cic

Clinical Integration Course - 7.5 hours
Course Director: Dr. W. Ross Lawler
Office: 610L
Phone: 567-4580
email: [email protected]
Textbooks
The two textbooks are required and will be needed throughout medical school. They are good references on how to treat patients and correct examination skills.

Course Description
This is the fourth year for this course, and some details may change for your class. The CIC will extend throughout the entire first year. The grade for the course at the end of the first year will include the results of written exams and skills exams as well as evaluations from each of the 5 tracks described below. Although there will be one grade for the course at the end of the year, each student will be made of aware of his/her progress throughout the year.
You will begin with four weeks of instruction on taking patient histories and performing physical exams. You will have a lecture with an overview of the exam procedure, followed by a meeting with your small-group instructor. This person will be your first faculty contact in medical school, and most are excellent resources for advice throughout the year. Each instructor has two groups of 10 to l2 students each. The idea is that you take turns practicing your technique on one another, with your instructor to oversee and consult on questions and problems - not directly to teach you every step. Be sure to prepare well for class. (Also, don't panic: advanced techniques such as pelvic exams are learned in second year, and these are practiced on "models" - real people, but not classmates!)
Because you're beginning your clinical experiences right away, you will need to purchase your diagnostic instruments (stethoscope, etc.) the first day of class. Dr. Lawler will give you general guidelines and the bookstore will help you select and order. You can expect to pay $500 to $600 for your instruments, so it is very important that you plan your budget and do your financial aid forms well in advance (i.e. right now!). The financial aid process has several steps and can take weeks to complete. If you need help getting started, contact the UTHSCSA Financial Aid Office.
After the first four weeks, there will be an exam covering the history and physical examination skills you have learned. Then you will begin your other fall semester courses (see below) and enter the second portion of CIC. For the rest of the year of CIC, you will be divided into five sections of 40 students each. There will be five "tracks" with each section on a different track each week for five weeks. (i.e. At the end of the first five weeks, every section has been through every track once.) You will rotate through the set of five tracks six times in the year. The tracks are designed to give you experience with situations which are important in caring for patients. You will be asked to submit an evaluation of each week's activity.
Geriatric Track - each student will be paired with another student, and that pair will be assigned to an elder person in the community. The elder is not your "patient" but someone from whom you can learn what the elderly face when interacting with the health care system. Each phase, you will have an hour lecture on geriatric medicine. Then, you will have the rest of the afternoon to meet with your elder and complete a specific task related to the discussion. For example, during one phase, you will meet with your elder and complete a paper describing your elder's life history and any medical experiences they might have had.
Community Physician Track - each student is paired with a community physician. You will be shadowing them to observe different aspects of the doctor's job and relationships with patients, staff, and other health care professionals. On this day, expect to spend anywhere from 1 to 5 hours at their offices.
MS3 Track - you will be paired with a third year student who is on rotations in the wards. The purpose of this track is to introduce you to the intended uses of your early clinical training so that you'll have some idea of what to expect when you hit third year yourself.
SP Track - "standardized (or simulated) patients" are trained people who have a particular complaint and you will take a history and perform physical examination skills on them. You will be evaluated on you knowledge pertaining to their complaint. This is an exciting part of the CIC course.
Clinical Thinking Track - clinical correlations show you real cases involving knowledge or skills you have just developed in your other courses. They teach you how to integrate what you've learned sitting in class and practicing in CIC by showing you how they apply to "real" patients.
Each track has its own director. The best way to contact most small group instructors, track directors, or the course director for CIC will be through email. The school issues you an email account, and CIC will offer about 6 hours of instruction in computer skills to ensure that everyone is comfortable with this aspect of the course.

Helpful Resources
Because this is a now course and it's your first exposure to medical school, there are bound to be questions. Your small group instructor is probably best for specific questions about the material. The library also has a good selection of examination videos and heart sound cassettes that will be of great benefit to you.
Most of us face anxiety about asking delicate questions or performing exams, and in some cases it can help to talk to your group leader or a more senior student, such as your third year student mentor or a willing second-year. If you need clarification of where you're supposed to be, etc., see your section director or Dr. Lawler. Finally, try to get the most of your CIC experience!