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University of Illinois at Chicago (College of Medicine)




The UIC College of Medicine offers high-quality education to medical students, graduate students, and graduate physicians at four sites across the state.
At each location the three areas of medical education, medical research, and patient care provide the basis for an integrated learning experience. A world-renowned facility, first-rate laboratory and library facilities, and a commitment to students by advisers, faculty, and staff
combine to provide a comprehensive medical education in an atmosphere of care and concern for the individual student.

We are proud of the UIC College of MedicineÕs distinguished 120-year history of medical excellence. UIC has become one of the national leaders in many areas of medicine, including producing primary care physicians, research, academic medicine, and maintaining a diverse student body. Achievements of the past serve as an inspiration for further accomplishments.

The mission of the UIC College of Medicine is to enhance the health of the citizens of Illinois through the education of physicians and biomedical scientists, the advance of
our understanding and knowledge of health and disease, and the provision of health care in a setting of education and research. In pursuit of this mission, the College of Medicine is committed to the goal of achieving excellence in teaching, research, and service in the science, art, and practice of medicine. This goal is best attained by applying valid educational principles, demonstrating high-quality patient care, and
establishing a spirit of inquiry leading to scholarly achievement in basic and clinical research.

The University of Illinois College of Medicine serves the State across four sites - Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, and Urbana.

As the largest medical school in the country with over 2,600 culturally and economically diverse medical students and trainees, the University of Illinois College of Medicine provides superb scientific and clinical training.
With nearly 4,000 faculty across the State, the College graduates one in six Illinois physicians.

The UIC College of Medicine at Chicago offers a four-year program that provides a solid foundation in the basic and clinical sciences. The College of Medicine at Chicago is the largest of the collegeÕs four programs, with twentyfive departments and centers of clinical and basic sciences.

The UIC College of Medicine at Chicago is located in the
heart of the Illinois Medical District. Located approximately two miles west of downtown Chicago, the college can be reached conveniently by public transportation or expressway. A variety of student housing is available in the area, and the rich cultural resources of Chicago are easily accessible.

The curriculum of the College of Medicine at Chicago provides a solid foundation in the basic and clinical sciences and early exposure to patients. First- and second-year medical students study basic medical sciences.

In the last semester of their sophomore year students choose one of eight hospitals in the metropolitan area for a physical diagnosis course. Teaching hospitals affiliated with the Chicago program are: the University of Illinois Hospital, the West Side Veterans Administration Hospital, Cook County Hospital, Mercy Hospital Medical Center, Christ Hospital, Ravenswood Hospital Medical Center, St. Francis, and Michael Reese Hospital.

The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine exists to promote improvement in the health of the public. The College of Medicine has an obligation to attract a superior faculty and student body, provide support for
research, recognize and appreciate the gifted teacher, and establish an intellectual climate in which students and scholars at all levels may thrive.

The UIC College of Medicine is the largest in the United States. More than 13,800 medical graduates are engaged in teaching, research, and patient care across the state, the country, and the world. The college offers medical education programs at four geographic sites in Illinois: Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, and urbana-Champaign.
Chicago and Urbana-Champaign have four-year programs and Peoria and Rockford have three-year programs. The College of Medicine is a component of the University of Illinois at Chicago campus. The Chicago campus functions as the main campus, housing the dean and all collegewide administrative offices. It is located on the near west side of Chicago, in one of the worldÕs largest medical center districts.

The UIC College of Medicine has the responsibility of attracting quality candidates to the college and providing them with stimulation and opportunities for maximum
development. The UIC College of Medicine receives more than 5,000 applications annually from prospective medical students vying for the 300 places in each first-year class. Of the 300 first-year students enrolled annually, 175 matriculate in Chicago for the full four-year program and 125 matriculate in Urbana-Champaign for a one-year curriculum that focuses on selected basic medical sciences courses. At the completion of the first year in Urbana-Champaign, successful students progress to their second through fourth years at Peoria (50 students), Rockford (50 students), or Urbana-
Champaign (25 students).

Competitive academic standards are employed in selecting the diverse student body. An essential obligation of the college is to examine the health care needs and provide health care services to the citizens of Illinois. While the UIC College of Medicine continues its leadership in the achievement of these goals, it remains
responsive to the changing social and intellectual environments.

