3rd Year

A medical student takes the blood pressure of a patient. This image is a still from the Family Medicine Undergraduate Orientation video.

PLAY: Watch our Family Medicine Orientation Video

The Family Medicine Clerkship is centered on learning office based primary care in a community practice. Through the lottery (second year) students will be assigned to either a rural community in Ontario, or a community practice in Ottawa. The rural rotations are organized through our closest rural network, the Eastern Regional Medical Education Program (ERMEP), who takes care of all the details including lodging. As well two students from each block can choose to work with a different rural network in Ontario (ROMP or NOSM).

Rotation outline

Week One: Everyone will be in Ottawa attending learning modules and doing allied care provider visits. You will not be expected to attend your clinic/office. Details on exact schedules will be available closer to the beginning of the rotation.

Weeks Two - Six: Everyone will spend all of this time with their assigned preceptor either in Ottawa (community) or in a rural site. The expectation is that the student would experience the full scope of their preceptor practice which could include hospital call, nursing home care, emergency room shifts, deliveries, etc.

Important Documents and Resources

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) Session

Held on the Tuesday morning of Academic Week at the National Art Gallery in Ottawa.

Please arrive no later than 9:30 a.m. If you are late, access to the Gallery will not be permitted.

Prior to beginning the tour, you will be escorted by Donna Williams to a locker area where your belongings can be safely secured. A small to medium-sized purse or bag is permitted in the Gallery.

Cell phones must be turned off and photographs, food and drinks (even water bottles) are not permitted.
Absenteeism and Professionalism

If you are unable to attend your clinic or nursing home visit for any reason, you must notify the following individuals immediately:

Denis Vadeboncoeur: medyear3@uottawa.ca

Donna Williams: ugfmclerk@uottawa.ca or 613-562-5800 ext 6477

Your clinic preceptor (if you will not be attending clinic)

Your nursing home preceptor (if you will not be attending your nursing home visit)
Exams

Exam dates are set by the Faculty at the end of a 12 week block.

Your exam will be based on the learning objectives. The objectives and a copy of the exam blueprint can be found in your handouts as well as links on one45 and the DFM website.

Please remember that you are not to book off clinical time to study for your final exam.

If you must travel three hours or more from your placement to the Faculty, you are permitted to leave your placement at noon on the Thursday. If you are travelling from Moose Factory, you should leave on the Wednesday of Week 6.

Please remember: once you enter the exam room, talking is not permitted. This is a University Policy.
FM Observation of Clinical Skills Forms

Students must complete two mandatory Observation of Clinical Skills forms. This is a Faculty of Medicine requirement. It is your responsibility to ensure that your preceptor completes the forms.

These forms were sent to you in your orientation package email and can also be found in your handouts as well as links on one45.

Submit your completed forms to the attention of Donna Williams no later than Sunday night of Week 6:
By email: ugfmclerk@uottawa.ca
Allied Healthcare Provider Visits

You are required to conduct a minimum of two Allied Healthcare Provider visits. It is your responsibility to set up your own visits.

Consult the Allied Healthcare Provider Visits Suggestion List for tips to set up your visits.

Submit your completed forms to the attention of Donna Williams no later than Sunday night of Week 6:
By email: ugfmclerk@uottawa.ca
T-Clerk

At least 50% of your T-Clerk problems and 50% of your T-Clerk procedures should be completed by the mid-rotation evaluation.

100% of your T-Clerk problems and procedures must be completed by the last Sunday of your rotation. If you feel your objectives will not be met by the end of Week 3, please notify Donna Williams at ugfmclerk@uottawa.ca to discuss an action plan.

Failure to complete your T-Clerk as above will be marked on your FM evaluation as a professionalism concern. At least 50% of your T-Clerk problems and 50% of your T-Clerk procedures should be completed by the mid-rotation evaluation.

