Assignments

1. Write ups (Inpatient - Children's Hospital of NY Only)

Write up two patients as admissions. They are due 3 days after your second and third calls. You may write up a patient you admitted (preferable), or a patient you picked up. Write it up as a new admission -- do not include hospital course. The idea is to do the best you can in three days.

The key sections are the CC, HPI and the summary, assessment and plan. It is key that you include your thought process. Your orientation packet has a description of the sections of the write up. One copy of the write up should be given to your resident so that he/she may give you feedback and the other copy should be given toJakki Outlaw , CHN 5-517 North her telephone number is 305 - 8504.

 

2. EBM Project (ER) (NOT REQUIRED AT THIS TIME)

The goal of this project is to practice using the literature to answer specific clinical questions.

Logistics:

1) Pick a specific clinical question based on your ER experience. (See the attached chapter on asking a focused question) It must be a therapy question or a diagnostic test question.

2) Do a literature search. Use Medline, MDConsult, Cochrane and at least one other source and compare your results. Describe in 1/4 of a page, your search strategy.

3) Choose one article.

4) Critically assess the study following the "User's Guide" approach (User's Guides are included in your article file). This includes:

a) Validity
b) Results
c) Generalization

Then, write about what you learned. The entire project should be no more than one page. Attach the article that you used.

An outline of the EBM project can be found here.

A "Critical Review Form for Therapy" can be found here.

Due at end of your ER Block.

Useful reference articles:

  1. Guyatt, GH., Sackett, DL, and Cook, DJ. "Users' Guides to the Medial Literature: II. How to Use an Article About Therapy or Prevention, A. Are the Results of the Study Valid?" JAMA. 270(21): 2598-2601.
     
  2. Guyatt, GH, Sackett, DL, and Cook, DJ. "Users' Guides to the Medical Literature: II. How to Use an Article About Therapy or Prevention, B. What Were the Results and Will They Help Me in Caring for My Patients?" JAMA. 271(1):59-63.
     
  3. Jaeschke, R., Guyatt, G, Sackett, DL. "Users' Guides to the Medical Literature: III. How to Use an Article About a Diagnostic Test, A. Are the Results of the Study Valid?" JAMA. 271(5): 389-391.
     
  4. Sackett, D. et.al. "How to ask clinical questions you can answer." Evidence Based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach EBM. Churchill and Livingstone. New York ; Edinburgh : Churchill Livingstone, 1997, p. 22-36.
     
  5. Sackett, D, et.al. "Is this evidence about a diagnostic test important?" Evidence Based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach EBM. Churchill and Livingstone. New York ; Edinburgh : Churchill Livingstone, 1997, p. 118-128.

Helpful WWW Links:

  1. How to do a Critically Appraised Topic (CAT) (This will guide you through the assignment — creating a CAT.)
  2. Evidence Based Emergency Medicine Website (EBEM)
  3. Centres for Health Evidence.net
  4. Evidence Based Medicine Toolkit
  5. Columbia Pediatric Emergency Medicine Page

 

3. Reflection & Conflict Pieces

a) Spend 30 minutes to 1 hour writing a reflection on an experience that you had in the clerkship that you are not likely to forget.

b) Describe a conflict you observed between a patient and a physician (or yourself). Describe your suggest approach to this conflict (suggested length one side of a page).

c) Keep a list of all conflicts you find yourself in or observe. A good litmus test is any situation where you are upset, uncomfortable, surprised, and/or shocked.

Due no later than the 4th Tuesday of the Rotation.

Helpful Link:

  1. http://www.humanism-in-medicine.org/

 

4. Developmental Worksheet (Optional)

Describe observations that you made about children in four age groups. These are infancy, toddlers/pre-school, school age and adolescents. For each describe:

  1. your approach to the physical examination
  2. the anticipatory guidance you would give them (or their parents) -- Including guidance to prevent injury and illnesses,
  3. one behavioral problem common to that age group

A copy of the worksheet can be found here.

Due at the end of week 5.

 

5. Group Project (Children's Hospital of NY Only). (Optional)

As a group, prepare a 10 minute presentation that you would make to a government official to change policy about a health related issue from the following list:

  1. Violence
  2. Cigarettes
  3. Drugs
  4. Obesity/Childhood Activities
  5. Environmental Health
  6. Alternative Medicine

Due at the end of ER Block

 

6. Personal Goals (Optional)

Development as a physician occurs in three general areas: clinical skills, knowledge, and professional attitudes (please refer to the evaluation form in the Attachments section of this packet for details). Choose at least three personal objectives for this clerkship and list them below. At the conclusion of this clerkship, we will measure your progress toward these goals.