The goal of the UIC College of Medicine curriculum is to graduate physicians who are well grounded in basic and clinical sciences, oriented and competent as beginning general physicians, capable of entering graduate training in either generalist specialties
or subspecialties of medical science, and able to function in an ever changing health care environment. The curriculum is designed to provide the educational opportunities in which medical students will master the knowledge, acquire the skills, develop the attitudes, and adopt both the professional behavior and commitment to lifelong learning necessary to prepare students for their graduate medical education. These are embodied in the Graduation Competencies.

The College of Medicine maintains an internationally renowned faculty of 4,000 at four locations across the state. The faculty dedicate themselves to educating more than 1,300 medical students each year. The UIC College of Medicine is committed to the education of physicians and other health personnel motivated toward and capable of a high standard of professional service.

Various types of professional service are rendered by physicians, such as primary care, specialty practice, research, teaching, preventive medicine, and administration. Medical students have the opportunity to become familiar with several professional roles and choose the role best suited to their individual goals and abilities. Students will build the necessary foundation for future training and growth toward the selected role. The collegeÕs concern for its students does not end with graduation but continues in postgraduate medical education and throughout their professional careers.

In order to provide students of the College of Medicine with the best possible educational opportunities, the faculty conducts ongoing evaluations of its educational programs. The College Committee on Instruction and Appraisal reviews the instructional programs of the
four sites and makes recommendations for improvement. The curriculum of each site places the responsibility for learning on the student and encourages the development of intellectual curiosity to the fullest. Programs are designed to teach the scientific method,
promote learning by problem solving, and develop the skills and attitudes of a mature physician.

The college is seen as a leader in the dissemination and utilization of research and scientific knowledge, as evidenced by the quality or faculty research being conducted at all four sites. Medical students who are interested in participating in research during the school year or summer vacation are encouraged to contact individual faculty members. Research interests are widely diversified and range from basic molecular
biology to patient-related clinical research. Students may gain research experience for only one semester or may expand these research experiences as a basis for a graduate thesis.

The College of Medicine sponsors a summer research fellowship program to encourage research activities. Any student may apply for funding provided the research project is cosponsored by a department. This research is not used to fulfill a graduation requirement. The Student Medical Research Forum is another annual event in which students present their original research reports and receive evaluations on the significance and quality of both their research and their presentations. Cash awards are given to those presentations judged the best. Winners are then eligible to compete in the regional and national medical research forums. Experience gained from short or long term research constitutes an important adjunct to more formal medical education.

The 430-bed University of Illinois at Chicago Hospital and its outpatient diagnostic and specialty clinics serve as the primary teaching facilities for the UIC College of
Medicine. The eight-story inpatient facility, dedicated in 1980, houses some of the most advanced technology available today. Patient care programs encompass the
whole spectrum of health services, with a medical staff comprised of recognized leaders in a variety of specialties. A new 200,000 square-foot ambulatory service building began service in 1999. The University of Illinois at Chicago Hospital and clinics lead the country in the application of information technology to healthcare
record keeping and information flow. All patient records are accessible electronically to the caregivers in both inpatient and outpatient environments.

The UIC Medical Center serves as a referral site for the seriously ill throughout the state, the U.S., and other countries. Physicians perform more than 10,000 outpatient and inpatient surgeries each year. Patient visits to the emergency department average 40,000 annually, physician office and clinic visits number 390,000 each year, and the house staff admit over 17,000 patients a year to the hospital.

The campus has many additional health care resources. The Lions of Illinois Eye Research Institute, the Lighthouse for the Blind, and the Eye and Ear Infirmary make this a major statewide referral center for eye disease. Schools of Pharmacy, Public Health, Dentistry, Nursing, and Applied Health Sciences also grace the campus.
The diverse patient population allows the University of Illinois at Chicago to fulfill its commitment to the community and helps foster a vital health care institution.
Referrals for the variety of quaternary programs attract patients from around the world.

The Craniofacial Center (CFC) at the College of Medicine at Chicago is a health care facility with a team of medical and dental specialists and allied health professionals that provides comprehensive care and support for these patients and their families. The center has four components: Cleft/Craniofacial Clinic, Maxillofacial
Prosthetics Clinic, Educational Programs, and Research Program.

The Craniofacial Center receives referrals from primary care physicians, medical and dental specialists, other health care professionals, social agencies, and public health organizations. Patients may also be self-referred. Care is comprehensive although some specialists request treatment for a specific problem. The centerÕs team works with the referral source to achieve the goal of functional and aesthetic rehabilitation.

