Description

This clerkship is primarily a hospital-based experience. In the morning, students attend daily teaching rounds with the hospital staff consultant. In the afternoon, students see hospital consultations in conjunction with the hospital staff person. Opportunities are provided for students to see the consultation and formulate their impressions and plan prior to the hospital staff consultation.

Specific goals

1. Gain exposure to a variety of common and some uncommon gastrointestinal disorders, both through evaluation of the patient and through observation of endoscopy
2. Improve history and physical examination skills as they pertain to patients with gastrointestinal disorders
3. Gain some preliminary experience in managing gastrointestinal disorders and, in particular, the use of endoscopic intervention for diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders
4. Be offered the opportunity to assist in management of gastrointestinal emergencies, such as gastrointestinal bleeding and food impaction, through a limited call experience

Activity outline

Several different conferences are available for didactic teaching. Gastrointestinal pathology is reviewed monthly at a pathologic conference with a pathologist present. Interesting cases are presented monthly at a gastrointestinal case conference, supervised by a gastroenterology consultant.

Medical-surgical conferences are offered once monthly to focus on the overlap between medical and surgical problems, with both gastroenterology and surgical consultants present.

Finally, Mayo Clinic's campus in Scottsdale, Arizona, offers weekly clinical pathological conferences (CPC). Monthly CPC conferences are available through teleconference from Mayo Clinic's campus in Rochester, Minnesota.

Students are offered the opportunity to assist in emergent cases throughout the elective at their discretion. 

Method of evaluation

The gastroenterology consultants who supervise the student's work at the hospital offer constructive criticism and appraisal of performance to the student.

Students receive a breadth of experience working with various physicians on the hospital service. Due to the limited time frame students spend with each physician, letters of recommendation are not provided at the end of the rotation.

Per Mayo Clinic institutional policy, faculty and residents/fellows will not complete any outside evaluations. You will be provided with an electronic performance evaluation via Mayo Clinic’s MedHub portal. A final summative evaluation will be sent to you and your school official upon completion of your clerkship.