients with a wide variety of clinical endocrine disorders. You will see patients in an outpatient setting four afternoons a week and do inpatient endocrine consultations at the four tertiary care medical centers associated with Synergy Medical Education Alliance. Daily conferences on related topics will supplement your clinical experience.
Gastroenterology
Common G.I. disorders, including liver diseases, are the focus in this introduction to the sub-specialty of gastroenterology. The physiology and pathophysiology of these disorders are emphasized. You will see all inpatient and outpatient G.I. consults. Extensive reading from recommended sources and discussion sessions (at least three hours per week) round out this elective experience.
Hematology
Learn about the diagnosis and management of patient with hematology problems, in both office and hospital settings. The emphasis is on patient care. Bone marrow aspiration and examination and blood smear examinations of inpatients will be covered.
Nephrology
The causes and course of kidney disease and its treatment are the focus of this elective. You will see a range of renal problems and critical care medicine cases by performing the initial work-up and performing patient follow-up. You also will assist with procedures and take part in discussion groups.
Neurology - Adult
This class is an introduction to common neurological symptoms. The instructor will help you evaluate symptoms in relation to the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system. You will observe clinical neurological examinations and learn to make anatomical diagnosis based on histories and neurological findings. You will be encouraged to look for subtle abnormalities and recognize neurological signs and their physio-anatomical substrates. Emphasis always will be on clinical appraisal, while keeping in mind the basic anatomical, physiological and biochemical substrates.
This elective will provide ample opportunity to observe neurodiagnostic procedures and understand their rationale. You will complete histories and physicals on hospital patients, record your findings and be encouraged to perform simple procedures such as lumbar punctures. Depending upon your interest, you may be asked to present patients and read on the subject during our weekly Neuroscience Conference. An extensive library of books and periodicals will be available to you.
Oncology
During this course you will observe diagnostic procedures such as bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, and therapeutic procedures such as chemotherapy. This class focuses on common solid tumors and hematologic malignancies in office and hospital settings, and emphasizes hands-on experience in management of clinical patients. Topics such as tissue biopsies and bone marrow interpretation are covered in teaching sessions. Journal Club is held biweekly.
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
This course offers a view of what can be done to rehabilitate patients with neuromuscular disorders. You will have the opportunity to evaluate patients for electromyographic and electrodiagnostic procedures. Prepare for the course by reviewing neuroanatomy and neurophysiology.
Pulmonary Medicine
This elective provides an opportunity to care for hospitalized patients and outpatients with a variety of pulmonary disorders. The focus is on inpatient pulmonary and critical care medicine, but opportunity for outpatient experience is available as well. The students will participate in monthly pulmonary conferences and twice weekly critical care conferences. Experience in pulmonary function testing is offered.
Advanced Ob/Gyn
Here is an opportunity to take on many of the responsibilities of a first-year Ob-Gyn resident while under the direction of resident staff and faculty. While both obstetrics and gynecology are included, the major emphasis is on obstetrics. You will see patients on admission to the labor and delivery area, follow them through labor, conduct the deliveries, and continue to care through the postpartum period.
In gynecology, you will see patients before surgery, scrub on the surgical procedure, and follow them postoperatively. You also will do outpatient clinical work in both obstetrics and gynecology and be included in regular night call rotation with resident supervision.
PATHOLOGY
Clinical Pathology
This elective will put lab tests into perspective for you with an overview of the selection and interpretation of laboratory tests. Goals include: (1) to learn the use of test results, normal values, diagnosis, prognosis and mass screening; (2) to evaluate tests in regard to accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, sources of error and quality control; (3) to understand the economics of laboratory service utilization and (4) to learn the turnaround time for lab tests.
Surgical Pathology
You will discover the conditions which make surgery necessary as you perform gross examination of surgical specimens with proper description and selection of tissue blocks for diagnostic purposes. This course also includes frozen section techniques and examination of specific tissues.
Neonatology
This elective will allow you to gain in-depth experience in the management of the sick newborn. You also will have an opportunity to refine your skills in the care of healthy newborns. This rotation is done at Covenant HealthCare’s Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Pediatric Critical Care
During this elective you will observe and assist with pediatric emergencies and pediatric acute care, as well as with stabilization and technical procedures. Day-to-day PICU rounds emphasize multi-system management and review of physiologic monitoring. You will be encouraged to review literature in one area of pediatric critical care.
Psychiatry
This elective allows the student to become knowledgeable about the diagnosis, psychodynamics, psychopharmacology and psychotherapy of the various psychiatric disorders. There is also an opportunity to observe group therapy. There is an emphasis on making this an enjoyable experience as well as a growth experience.
RADIOLOGY
Radiology
In this comprehensive elective, you will receive thorough training in radiologic work-ups and learn to interpret plain films of the abdomen, chest and extremities. You also will be introduced to basic ultrasound, nuclear medicine and computed tomography. The class also includes selective ordering of X-rays to obtain maximum information without exposing the patient to undue radiation. Also, learn the most effective and cost-efficient use of radiologic procedures for your patients. A teaching file is available for individual study and for instruction on cases which may not be seen during your rotation. Students will be assigned to either Covenant HealthCare or St. Mary’s of Michigan.
SURGERY
Anesthesiology
Preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative care of patients with cardiac, pumonary and metabolic disorders will be emphasized in doing this elective. You also will receive hands-on experience in technical skills such as intubation and IV placement.
As part of the course, you will learn a multi-disciplinary approach to the care of patients with acute multiple organ failure. You also will conduct rounds in the Burn, Neurosurgical, Coronary Care and General Intensive Care units.
ENT
This elective provides an opportunity to observe all phases of ENT from both the clinical and surgical aspects. Topics include ENT problems as they relate to other specialties. You’ll also learn the treatment protocol prescribed by a specialist in the field.
Neurosurgery
In this elective, you will benefit from the wide range of neurological cases referred from all over the 14 county region. You will learn to evaluate each case and obtain extensive experience in neurological exams, procedures in the operating room and neurological follow-up in the neurosurgical unit.
Ophthalmology
This elective provides an opportunity to gain a basic knowledge of most common eye diseases and how to handle emergency eye situations. You will learn the anatomy and physiology of the eye and review eye diseases and their correlation to systemic diseases. Coursework includes seeing patients in the instructor’s office and observing and assisting surgeries.
Orthopedic Surgery
Common orthopedic problems seen in the specialist’s office are the focus of this introduction to the specialty of orthopedic surgery. Fundamental to orthopedic surgery is a comprehensive orthopedic exam. You will learn the basics of such an examination and round out your experience through firsthand observation.
Urology
The focus in this course is on common urological problems and includes an overview of every phase of urology, including pediatrics, adult male, adult female and infertility problems. You also will gain insight into the psychological problems associated with these conditions. Both inpatients and outpatients are seen in consultation. Required readings round out this elective.