MEL 8359: Intro to Physical Med and Rehabilitation

Dr. Scott and Faculty (Tampa)

Dr. Jeffrey Radecki (LVHN)

At Tampa

This elective will provide the medical student with a broad and comprehensive educational experience in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. There will be instruction in the evaluation and rehabilitation of a wide range of medical disability conditions including musculoskeletal problems, head injuries, spinal cord injuries, strokes, amputees, chronic pain, geriatrics, and cardiac rehabilitation. In addition, students will be exposed to physical, occupational, speech, audiology, vocational, recreational, and kinesiological therapies. There will be instruction in functional assessments of all types of physical disabilities and in the diagnostic use of electromyography for muscle and neurological disorders. Overall, the educational experience will offer a practical approach to those patients with disabilities. This will benefit all medical students regardless of their primary area of interest. Visitation at other rehabilitation centers is available.

At LVHN

The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation/Physiatry elective is intended to allow students the opportunity to develop and refine musculoskeletal history and physical examination skills, competence in the understanding and evaluation of various musculoskeletal disorders, especially spinal disorders, diagnostic testing, medication prescription, and exposure to radiologic interpretation under the supervision of a board-certified physiatrist or certified nurse practitioner.  In addition, the student will be given exposure to the variety of physiatric diagnostic and treatment options, including but not limited to fluoroscopically guided interventional procedures and electrodiagnostic testing (EMGs). 

Students will participate in the outpatient physiatry clinics at the LVHN Cedar Crest and Muhlenberg campuses and have an opportunity to participate in acute inpatient physiatry consultations at LVHN Cedar Crest and inpatient acute rehab at Good Shepherd Rehab Hospital. 

Students will follow the schedule created for the attendings and nurse practitioner with whom they work.  They will have an opportunity to customize a unique schedule to provide exposure to areas of interest

Care is provided at LVHN Cedar Crest and Muhlenberg locations treating patients from early adulthood to geriatric ages.  The racial and ethnic distribution reflects the diversity within the Lehigh Valley.  When English is not the primary spoken language, interpretation services are available to assist in the patient care setting, either through direct interview or via a remote language line service.

Students are expected to observe, perform selected history and physical evaluations, and learn about certain procedures appropriate for the physiatry setting.  All such procedures will be under the direct supervision of the attending physician.

Evaluation

Educational objectives, a learning booklet, and expected learning outcomes with a bibliography will be provided. Evaluation will be based on attendance and demonstration that the educational objectives have been met. An honors grade requires the student to do a case presentation at a weekly conference.