First Two Years: Longitudinal Primary Care Clerkship/Clinical Experiences 101

The Longitudinal Primary Care Clinical Experience (LPCC) spans the first two years of medical school. The first segment of the LPCC curriculum begins in the latter half of the first year.

Students are paired with a primary care physician and will learn in the preceptor’s ambulatory office. Sessions will focus on learning the clinical method. The student learning sessions use a combination of directed, structured observation of preceptors providing clinical care and student-led patient encounters.

In addition, students will begin to observe and practice professional behaviors and develop their physician identity. They will be exposed to themes associated with primary care practice such as being part of a team prioritizing patient problems, patient-centered care, shared decision making, continuity relationships, care coordination and patient education.

During the Clinical Experiences portion of the segment, students will engage in training with allied health professionals at various sites. These experiences include nutrition, nursing, social work, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology.

Block Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Describe, observe and practice the steps of the clinical method used by primary care physicians in practice.
• Identify when the following common aspects of clinical encounters occur: prioritizing patient problems, patient-centered care, shared decision making, value of a continuity relationship, care coordination, patient education.
• Practice history taking and physical examination skills with real patients.
• Develop an appreciation for health science professionals and their roles in health care

Additional Opportunities

Geriatric Medicine Student Scholars
The Geriatric Medicine Student Scholars (GMSS) program is a special four-year curricular track for selected medical students, who will participate in an array of mentored clinical and didactic activities. The GMSS program will benefit students seeking to specialize in any medical specialty and will ensure that participating medical students graduate with a comprehensive knowledge of the complex health and social challenges facing older adults.

The GMSS are selected from the first-year medical school class. Interested students should contact Corie Rice at corie.rice@uc.edu for an application.

Family Medicine Interest Group
The FMIG is a student-run group consisting of students in all four years who have an interest in Family Medicine. Students meet monthly to hear speakers present on a variety of topics, such as life as a family physician, common health problems encountered by primary care physicians, underserved issues, medical ethics, palliative care, advanced care directives, stress management. The FMIG hosts the Secrets of the Match dinner, which helps underclassmen navigate the residency match process. Opportunities for service to inner-city agencies are available as well.

Summer Externship
The Medical Student Research Fellowship brings together medical students with an interest in primary care with Family Medicine researchers and clinicians. Students apply for the fellowship and are selected through a competitive process. Recent research projects have included enhancing chronic pain care, understanding the integration of complementary and traditional medicine, assessing Family Medicine patient health status, understanding anxiety in older adults, and researching innovative educational curricula. In addition, the students will have a weekly preceptor experience that explores the various practices of family physicians, including outpatient and inpatient medicine, hospice care, homeless health care and geriatric medicine. The students will also meet together weekly for small group discussions led by DFCM research faculty. Funding for the medical student summer stipends are provided by the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians and the Southwest Ohio Society of Family Physicians.  Interested students should contact Sarah Brubaker at sarah.brubaker@uc.edu.