Med Student Education Program Coursework | Department of Family and Community Medicine | UC Davis Health

Medical Student Education Program

Courses

FAP430: Family Medicine Clerkship (6 units)

This pass/fail clerkship is required for all third-year medical students. It is a six-week clerkship with five weeks spent in a primary care office with one week of didactics led by family medicine department faculty. In this clerkship, students will learn to evaluate and manage health problems commonly encountered in a primary care setting and will also learn how health care in the community is related to social, cultural, educational, economic, and environmental factors. Problem solving in the clinic setting will focus on realities imposed by limited time, financial and human resources. Students focus on their professional identity formation through a narrative reflection as well as observing the ways in which structural aspects delineate care through site reflections.

Clerkship Schedule

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Week 1 Didactics/Aquifer Cases Didactics/Aquifer Cases Didactics/Aquifer Cases Didactics/Aquifer Cases Didactics/Aquifer Cases
Week 2 Clinic Clinic Clinic Clinic Clinic
Week 3 Clinic Clinic Clinic Clinic Clinic
Week 4 Clinic Clinic/Midpoint check-in with IORs* Clinic Clinic Clinic
Week 5 Clinic Clinic Clinic Clinic Clinic
Week 6 Clinic Clinic Capstone/Self study Clinic Clinic

Didactic Schedule

Monday: History of Primary Care, Family Medicine's Role in Health Policy, and POC Ultrasound Workshop
Facilitators: Jennifer Karlin, Beth Magnan, and Upal Sarker

Tuesday: Clinical Decision Making in the Outpatient Setting
Facilitators: Joy Melnikow, Josh Fenton, and Na'amah Razon

Wednesday: Managing Medical and Social Complexity in Primary Care
Facilitators: Kate Richards, Sarah Marshall, Kirsten Vitrikas, and Connie Leeper

Thursday: Harm Reduction
Facilitators: MK Orsulak, Alicia Agnoli

Friday: Advocacy and Community Health
Facilitators: Kris Srinivasan, Ian Kim, Zeynep Uzumcu

  • The Wednesday morning of our final week we will have a Capstone session where we will be sharing site and narrative reflections
  • A full schedule with learning objectives is available on the course website
  • Some didactic sessions will require prior reading, please consult course website

Other Courses

The Department of Family and Community Medicine offers many elective courses spanning the course of medical school and encompassing undergraduate opportunities. The clinical courses have an emphasis on community-based preceptorships with excellent family physicians.

Two electives are available to non-UC Davis students (marked with ▲).

FAP 195: Health Care to Underserved Populations Lecture Series (1 unit)
(Winter and Spring)

This is a student-initiated and student-coordinated lecture series, which began in 1989. The lecture provides a forum to discuss the sociocultural perspective of the underserved populations in California and to familiarize students with the unique health care needs and demographics of these groups. It meets once a week at noon in Davis. Open to all medical students and undergraduates on the UC Davis campus.

FAP 401: Introductory Preceptorship in Family Medicine (3-9 units)
(Spring/Summer)

This preceptorship is traditionally taken by medical students during the break between their first and second years and is the first opportunity to spend any length of time at a family physician's office. Students work in a family physician's office (1) learning common medical problems and clinical practice skills that are relevant to a family practice; (2) observing role models in family practice; and (3) making an initial assessment as to whether family medicine would be a personally and professionally rewarding career. Available primarily to second-year students during the summer between first and second year. Prerequisite MDS 411 A, B, and C.

FAP 405: The Healer’s Art (1 unit)
(Winter and Spring)

This course was developed more than 20 years ago by Dr. Rachel Remen, a physician well known for both her work with cancer patients and her many popular books ("Kitchen Table Wisdom" and "My Grandfather's Blessing" are two titles that come to mind).  The Healer's Art has grown in popularity since its inception and is now taught worldwide and at over 50 US medical schools.

The goal of the course is to remember the human qualities that brought all of us to medicine and to learn ways to nurture these qualities throughout our careers. The course is all about you, the students, and the faculty function only as facilitators and not as supervisors or evaluators. This is an evening class which begins in mid-February and continues about every other week through early April for a total of 5 sessions. There is no homework and there are no examinations. Students who attend all 5 sessions will receive a passing grade and course credit. Available to first-year students.

FAP 411: Selected Studies of Systems for Chronic Illness Care. (3 units)
(Offered all Quarters)

This course is a two-week senior rotation developed for the student interested in primary care. The emphasis is to examine chronic conditions in collaboration with other components of the Patient-Centered Medical Home. Assigned reading will cover the public health aspects of chronic conditions, as well as the policy implications from the financial resources allocated to addressing these conditions. Students will participate in diabetic group visits; meet with a programmer from the health system to review the development and utilization of patient registries. Students will participate in the family medicine weight management clinic. Finally, students will visit the employee wellness program of SMUD and examine the role of workplace contributions to addressing chronic conditions. Available to fourth-year students. 

