Pain Management

Duration: 2 - 4 weeks

Periods offered: July through June

Distribution of student's time:
85% outpatient care
10% conferences/lectures
5% inpatient care

On-call Responsibility: None

Enrollment/Period: 4 weeks maximum, upon availability

Prerequisites: None

Clerkship Objectives:

To provide exposure to the broad scope of pain medicine, including responsible opioid management.

Enhance knowledge and skills pertaining to interviewing, physical examination, patient interactions, interpretation of data, clinical judgment, and observation of procedures (i.e., epidurals, rhizotomies, and spinal cord stimulation).

Learn the pharmacologic and physiologic basis of pain medicine; the principles of assessment and devising a plan for the patient with acute, chronic, or cancer pain; the basics of opioid management; the indications and techniques available for interventions.

Evaluation:

• Quality of care given
• Level of knowledge
• Level of skills and interpersonal relationships

Methods used in student Evaluation:

• Observation of performance by faculty and house officers.

Description:

This two to four-week program offers a comprehensive overview of pain medicine problems in adults in an ambulatory setting. At the end of the rotation, the student is able to identify common pain pathologies and devise a treatment plan. When opioids are indicated, the student will know the key elements of management. Each student works with a resident/fellow and senior staff to provide for and care for their patients.

The clerkship includes active participation in a didactic program which consists of grand rounds, morbidity and mortality conferences, and core curriculum lectures.