MEL 8339: Rheumatology Clinical Elective Tampa 15-16

Contact:

Kim Harding
Ph: 813-974-2681
kharding@health.usf.edu

Rheumatology is a specialty in internal medicine devoted to the diagnosis and management of over 100 complex and interesting diseases, including musculoskeletal, and autoimmune processes. Physicians are frequently consulted for musculoskeletal complaints.  Exposure to the field of rheumatology will help the student to develop an approach to evaluate these complaints, and appreciate when a patient may have an underlying systemic rheumatic disease. Some of the diseases seen include; Scleroderma, Systemic Lupus, Inflammatory myopathies, Systemic Vasculitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic  Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Gout,Osteoporosis, and Osteoarthritis.

Objectives

By the end of the elective, the student is expected to be able to competently:

1. Perform a history, and musculoskeletal examination on patients presenting to the rheumatology clinic
2. Generate a differential diagnosis in the evaluation of patients presenting with common musculoskeletal complaints
3. Interpret relevant laboratory tests, and xrays 
4. List the indications for arthrocentesis in general and interpret synovial fluid analysis
5. Recognize common rheumatologic syndromes and the general principles of their management.

Evaluation

During this elective, the student will actively participate on the rheumatology service in the outpatient setting, and will work closely with the rheumatology faculty, and fellows. In addition, the student is expected to attend and participate in the weekly educational conference, which include journal club, case presentation, and radiology-rheumatology sessions. The student’s contribution in the educational activities will be used, in conjunction with the clinical performance, for the final evaluation.