PREREQUISITES AND PLACEMENT IN THE CURRICULUM: Students must have completed the M3 Core Clerkship in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

PURPOSE:
•  To provide students with a four-week experience in women’s health through participation in clinical practice, community-based health care, and independent study of a critical women’s health issue;
•  to expose students to important themes in women’s health, such as life cycle health issues, shared decision-making, various promotion and disease prevention, and multidisciplinary health care. This elective was developed by the Women’s Health Group of the Chicago Area Primary Care Consortium (CAPCC).

COMPETENCIES: 
•  To enhance skills in communicating with women about health issues and problems, discussing of sensitive topics, and assisting women in decision-making on therapeutic options;
•  to improve skills in performing physical exams on women and to increase understanding of physical changes in various life stages;
•  to promote skills in counseling women on health risks and various activities relevant to each life cycle phase;
•  to explore alternative models of women’s health care th rough visits to community-based agencies;
•  to facilitate collaboration among health disciplines in providing care to women.

INSTRUCTIONAL FEATURES: METHODS: Clinical instruction, site visits to community-based agencies providing health c are to women, clinical sessions with other health care providers, and independent study. Students will keep a journal reflecting their daily activities to be reviewed weekly by the primary preceptor. Students will write a four-page referenced paper on a women’s health issue selected by the student.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE: 10 half-day sessions that include: 8 half-day sessions divided between one or two clinical preceptors, in sub-specialty clinics, or in sessions with other health providers (e.g. nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, nutritionalists); 1 half-day session on independent study; 1 half-day session on site visits to community-based agencies (e.g ., Planned Parenthood, STD clinics, women’s shelters).

CLINICAL SESSIONS: Students will see 4 to 5 patients per session, performing histories /physicals. Where possible, students will interview patients from the four major identified life cycle stages to gain a broad understanding of the issues that should be considered in evaluating a woman’s health during each phase of her life; adolescence, adulthood, mid-life, and older age.

ASSESSMENT:

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION:

Program Number: ELEC 793
Location: UI Health
Program Director: Julia Switzer, MD – jswitzer@uic.edu
Coordinator: Rose Cazares – rcazares@uic.edu 
Coordinator Telephone:  312-996-7430
Duration: 4 Weeks
Night Call: No
Weekends: No
Students Accepted: Min. 1 Max. 1(this includes UIC and visiting students)
Lectures/Conferences/Faculty Contact: 8
Laboratory/Independent Study: 0
Outpatient: 32
Inpatient: 0

Updated: 7/29/16