Cleft/Craniofacial Clinic : This clinic is a unique resource within the College of Medicine at Chicago. It focuses
on the comprehensive care of patients with congenital conditions. It also specializes in the rehabilitation of patients who have had head and neck cancer surgery or suffered craniofacial trauma. The clinic provides comprehensive diagnostic evaluation and treatment. An extensive scope of services is available: audiology, beauty consulting, cosmetology, dentistry, oral/facial/limb/ocular prosthetics, orthotics,
plastic/craniofacial surgery, oral /maxillofacial surgery, genetics counseling, neurology and neurosurgery, ophthalmology, orthodontics, otolaryngology, pediatrics,
psychology, social services, and speech pathology. A treatment plan is established that includes long-term goals of rehabilitation. This enables the team to coordinate its services and provide continuity of care. The team concept conserves time, energy, and
resources by having most service consolidated in one place. In addition the clinic has access to all other College of Medicine consulting services.

The Craniofacial Center administers predoctoral courses for medical and dental students and postdoctoral training programs in plastic and reconstructive surgery,
orthodontics, maxillofacial prosthetics, dental laboratory technology, and speech and language pathology. Our program to train medical artists to make facial prostheses in a clinical setting was the first of its kind in the world. The programs offered at the center are unique and provide an excellent educational experience. It also conducts continuing education courses so that those already in practice may keep informed of the most current care for their patients.

The Biologic Resources Laboratory (BRL) is the campus unit that oversees the procurement, care, and maintenance of animals used in the teaching and research programs of the University of Illinois at Chicago. This oversight responsibility includes ensuring that the UIC programs meet federal regulations, the requirements of the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International, and currently accepted standards for providing adequate veterinary care and proper animal husbandry. The professional staff is also responsible for providing advice to the research and teaching staff, conducting graduate and technical courses, and supporting the protocol review system of the Animal Care Committee.

The UIC program is accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International and has consistently received
positive evaluations from representatives of the Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, and several commercial
pharmaceutical and contract laboratories.

The UIC Library of the Health Sciences is the fifth largest academic health sciences library in the country. The Library of the Health Sciences at Chicago serves the
faculty, students, and staff of the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Health and Human Development Sciences, and Pharmacy; the School of Public Health; the Graduate College; and the UIC Medical Center Hospital and clinics. The library is also a major resource for the other institutions in the West Side Medical Center
District, including Cook County, Rush Presbyterian, and West Side Veterans Administration hospitals.

The library's comprehensive collection includes materials in all subject fields of interest to the teaching, research, and clinical programs carried on by the units served.
The library contains more than 670,000 bound periodical volumes, books, and government documents, more than 7,500 periodical titles, and 60,000 audiovisual items. The Special Collections Department houses rare books, archives and other items of historical interest. The collection includes the History of Nursing and
Pharmacy Collection, the Kiefer Collection (urology), the Percival Bailey Library (neurology), and the Nyhus Collection (gastroenterology).

The Library of the Health Sciences provides access to a large collection of electronic resources. These include searchable databases and databanks, bibliographic
citations, reference materials, full-text journals, and electronic books. Users with a UIC NetID and password can access these resources from any computer with Internet accessÑon campus, at home, or at remote hospitals and clinics. The Library of the Health Sciences also supports a number of on-line tutorials and help guides to assist users in finding and using Web-based resources and services.

The library's highly trained professional staff provides reference assistance and instruction in the use of the library's automated systems and services. Classes on
searching electronic databases and using library resources are offered at all College of Medicine sites throughout the semester. In addition, librarians provide curriculumbased instruction, participate in journal club, and attend morning report. Users can request reference assistance in-person, by telephone, or via e-mail ([email protected]).

Additionally, users can schedule individual consultations with a librarian for in-depth research assistance. Librarians also will perform mediated on-line searching for those users who prefer to have a computer search done by a professional librarian.

The Library of the Health Sciences has regional sites in Peoria, Rockford, and Urbana, designed to serve the College of Medicine programs at these locations. These
libraries house basic collections of clinical journals, recent monographs, and multimedia materials. Each regional site library has access to electronic resources and offers reference services, instruction, interlibrary loan, and photocopy services.

