Four-Week Session

Prerequisite:
Completion of clerkship in Internal Medicine

Rotation Coordinator:
Fred Gill, MD

Rotation Description
The Clinical Center (CC) is the site of intramural clinical research for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Each year, about 6,500 inpatients are admitted to the CC and another 70,000 individuals are seen in the CC outpatient clinics. These patients, who are enrolled in specific research protocols, may present with simple or complex medical problems in addition to the disease or treatment being studied. The Internal Medicine Consult Service (IMCS) provides internal medicine consultation and care to any adult patient in the CC at the request of the patient's research physicians.

The student will join the consulting team and take part in the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care of a wide spectrum of medical problems occurring in patients participating in research protocols. These activities frequently require extensive interaction between the IMCS, the research team, other CC specialists and the diagnostic laboratory and radiology services of the CC. An essential part of providing medical consultation in the CC environment requires review of existing literature and learning about new clinical and/or research tools pertinent to the clinical problems. In complicated cases, the IMCS staff often coordinates patient care utilizing these multiple sources of expertise and information. At discharge, the IMCS communicates with the outside primary physician to ensure good continuity of care.

Rotation Objectives

• Provide unique clinical experience of providing optimum care for patients with multiple medical problems in a research environment.
• Learn the consulting skills needed to formulate a diagnostic and therapeutic plan.
• Effectively communicate information to patient, family, attending physicians, and nursing staff.

Selection of Applicants
One student is scheduled for each session during the year.

Staff

• Fred Gill, MD, Chief, Internal Medicine Consult Service
• Penelope Friedman, MD
• Stacey Solin, NP