FAP 433: Family Medicine Selective Clerkship (6 units)
(Offered all Quarters)
This clerkship is a selective course for all third-year medical students interested in getting more family medicine experience. It is a six-week clerkship spent at a family physician's office. In this clerkship, students will learn to evaluate and manage health problems commonly encountered in a primary care setting and will also learn how health care in the community is related to social, cultural, educational, economic and environmental factors. Problem solving in the clinic setting will focus on realities imposed by limited time, financial and human resources. For third-year medical students.

All of our Student Run Free Clinics are open on Saturdays or Sundays and are staffed by volunteer medical students who work under the supervision of physician preceptors. Medical students gain experience in the establishment and organization of a clinic, perform health screening procedures, give physical examinations, carry out basic laboratory testing procedures and develop proficiency in patient evaluations, interviewing and counseling. Students may enroll in this course during all four years of medical school. Student Co-Directors and Officers are chosen to provide leadership for the clinics. Open to all medical students. Undergraduate students must go through an interview process with the clinic boards. All participating students are from diverse cultural backgrounds.

FAP 434: Clínica Tepati (3-6 units)
(Offered all Quarters)

Clínica Tepati is a student-run clinic which has provided free primary health care services to the uninsured population of Sacramento and the surrounding area since 1974. The clinic was founded by a highly motivated group of Chicano/Latino students to address the need for culturally sensitive care for the underserved Latino population of Sacramento. The clinic is located in downtown Sacramento. Tepati is a Nahuatl word meaning, "healing". Available to all medical students.

FAP 435: Imani Clinic (3-6 units)
(Offered all Quarters)
Imani Clinic is a student-run clinic which began in 1994. Its mission is to provide quality health care in a culturally sensitive environment. The clinic began after a decade of student efforts from the Student National Medical Association, and leadership from the African American medical students and undergraduates of the UC Davis campus. Imani Clinic is in the Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento. lmani is a Swahili word meaning "Faith". Available to all medial students.

FAP 436: Shifa Continuity Clinic in Primary Care (3 units)
(Offered all Quarters)

Learn counseling, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with chronic and acute disease under supervision of physician. This course provides exposure to special health care needs of various ethnic and poverty-level populations.  Students must work at the clinic at least 100 hours over 13-20 weeks for 3 units or 2 weeks of patient care credit or >50 hours over 8-12 weeks for 1.5 units or 1 week of patient care credit. Available to fourth-year students.

FAP 437: Knight’s Landing One Health (3-6 units)
(Offered all Quarters)

This student run free clinic is located in a rural area of Yolo County, Knights Landing is a small farming community comprised of approximately 1000 people. When the community’s only medical clinic closed in 2008, residents had to travel many miles to obtain medical care. This was a huge barrier as public transport operated only 2 days a week, and most of the inhabitants of Knights Landing work 6 days a week on surrounding farms. With the assistance of Rural-PRIME students, a free clinic was established in February 2012 to provide basic medical services to the residents of this community. The clinic is open one day each month and is operated by students, nurses, and volunteer faculty.

FAP/IMD 450 Joan Viteri Memorial Clinic (3-6 units)
(Offered all Quarters)

This student run free clinic provides health care for high-risk populations Sharing space in a small building with Sacramento’s Harm Reduction Services, the Joan Viteri clinic provides unbiased health care to intravenous drug users, sex workers and their families. The clinic works closely with Harm Reduction Services to emphasize prevention and education about infectious diseases and HIV testing, and to provide drug-related medical and social referrals. Available to all medical students.

FAP 444: Advanced Preceptorship in Family Medicine ▲ (3-18 units)
(Offered all Quarters)

The Advanced Preceptorship in Family Medicine is an educational experience in which a medical student spends a block of time with one or more physician preceptors in a family medicine setting. The primary goal of the preceptorship is to develop the student's knowledge and skills with common medical problems. The preceptorship in a community site is also an important means by which the student will see the family physician as a role model and will experience the scope and flavor of family medicine. Available to fourth-year medical students.

FAP 450: CAM in Family and Community Health (3-18 units)
(Offered all Quarters)

This is a course intended to give academic credit for complementary and alternative medicine courses offered at other institutions. Subject matter may include various aspects of integrative medicine, including but not limited to botanicals, homeopathy, mind/body, naturopathy, nutrition, traditional Chinese medicine, osteopathy, and energy medicine. Not available at the UC Davis Medical Center. Available to UC Davis students only.

FAP 460: Geriatrics in Community Health (3 units)
(Offered all Quarters)

This course offers medical students an opportunity to explore the relationship between hospital/clinic based geriatric medicine and the many community facilities and organizations that provide critical support for this vulnerable group of patients. The student’s time is spent in half day or full day blocks, making home visits and going on nursing home rounds with physician specialists, and visiting a variety of UCD clinics and community facilities including the Alzheimer's Clinic, Geriatric Pharmacy Clinics and Adult Day Healthcare programs. Students have ample unscheduled time to read the course syllabus of reproduced chapters and articles, leaving nights and weekends free for other pursuits. Student evaluations of this rotation over the years are consistently good to excellent (4-5 on a 5 point scale). Taking this clerkship will be especially helpful to those students contemplating a career in adult primary care or psychiatry. Available to fourth-year medical students.