The collections at the Library of the Health Sciences are complemented by the collections at the Richard J. Daley Library and at the Science Library. Scheduled shuttle buses connect the east and west sides of the University of Illinois at Chicago campus to provide convenient library access for students, faculty, and staff members. Under a contract with the National Library of Medicine, the Library of the Health
Sciences serves as the regional medical library for a ten-state Greater Midwest Region, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North
Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.


School name:University of Illinois at ChicagoCollege of Medicine
Address:1853 West Polk Street
Zip & city:IL 60612-7302 Illinois
Phone:312-996-5635
Web:http:/www.uic.edu/depts/mcam/
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College of Medicine Medical School Location







College of Medicine Courses


FIRST YEAR M-1

During the M-1 year, students build on the basic concepts in chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and the behavioral sciences mastered during their baccalaureate studies as these concepts apply to the basic structures and processes of human life.
Courses integrate laboratory skills and small group discussions, with didactic lectures and focus on providing an understanding from the molecular level through more complex structures and pathways of the fundamental elements that constitute Òhealth.Ó
Students begin to see the application of the concepts learned in the classroom through longitudinal primary care experiences with a physician preceptor and through plenary and small group sessions devoted to issues of professional behavior, doctor-patient
interaction, and biopsychosocial aspects of medicine.

COURSES

* Human Gross Anatomy : In this course taught over two semesters, the macroscopic structure of the adult
human body is studied using a multimedia lecture and laboratory (cadaver dissection) format. The material is presented in three units of study based upon a regional
dissection approach (limbs, torso, head and neck) that emphasizes the spatial relationships between structures and their clinical relevance. Included are lecture series in radiologic anatomy and embryology that are integrated with the gross anatomy lecture and dissection topics.

* Medical Biochemistry : This course teaches students about the importance of human biochemistry to an
understanding of health and disease issues. Its principal purpose is to bridge the gap between basic biochemistry and clinical medicine. Clinical correlations and relevancy of basic biochemical pathways will therefore serve as the focal point for understanding and appreciating the interplay between biochemistry, molecular medicine and clinical practice. The goal of this approach is to teach medical students how to use basic biochemical principles and concepts in the process of clinical problem solving. Students will initially learn about the structural and biochemical nature of the macromolecular building blocks of all animal life including proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids. This basic introduction will be followed by one of the major unifying concepts in human biochemistry, that of fuel (energy) metabolism. Students will learn to appreciate bioenergetics, oxidative metabolism, and the pathways that regulate carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid and nucleic acid metabolism, and their interrelationships. The regulation of these metabolic pathways by both intracellular and hormonal mechanisms will be emphasized to enable students to understand the implications of biochemical metabolic regulation in health, and its dysfunction to the development of pathological conditions in human disease. The course will conclude with a series of lectures integrating all these basic concepts into an understanding of both normal tissue/organ function and disease pathogenesis.

* Physiology : The two medical courses in Human Physiology teaches the essentials of the processes of life. The emphasis is on the understanding of the mechanisms by which the living organism maintains a chemical and physical steady state despite diverse
external stresses and workloads. Specifically, the physiology of the major organ systems: nerve-muscle, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, central nervous, endocrine, and reproductive, are covered. Integrated activity of the various organ systems is described with emphasis on hierarchy of control mechanisms. An understanding of these mechanisms is presented in terms of how molecular and
cellular events give rise to the typical behavior of a particular organ system. These courses are very clinically relevant because knowledge of the systems is crucial for understanding pathology, pharmacology, and for competent clinical practice. In fact, all of medicine is based on understanding physiological function.

* Essentials of Clinical Medicine : The overall objective of this course is to prepare students for entry into clinical
environments through the development of the fundamental knowledge, skills and atttidues required of medical professionals. In ECM I, students learn the basic steps in gathering data and establishing rapport while interviewing a patient. Students will begin to familiarize themselves with the role of the doctor and the doctor-patient relationship, learn to talk with patients, apply basic science knowledge to chronic disease, learn about general care with a generalist physician-preceptor, and acquire initial competency informatics. In ECM II, students continue the acquisition of fundamental skills used in taking histories, interpreting and presenting patient data, and relating to patients and other health professionals in the context of the changing
social, cultural, legal, political, economic and personal contexts which affect the delivery of healthcare. An introduction to ethical and legal issues relevant to the care of patients is provided.

* Human Development: Brain and Behavior : In the behavioral science sequence, students learn the principles of normative development and growth, as well as the mechanisms contributing to variation within
the normal range. The major theories relevant to human behavior and a basic understanding of research design are covered as well.

