Preceptor: Angelica Kottkamp, MD
Course Code: 04-18
Contact: Ming Chan
Email: ming.chan@nyulangone.org
Telephone: (212) 263-6400

Prerequisite: Medicine Clerkship

Description

The Infectious Diseases Division provides consultations to the adult, medical and surgical, psychiatric and emergency services at the 3 primary teaching hospitals of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Fellows, residents, and medical students are responsible for providing recommendations and education to those who request assistance with the management of patients with suspected or proven infectious diseases. Problems referred to the service include unexplained fevers, failures of common infections to respond to therapy, uncommon or unusually severe infections, treatment of infections due to multi-drug resistant organisms, management of travel-related infections, and evaluation of patients with suspected or proven immune deficiencies. Residents and students are the first to see patients in need of consultations and are expected to analyze the problem and formulate a plan of management for presentation to the fellows and attendings. In addition, after the initial consultation students will follow patients to assess the evolving course of disease, additional diagnostic information, and responses to therapy, and reassess diagnostic and therapeutic plans as necessary.

Objectives of the Elective

As a result of participating, students should become familiar with

• The approach and thinking process of specialists in infectious disease to patients having suspected or proven infections.
• The clinical use of diagnostic microbiology, including the capabilities and limitations of current diagnostic techniques, and the integration of microbiology, serology and molecular testing results with clinical information in diagnosing infectious diseases.
• The management of the major types of community and hospital acquired infectious diseases.
• The approach to optimal use of antibiotics in empiric and definitive therapy.
• The major types of immunodeficiencies, including but not limited to the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. The evaluation and management of people with HIV, including the management of antiretroviral drugs.

Key Responsibilities of the student while on Elective

The following responsibilities apply to each of the teaching hospitals:

• Students are expected to be present from approximately 9 AM (8 AM for conferences) till close of business. Students and residents are not on call evenings or weekends.
• Students are expected to attend all regularly scheduled infectious disease conferences and journal clubs. Currently these include:
  • Daily rounds with the fellow at the institution to which the student is assigned.
  • Infectious Diseases Grand Rounds (8am Fridays, September through June)
  • Infectious Diseases Case Based Conference (8am, Thursdays, September through June)
  • Weekly Microbiology Rounds (12pm, Tuesdays)
• Students are expected to function as junior consultants, under supervision of fellows and attendings. They will examine patients, collect clinical data, present cases at daily attending rounds and prepare consultation notes for countersignature by fellows and/or attendings.
• Students are expected to become familiar with the literature of infectious diseases, and to investigate the current state of knowledge (as it exists in the literature and/or the expertise of acknowledged outside experts) on the problems of their patients, and to present the result of their searches at rounds.
• Students have the opportunity (optional) to join one session per week of the Infectious Diseases Outpatient Clinics: Virology (HIV clinic) or General ID at Bellevue or the VA if interested. 

Didactic Program

Informal teaching is an explicit goal of the daily attending rounds just as formal teaching is the goal of the scheduled conferences. Teaching is directed at fellows, house staff, and students alike. Fellows may present didactic lectures to the students, but the emphasis is on self-study of conditions found in the patients for whom the student shares responsibility. Students are expected to make use of standard texts, and relevant primary medical literature, as applies to their patients.

Method of Evaluation

Students are graded as Pass/Fail. Honors are awarded to exceptional students. Evaluation is based on the observations and opinions of the attending physician and fellows who have worked with the student in the course of the elective.

Scheduling Information

Months Offered: 4-week rotation: All Year (Except July and August for visiting students). 2-week rotation: 2 weeks in August and October

Institutions: Students will be assigned at random to a team at one of the three NYU teaching hospitals, in proportion to the available capacities at each. Students may not select the institution to which they will be assigned.

Report To: Team assignment will be emailed to you a week prior to the start of the elective. If you have questions please email Ming Chan, ming.chan@nyulangone.org 

Students Per Period: 1 student at Tisch-Kimmel, 1 student at the VA and 2-4 students at Bellevue Hospital. Student preference as to site will be considered in assignments, but final assignment will be made by the division to optimize teaching and patient care.

Duration: Two or Four weeks. For visiting students, at least three weeks minimum.