Internal Medicine

We welcome fourth year medical students as acting interns on our inpatient medical ward teams, each consisting of a hospitalist attending, a second or third year resident, and two interns. In addition to inpatient rounding service, students are also exposed to one week on the admitting rotation. Students actively participate in all aspects of patient care in the same manner as any intern, including writing notes, entering orders (that require co-signature), calling consults, and updating family members. Attendance at educational conferences (Morning Report, lunch conference, Intern rounds) is also encouraged.

We offer fourth year medical students a rotation within the Department of Cardiology under the guidance of the Internal Medicine Residency. This experience involves participation in Cardiology CCU rounds, Cardiology inpatient consults, and all of the teaching experiences offered by the Internal Medicine Residency program. Optional experiences include EKG readings, ECHO, and conventional CT angiography, and weekly cardiology catheterization lab conferences.

The San Francisco Medical Center also offers visiting fourth year students a rotation in critical care medicine. The intensive care units at our medical center function largely as closed units and are staffed with full-time intensivists, making for an excellent teaching environment. As a specialty care center with an extremely busy cardiac service line, we offer exposure to a wide range of patients not routinely seen at most hospitals.

The purpose of the Gastroenterology 2-week elective rotation is to expose the medical student to and facilitate the learning about common gastrointestinal problems that are frequently seen in the primary care setting as well as those that are more frequently seen by gastroenterology subspecialty services. The medical student, working with residents, fellows and staff physicians, will be expected to evaluate, develop an assessment and propose appropriate diagnostic and management approaches for the patients seen. Medical students will see ambulatory patients in the general GI clinic, complex liver disease clinic and regional Inflammatory Bowel Disease clinic, participate in in-patient consultations, and observe common gastroenterology procedures under the supervision of the gastroenterology attending physician. The medical student will be exposed to a range of GI procedures such that they are aware of the risks and benefits of these procedure.

The KP San Francisco Hematology-Oncology elective is a 2-week experience for 4th year medical students. The rotation will encompass primarily inpatient rounding and consults related to Hematology or Oncology. Students will also attend morning reports, noon conferences and multi-disciplinary Tumor Boards (e.g Breast Tumor Board on Tuesdays), review smears, pathology slides, and radiologic studies on their patients. Rotating students will also attend weekly oncology didactics.

The Nephrology 2-week elective rotation consists mainly of inpatient Nephrology consults with opportunities to attend outpatient clinics in Nephrology. The service is one attending and the medical student. The Medical Student is expected to be present Monday-Friday and will have most weekends and holidays off. Rounds occur daily Monday-Friday on this busy service, and students will interact with medical house staff throughout their rotation. During the rotation, Medical Student responsibilities include: 1. Perform initial evaluations of new inpatient consults, and round daily on 1-5 patients on the service. The management based on this evaluation will be supervised by the resident physician and the attending physician. 2. Participate in daily attending rounds and daily teaching conferences (unless there is a competing clinical situation on the service) including house staff didactic conferences, student-only report twice per week, and weekly protected interactive Academic Half-Day workshops. 3. Learn the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for common Renal disorders and the pharmacology of the most common drugs used to treat them. 4. Observe Renal procedures. The medical student will be exposed to common dialysis techniques including hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, CVVH, ultrafiltration, etc.

Students will explore primary care sports medicine as a career by participating in an outpatient clinical setting. Students will learn the role the field of primary care sports medicine plays in the non-surgical management of sports-related injuries alongside other specialties including orthopedic surgery & physical therapy.

We welcome 4th year students as sub-interns on our Internal Medicine wards. A medicine rotation at Kaiser Santa Clara Medical Center offers an opportunity to learn, diagnose, and treat a variety of medical illnesses. Ward teams consist of a teaching Hospitalist, a senior resident, interns, and both a 3rd and a 4th year medical student. Sub-interns are encouraged to carry up to 3 – 5 patients independently. Students are expected to have independent documentation as well as write orders. There is ample opportunity to attend morning reports and daily noon conferences.

We encourage you to consider our outstanding rotation for sub-interns in Critical Care Medicine. Kaiser Santa Clara Medical Center supports a 20 bed medical and surgical ICU. Additionally there is a 10 bed cardiovascular ICU. The intensive care units at our medical center function largely as closed units and are staffed with full time Intensivists (with backgrounds in Anesthesia, Internal Medicine, Surgery, and Pulmonary Medicine). Sub-interns will be assigned to an ICU team consisting of a senior resident and interns. Daily bedside teaching rounds, procedures, and didactics are among the many learning opportunities. Students will have the opportunity to independently follow patients and write orders.

We are pleased to announce a new elective rotation in Nephrology for 4th year medical students. Students will have the opportunity to work with a Staff Nephrologist and senior resident on hospital based consults and follow ups, hemodialysis rounds, ICU rounds for management of CRRT, and microscopic analysis. Besides daily didactics, there is ample opportunity to attend morning reports and daily noon conferences. Sub-interns will also meet weekly with a Program Director for clinical teaching sessions.

4th year medical students now have the opportunity to rotate on our Cardiology Service. Kaiser Santa Clara Medical Center provides cardiovascular services in General Cardiology, Advanced Heart Failure/Cardiac Transplant, Electrophysiology, Interventional Cardiology, and Cardiothoracic Surgery. Students will work with a Staff Cardiologist and senior resident on the consult service. There is ample opportunity to learn about stress testing, EKG interpretation, cardiac echo, cardiac catheterization with intervention, and general cardiovascular medicine. In addition daily conferences, students will attend a weekly cath conference. Sub-interns will also meet weekly with a Program Director for clinical teaching sessions.

Sub-interns can now rotate on our Infectious Disease service. Students will participate in consultation, management, and follow up of patients with a variety of infectious disorders. Direct supervision is provided by both a Staff Attending in Infectious Disease and a senior resident. 4th year students will learn about patient management from an infection standpoint, antibiotic stewardship, and prevention of hospital acquired infections. There is ample opportunity to attend all conferences, interact with housestaff, and meet with Program Directors.

Our GI department is now accepting 4th year medical students for an advanced clerkship. Students will round and participate in procedures along with a Staff Gastroenterologist and senior resident. There is an opportunity to learn about a variety of GI related diseases and their manifestations. Procedures during the rotation include endoscopy, colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, ERCP, TIPS, paracentesis, and stent placement. All rotators will meet with a Program Director weekly as well as attend multiple conferences during the elective.

A unique experience in Pulmonary Medicine is available at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center. Sub interns will rotate in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. There is exposure to a variety of pulmonary diseases and sleep medicine. Students will have the opportunity to participate in the PFT lab, assist in chronic case management of asthma/COPD, attend sleep apnea education classes, and be involved in a variety of pulmonary based procedures. A Staff Pulmonologist and resident will do supervision and teaching. There is ample access to all conferences and weekly teachings sessions with a Program Director.

We have striven to create an optimal education clerkship experience for the 4th year medical student. We hope you choose to rotate with us and we look forward to meeting you.