OCOM 8005 - Family Medicine

Throughout this course, students work to acquire and demonstrate the foundational knowledge and basic skills necessary to practice family medicine. They explore the attitudes and behaviors that enable excellent patient care, consider the principles underlying this field and discuss the value of family medicine as an integral part of any health system.

Credit Hours: 8

Course Outcomes

• Students will be able to perform a comprehensive history and physical examination for patients across all age groups, incorporating principles of preventive care, acute, and chronic disease management.
• Students will be able to formulate differential diagnoses and evidence-based treatment plans for common conditions encountered in family medicine, including acute, chronic, and preventive health issues.
• Students will be able to discuss the principles of Family Medicine, the role of the Family Medicine Physician within the health system, and the opportunities, attractions, and challenges of Family Medicine as a profession.
• Students will be able to effectively communication while conducting patient-centered interviews, providing concise information to the healthcare team, and producing clear and accurate documentation.
• Students will be able to convey clinical decision-making through written, verbal, and/or visual presentations that are concise, well-organized, and appropriate to the healthcare setting.
• Students will be able to elicit patients’ cultural beliefs and preferences and clearly incorporate them into communication and shared decision-making.
• Students will be able to consistently maintain patient confidentiality, follow ethical and institutional guidelines, and produce timely and accurate documentation in the medical record.
• Students will be able to complete assigned clinical tasks on time, seeking and applying feedback, and maintaining respectful and professional communication in all settings.
• Students will be able to critically appraise new information from current sources, using Evidence-Based Medicine skills, and apply the information in patient care.
• Students will be able to analyze the roles of health care team members and the impact of cost, insurance, and resource allocation on patient care.
• Students will be able to apply osteopathic principles and practices in the Family Medicine patient care setting while demonstrating knowledge of health promotion for the patient population.
• Students will be able to discuss and/or perform an osteopathic structural exam, establish an osteopathic diagnosis, provide the rationale for treatment, and perform osteopathic treatment appropriate to the individual patient.