* Medical Tissue Biology : In Medical Tissue Biology students learn about the structures and function of cells
and tissues in organs of the human body and learn about clinical correlations of cell and tissue functions. The course covers cell biology; the cell and tissue biology of basic epithelial, connective, muscle, and nervous tissues; and the cell and tissue biology of blood, skeletal, hepato-pancreatic, lymphoid, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, urinary, reproductive, integumentary and special sense systems. The Medical Tissue Biology Course integrates material from the nanoscopic domains of molecular biology, biochemistry, and physiology with the macroscopic domains of gross anatomy and the patients.

* Introduction to Molecular Medicine and Human Genetics : This course covers molecular biology approaches to the study of hman disease and molecular regulatory mechanisms of transcription, translation, protein targeting and DNA replication. The course also covers molecular approaches used in cloning diseased genes and in clinical diagnosis, including: isolation of DNA and genomic clones, restriction fragment length polymorphism, polymerase chain reaction, and the
ligation chain reaction, as well as transgenic mouse models used to create models of human diseases.
Life as we know it exists because of the gene. Human Genetics teaches students the basis for gene action in creating normal phenotypes and disease phenotypes.
These concepts are taught in the context of inheritance, gene action, molecular genetics and the molecular basis for disease, linkage and marker genes, genes in
populations and the consequences of medical intervention, cytogenetics, neoplasia, and genetic counseling. The Human Genetics course builds on the knowledge base acquired in Molecular Medicine.

* Human Neuroanatomy : In Human Neuroanatomy, students learn about the basic structures and
relationships of the central nervous system. The course covers general principles of the development, connectivity, and blood supply of central nuclei and tracts and the control over the peripheral nervous system. Review of selected degenerative or traumatic lesions emphasizes the anatomical/clinical relevance of the material. The laboratory is an integral part of the learning environment. A parallel course in neurophysiology complements learning the material.

* Fundamentals of Immunology and Microbiology : In Fundamentals of Immunology and Microbiology, students learn the basic properties of medically relevant bacteria, viruses and fungi and how these organism cause disease. The course covers basic aspects of microbiology, including bacterial structure and function, genetics, drug resistance, mechanisms of virulence, viral structure and viral replication. Several of the most important pathogens are covered in detail with emphasis on integrating the properties of the microbe, epidemiology and the mechanisms of pathogenesis.

* Medical Nutrition : The underlying principles and concepts of biochemistry and physiology are used to
examine the basis of modern nutrition, including an introduction to clinical nutrition and its role in disease and treatment. Students learn about the sources and uses of the macro- and micronutrients and the consequences of deficiencies and excesses in their intakes throughout the life cycle. Topics include: protein-energy malnutrition
(starvation, kwashiorkor, marasmus); obesity and its health consequences, genetic basis, and weight loss; osteoporosis; nutritional anemias; nutrition and heart disease; nutrition and diabetes mellitus; inborn errors of metabolism; alcohol use and abuse; fetal, maternal, and pediatric nutrition; nutrition and chronic renal failure; malnutrition and surgery. Students are introduced to aspects of the nutritional assessment of the patient. Students participate in required physician-led small group sessions that are based on appropriate background readings and case studies in such areas as diabetes, obesity and weight loss, alcoholism, coronary heart disease, and nutritional anemias.

SECOND YEAR M-2

The second year provides the transition from fundamentals of molecular medicine to actual clinical experience. Again, laboratory and lecture focus on developing a fundamental knowledge base that will enable the student to understand and integrate
pathology, microbiology, and pathophysiology of the patient at every age and in states of both health and disease, as well as the pharmacological principles underlying patient response to treatment. Students develop and hone their skills in history-taking and performing a physical examination, as well as learn rudiments of clinical decisionmaking and problem-solving. Clinical experience continues with the physician preceptor, and the ethical/legal aspects of the profession are examined in the context of preventive care, evidence-based medicine, health promotion, and the role of both the patient and other health care providers within the larger community.

COURSES :

* General and Systemic Pathology : In both Pathology courses students learn the morphological alterations of diseased tissues and organs at the gross and microscopic level. They learn how these lesions are
generated. Emphasis is placed on the pathogenesis or mechanism of disease. Lesions are correlated with the clinical manifestations of the disease. Students learn the art and science of laboratory medicine (i.e., they learn the use of laboratory testing to make the diagnosis and to monitor treatment).

