Overview:
The Occupational Medicine rotation is an experiential rotation required of PGY-4 residents in the Health Services Management (HSM) Curriculum. It can also be taken as an elective in other curricula. This rotation consists of mostly outpatient evaluation of patients.
Goals:
- At the completion of the rotation, the resident will have an understanding of the practice of Occupational Medicine in a community setting, which will facilitate appropriate referral practices in the future.
- At the completion of the rotation, the resident will have the knowledge and skills in the area of Occupational Medicine pertinent to the practice of Family Medicine
Objectives:
At the completion of the rotation, the resident will have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Occupational Medicine preceptor:
- medical knowledge in Occupational Medicine pertinent to the practice of Family Medicine, including the appropriate evaluation and treatment of: work related back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, upper extremity cumulative-trauma disorders, shift work problems, occupational skin disease, noise induced hearing loss, occupational eye disease, occupational lung disease, occupation-related cancer and multiple chemical sensitivities. (MK)
- the ability to perform an appropriate history and physical examination on an occupational medicine patient and present these findings to another physician in an appropriate manner. (PC)
- the ability to interpret data related to the occupational medicine patient and arrive at reasonable diagnostic and management decisions, weighing alternatives, benefits and risks of diagnostic and therapeutic options, and co-managing patients appropriately with other specialists. (PC)
- the ability to make appropriate decisions to assure high-quality care in a cost-effective manner. (SBP)
- communication and interpersonal skills which facilitate positive and therapeutic relationships. (ICS)
- the ability to work cooperatively with other health professionals as part of a healthcare team. (PC)
- compassion, respect and integrity; responsiveness to the needs of patients and society that supersedes self-interest; accountability to patients, society and the profession; a commitment to excellence and ongoing professional development. (P)
- a commitment to ethical principles of confidentiality of patient information, informed consent and business practices. (P)
- sensitivity and responsiveness to a patient’s culture, age, gender and disabilities. (P)
Implementation:
This is a preceptorial rotation, so the resident is assigned to a particular Occupational Medicine preceptor or group. The resident will accompany the Occupational Medicine preceptor during his/her professional activities in the preceptor’s office and in other locations involved in the preceptor’s usual practice. In the course of seeing patients, the Occupational Medicine preceptor will provide experiential learning, role-modeling and one-on-one teaching to the resident. At the discretion of the preceptor, the resident may be assigned to research specific topics in Occupational Medicine.
The resident is responsible for contacting the preceptor prior to the start of the rotation to arrange a schedule for the rotation. The resident must continue to meet usual residency obligations to his/her Family Medicine Center population including attending scheduled clinics, caring for continuity patients admitted to Memorial Hospital and rounding in the nursing home. The resident is expected to attend noon conferences and abide by duty-hour restrictions in keeping with usual program policies. Upon completion of the rotation, the resident must complete and return the evaluation form provided by the program.
Evaluation:
The Occupational Medicine preceptor will complete an evaluation form at the end of the rotation. Residents will specifically be evaluated on the following ACGME Milestones:
- PC-1: Cares for acutely ill or injured patients in urgent and emergent situations and in all settings.
- PC-2: Cares for patients with chronic conditions.
- PC-3: Partners with the patient, family, and community to improve health through disease prevention and health promotion.
- MK-1: Demonstrates medical knowledge of sufficient breadth and depth to practice family medicine.
- SBP-1: Provides cost-conscious medical care.
- PBLI-2: Demonstrates self-directed learning.
- PROF-2: Demonstrates professional conduct and accountability.
- PROF-3: Demonstrates humanism and cultural proficiency.
- C-2: Communicates effectively with patients, families, and the public.