FAP 468: International Preceptorship in Family Medicine (3-12 units)
(Offered all Quarters)

Students work with a family physician in a foreign country (arranged by student or with the assistance of the Department of Family and Community Medicine, Medical Student Education Program, and the Office of Medical Education). Students will actively participate in clinic activities and analyze and report characteristics of the practice. Students must be providing general medical care to people in a variety of age groups. Students should also provide documentation showing how much of the time they will be working with generalists, focus topic(s) and activities of the rotation, etc. Available to second- through fourth-year students.

FAP 469: Inpatient Acting Internship in Family Medicine ▲ (3-12 units)
(Offered all Quarters)

The goals of the Inpatient Acting Internship rotation are:
(1) to experience a typical Family Medicine inpatient ward similar to what you might encounter in practice; (2) to learn to manage common conditions for which Family Medicine patients are hospitalized; (3) to learn from being primarily responsible for decision-making about patient care and management alongside the patient's Family Physician; (4) to practice patient-centered care and effective communication skills in order to understand the patient's psychosocial context and the impact of their illness and the hospitalization on their lives; (5) to develop effective patterns of practice through the appropriate use of evidence-based investigations and treatments, consultations, team resources, and discharge planning; (6) to work with the various team members to learn support services available in the hospital and community that can help manage patients in hospital, facilitate discharge, and maintain them at home. Available to fourth-year medical students.

FAP 470: Inpatient Clinical Elective in Family Medicine (3-12 units)
(Offered all Quarters)

This course expects students to increase their understanding of family medicine and patient care in inpatient settings. It intended for UC Davis Medical Students for less than a four-week rotation or an away inpatient rotation at any site that is not located at an LCME-accredited university hospital or at a UC Davis Network of Affiliated Family Medicine Residency Programs site. Available to fourth-year medical students. 

FAP 475: Combination Inpatient and Outpatient Clinical Elective in Family Medicine (3-12 units)
(Offered all Quarters)

This course expects students to increase their understanding of family medicine and patient care in inpatient and outpatient settings. Available to fourth-year medical students.

FAP488: Selected Studies in Family Medicine (1-9 units)
(Offered all Quarters)

Students receive exposure to family practice by spending time with a community physician or faculty preceptor. This elective may include the following: assigned readings in family practice to increase understanding on selected topics relating to family medicine and primary health care delivery; visits to and written analysis of selected health care programs; and medical language electives. Available to all medical students.

FAP 496: Advanced Transgender and Gender Non-binary Health Care (3 units)
(Winter and Spring)
During the course, students will develop competence in taking culturally sensitive histories for TGNB patients that address key health needs for these populations. Students should expect to collaborate with provider, social work, behavioral health, and case management in order to provide team-based care for TGNB patients and cultivate trusting relationships and engage meaningfully in the informed consent process for starting or continuing GAHT. Available to fourth-year medical students.

FAP 490: Health Care to Underserved Populations Lecture Series (1 unit)
(Winter and Spring)

This is a student-initiated and student-coordinated lecture series, which began in 1989. The lecture provides a forum to discuss the sociocultural perspective of the underserved populations in California and to familiarize students with the unique health care needs and demographics of these groups. It meets once a week at noon in Davis. Open to all medical students and undergraduates on the UC Davis campus.

FAP 495: LGBTIQQA Health Care Lecture Series (1 unit)
(Offered all Quarters)

This is a student-initiated and student-coordinated lecture series, in coordination with the UCDavis SOM DEI office which began in 2013. The lecture provides a forum to discuss the sociocultural perspective of the underserved LGTBTIQQA populations in California and to familiarize students with the unique health care needs and demographics of these groups. It meets once a month at noon for twelve sessions. Open to all medical students.

FAP499: Research in Family Medicine (1-12 units)
(Offered all Quarters)
Research in various aspects of primary care. Family medicine faculty may be consulted for particular subject areas. Available to all students. Students can initiate their own projects or participate with ongoing research work if available. Open to all medical students.

 

FAP 092C - Sec. 001 Primary Care Clinics Lower Division (Clinica Tepati)

FAP 192C - Sec. 001 Primary Care Clinics Upper Division (Clinica Tepati)

FAP 092C - Sec. 005 Primary Care Clinics Lower Division (Imani Clinic)

FAP 192C - Sec. 005 Primary Care Clinics Lower Division (Imani Clinic)

FAP 092C - Sec. 015 Primary Care Clinics Lower Division (Knight’s Landing Clinic)

FAP 192C - Sec. 015 Primary Care Clinics Upper Division (Knight’s Landing Clinic)

FAP 092C - Sec. 016 Primary Care Clinics Lower Division (Joan Viteri Memorial Clinic)

FAP 192C - Sec. 016 Primary Care Clinics Upper Division (Joan Viteri Memorial Clinic)

FAP 195 Health Care to Underserved Populations