* Medical Microbiology : In Medical Microbilogy learn the basic properties of medically relevant bacteria, viruses, and fungi and how these organisms cause disease. The course covers basic aspects of microbiology, including bacterial structure and function, genetics, drug
resistance, mechanisms of virulence, vaccines, viral structure, and viral replication. In addition, clinical aspects of infectious diseases are discussed. Many of the most important pathogens are covered in detail with emphasis on integrating the properties of the microbe, epidemiology, the mechanisms of pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis, and disease outcome. The laboratory acquaints students with culture techniques and basic
diagnostic procedures.

* Clinical Pathophysiology : Clinical Pathophysiology addresses the basic and core pathophysiological changes that occur as a result of disease. Topics include neoplastic, infectious, hematologic,
cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, and hepatobiliary diseases; diseases of immunity, nervous system, female and male genitourinary, skin and epithelial surfaces, musculoskeletal and endocrine systems.

THIRD YEAR M3

The third year consists of clinical clerkships in six core disciplines. In each clerkship, students develop competencies specific to the discipline, as well as to the
practice of medicine in general. Care of hospitalized patients gives students their first experience with both the time commitment and the emotional demands of the
physicianÕs life. The habits of information gathering and study developed in the basic science years are now brought into play in Òreal-timeÓ situations, further preparing students for the life-long learning required by their profession. In addition, with changes in health care delivery changes have been made to include ambulatory care as part of our curriculum.

COURSES :

* Family Medicine : The Family Medicine clerkship is the only third-year required core clerkship that takes place predominately in the ambulatory setting. The clerkship consists of an academic component, to which students devote 20Ð25 percent of their time, and a clinical component, where they spend the remainder of their time. The academic component is conducted at UIC. It focuses on ensuring that students learn to diagnose and manage common acute and chronic problems in a well-reasoned and culturally sensitive way; provide comprehensive and longitudinal health care with a family and community perspective; and recognize and address personal knowledge, skill, and/or reasoning gaps that arise during patient encounters. Instruction occurs in small groups and emphasizes active learning and problem solving. In addition to a core of required
sessions, students can individualize their academic curriculum by choosing from among a variety of electives that include HIV as Chronic Illness, WomenÕs Health, Clinical Quandaries On-line, Family Dynamics, Nutrition, Asthma, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine. A unique aspect of the academic component is the use of specially trained real patients to teach selected clinical skills (e.g., musculoskeletal exam, patient-physician communication, cultural sensitivity).
A recently added experience is a home visit program, which enables interested students to provide assistance to a trained patient with real disease and a current psychosocial need. Students make at least two visits to the patientÕs home and at least four additional contacts by phone over the course of the six-week clerkship. In the clinical component of the clerkship, students work with practicing family physicians in an urban, suburban, or rural site that they choose. The clinical component assures exposure to and the opportunity to assess and manage a broad spectrum of common acute and chronic patient problems in patients of varying ages and cultures. Clinical preceptors reinforce the emphasis in the academic component on well-reasoned care provided with a comprehensive and preventive perspective that is culturally sensitive.
Students are also provided handheld computers to be used during the course of the clerkship both to track the types and complexity of patients seen and to afford them easy access to medical and pharmacologic information.

* Medicine : The basic internal medicine clerkship is designed to expose students to the comprehensive approach to adult patients with nonsurgical diseases. The emphasis is on perfecting the fundamental skills of data collection and clinical reasoning and understanding pathophysiological processes. The experience is patient centered, supplemented with didactic presentations and readings appropriate to the care of each studentÕs own patients. In their first exposure to internal medicine as a discipline, students simulate the role of a trained internist under the close supervision of resident trainees and faculty members. During the eight-week inpatient experience, students are expected to perform a comprehensive history and physical, showing the ability to present complicated cases clearly and succinctly; to understand the process of clinical decision-making based on an appreciation of clinical epidemiology and the psychosocial makeup of individual cases; to increase their knowledge of internal medicine by learning to identify and prioritize patientsÕ medical problems; to interact with patients effectively and understand the concept of individual patient advocacy; to display professionalism in patient care and interaction with peers and ancillary personnel; and to become an effective member of the health care delivery team.
During a four-week ambulatory experience, students are paired with a general medicine preceptor in an ambulatory setting. The goals of this experience are for the student to appreciate the wide range of illnesses seen in the ambulatory setting; to understand the pathophysiology, diagnostic options, and treatment modalities for the acute, subacute, and chronic presentations of common medical conditions; and to
recognize the importance of time, a patientÕs social circumstances, and cost issues in the management of medical problems. Students also spend time in selected
subspecialty outpatient practices.