100% of your T-Clerk problems and procedures must be completed by the last Sunday of your rotation. If you feel your objectives will not be met by the end of Week 3, please notify Donna Williams at ugfmclerk@uottawa.ca to discuss an action plan.

Failure to complete your T-Clerk as above will be marked on your FM evaluation as a professionalism concern.
Nomination for Outstanding Clinical Performance Award

The Faculty of Medicine awards this honour to 15-20% of the top students per rotation.

Two to three students per rotation group will be nominated. The final decision will be made by the Family Medicine Clerkship Director.

Learning modules are mandatory to attend. The schedule was sent to you with your orientation package and is included on your one45 schedule. Any schedule or location changes are made directly to your one45 calendar. Please check this daily.
Be sure to sign in and enter the time on the attendance sheet. If you miss any of the modules (including approved absences) or are ≥ 10 minutes late, you will be required to complete a 250 word summary on each module missed.
- These summaries are due by the end of the third day of the missed learning module
- If you miss more than one module, all summaries are due within five business days
- Send your summaries to Donna Williams by email at ugfmclerk@uottawa.ca.
Prepare ahead by reading the materials related to each objective. This information is available on the Department of Family Medicine Website and can also be found in your handouts and links on one45.
Don't forget to complete the Learning Module Evaluation which will be sent to you after each session. These need to be completed by the end of Week 3 of your rotation.

General Information - Family Medicine Suggested Readings

Abdominal Pain	Problem Assisted Learning – Abdominal Pain Approach to Abdominal Pain
Arthritis/Joint Pain	Problem Assisted Learning – Diseases of the Joint Diseases of the Joint Clinically Organized Relevant Exam (CORE) Back Tool BC Guidelines on Osteoarthritis in Peripheral Joints Chronic Low Back Pain: Evaluation and Management Diagnosis and management of inflammatory polyarthritis 3-minute Primary Care Low Back Exam
Dementia	Problem Assisted Learning – Dementia Dementia Clerkship Talk Dementia Presentation Three D Comparison Going Home: A short film on dementia No Thanks, We’re Fine: Supporting Families Living with Dementia The Mini-Mental State Exam The Montreal Cognitive Assessment tool CMAJ: Diagnosis of Dementia CMAJ: Risk assessment and primary prevention of Alzheimer disease CMAJ: Approach to management of mild to moderate dementia CMAJ: Mild cognitive impairment and cognitive impairment without dementia
Diabetes	Problem Assisted Learning – Diabetes Self-Learning Module - Diabetes mellitus Type 2 Canadian Diabetes Association Guidelines Diabetes Presentation Insulin Presentation Oral Hypoglycemics Presentation
Dyspnea	Problem Assisted Learning – Dyspnea Dyspnea and Fatigue Presentation Canadian Thoracic Society Asthma Management Continuum – 2010 Consensus Summary Canadian Thoracic Society Recommendation for Management of COPD
Fatigue	Problem Assisted Learning – Fatigue Fatigue Presentation Top 10 differential diagnoses in family medicine: Fatigue
Headache	Problem Assisted Learning – Headache Self-Learning Module - Headache Approach to Headaches in Adults Differential Diagnoses – Headache Evaluation of Headache
Hypertension	Problem Assisted Learning – Hypertension Self-Learning Module - Hypertension: Pumping it up to a true BP? Hypertension Presentation Antihypertension Medication
Mindfulness	Mindfulness Presentation 1 Mindfulness Presentation 2 Mindfulness Objectives
Smoking Cessation	Physicians for a smoke-free Canada Missing Link in Tobacco Control Varenicline for Tobacco Dependence Bupropion and other non-nicotine pharmacotherapies Pharmacotherpies for smoking cessation Pharmacotherapy for Smoking Cessation Presentation Review: Treatment of Tobacco Dependence Canadian Thoracic Society Recommendation for Management of COPD The Motivational Interview Fast Facts on Tobacco Use in Canada

3rd Year

Rotation outline

Important Documents and Resources

Department of Family Medicine

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