* Pediatrics : The pediatrics clerkship is eight weeks in length. Approximately half of this time involves participation in the evaluation and management of infants, children, and adolescents on an inpatient service, with the other half devoted mainly to outpatient
pediatric settings. The inpatient rotations include work on the general inpatient wards and in the newborn nursery. The outpatient rotation includes pediatric and adolescent ambulatory care, both in a general pediatrics setting and in pediatric subspecialty clinics, as well as pediatric emergency service experience. In each of these clinical settings the student is responsible for the initial evaluation of the patient and for the development of a definitive plan for subsequent evaluation and management. Each of these experiences emphasizes bedside and clinic patient-oriented teaching. The
patient-directed instruction is also supplemented by a regular series of lectures, conferences, and seminars that are organized to provide systematic consideration of the major subject areas of pediatric medicine.
The student also participates in ward rounds, case presentations, and conferences that are attended by members of the faculty and house staff. Throughout the clerkship the normal processes of physical growth and development are emphasized, and illness is considered in the context of its effects on the child and his family.

* Obstetrics/Gynecology : Each student spends six weeks on the basic clerkship in obstetrics and gynecology, either at the University of Illinois at Chicago Hospital or at one of the Metropolitan Chicago Group of University of Illinois Affiliated Hospitals, participating actively as a member of the health care team. Although most of the experience is in general obstetrics and gynecology, students also receive some exposure to the subspecialties of gynecologic oncology, infertility, maternal-fetal medicine, and genetics. In addition,
there is an active conference schedule at each hospital, including tumor conferences, perinatal conferences, endocrinology and infertility conferences, gynecologic
pathology conferences, and various Grand Rounds presentations. While on call, students have additional opportunities to sharpen their developing clinical skills while actively participating in patient care activities.

* Psychiatry : The clerkship is an eight-week, in-depth experience in psychiatry and psychological medicine. Its objective is to teach students to identify and evaluate the range of emotional disorders, from minor situational reactions to the most serious mental disorders. Students are given an opportunity to become familiar with the various treatments used in the field and to acquire basic skills in the management of patients with less serious emotional disorders. Students learn evaluation and management techniques applicable to helping nonpsychiatric patients cope with medical problems.
The students work with patients from varying age groups as well as socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The role of the family and of social and community factors in mental health and dysfunction is studied, and the student has an opportunity to learn
about community resources that are available to help deal with patients who have special problems. Much of the teaching is done by individual or small group
supervisors in the clinical setting where the students see the patients. There are didactic sessions in psychopathology and clinical psychiatry, a tutorial program, and seminars covering readings and discussions of selected topics in the field. In addition,
attention is given to special health problems, such as drug abuse, alcoholism, and special issues in the care of chronically and terminally ill patients.
Teaching facilities include the inpatient and outpatient units of the hospitals in the West Side Medical Center District as well as similar units at Illinois Masonic Hospital
and Ravenswood Hospital. Teaching is also done on general medicine and surgical wards as well as in special settings such as child psychiatry clinics and community mental health clinics.

* Surgery : Through the clerkship, the student improves his/her skills in data gathering and decision making and at the same time acquires core skills and knowledge related to diagnosis and management of surgical diseases. The student is part of the surgical team involved in the day-to-day care of the inpatients and participates in the surgery outpatient clinics and in the operating room. Students gain experience with a general
surgery service in the hospital for six weeks. They are assigned patients and are responsible for obtaining medical histories, performing physical examinations, and developing patient management schemata. Students also are expected to observe procedures and acquire some basic technical skills required of physicians. Student
rounds with attending surgeons assures appropriate educational interaction.

FOURTH YEAR M4

During the fourth year, students complete a subinternship and choose the specialty and elective clerkships that will help them both narrow their choice of residency and acquire specialized clinical skills common and complementary to all medical disciplines. Electives may be taken within the UIC system, at another LCME/LMCC (Canadian)Ðaccredited program or at a foreign medical school with which the college has a Memorandum of Agreement, thus allowing students to sample geographic locations, as well as disciplines, prior to the final residency commitment.

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