Medical Student Education

Medical Student Education

CHFM plays a major role in medical student teaching and maintains a key leadership role in educational policy within the University of Florida College of Medicine. Our faculty teach in a number of required first, second and third year courses, including Essentials of Patient Care; Ethical and Legal Issues in Medical Practice; Physical Diagnosis; Epidemiology, and the Medicine, Psychiatry, and Family Medicine/Geriatrics clerkships.

Collaborative Learning Groups (CLG): The CLGs are the key setting in which medical students are taught and learn the art and science of being a physician. Application exercises provide a solid foundation to integrate the basic sciences with clinical practice. Sessions provide an opportunity to focus on how to be a successful and thoughtful learner and how to thrive in medical school. Peer support, collaboration, and faculty mentorship are also key to success. We have a strong presence of CHFM faculty who lead these small groups.

The CHFM faculty involved with our medical education program are:

Rob Hatch
Department: MD-CHFM RURAL HEALTH-OLD TOWN

Rob Hatch MD, MPH

Professor, Vice Chair Of Medical Student Education And Director Of H. James Free Center For Primary Care Education And Innovation
Phone: (352) 273-5157
Andrew M Miller
Department: Family Medicine at Haile Plantation

Andrew M Miller MD

Assistant Professor, Community Health And Family Medicine; Family Medicine Physician
Phone: (352) 265-0944
Kristy B Smith
Department: MD-CHFM-STUDENT HEALTH CARE

Kristy B Smith MD

Associate Professor And Director Of Collaborative Learning Groups
Phone: (352) 265-9475

Our faculty serve as course directors for the following 4 required courses, plus many electives:

  • First Year Preceptorship: This course consistently rates as one of the highlights of the first year.
  • Medical Ethics and Professionalism (first and second-year): Faculty from the Program in Bioethics, Law and Medical Professionalism are involved in teaching medical students throughout their four-year core curriculum. BLMP faculty facilitate collaborative learning groups (CLGs) and team-based learning (TBL) activities, as well as deliver lectures on ethical and legal issues in medical practice, during required first- and second-year courses.
  • Mobile Outreach Clinic (first and second-year): MOC provides a community centered preceptorship site for first and second-year medical students
  • Mobile Outreach Clinic Clerkship (third and fourth-year): MOC also offers a third-year clerkship rotation and a 2 to 4 week elective option for fourth-year medical Students.
  • Medical Ethics and Professionalism (third-year): BLMP faculty also meet with medical students for ethics and professionalism case conferences during their third-year rotations with the Family Medicine, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry Clerkship.
  • Medical Ethics and Professionalism (fourth year): Moreover, fourth-year medical students participate in an ethics case conference during the required Geriatrics Clerkship and enjoy learning about advanced topics during elective courses directed by BLMP faculty. Ethics and professionalism sessions are consistently rated highly by medical students throughout all stages of their curriculum.
  • Family Medicine and Ambulatory Care Clerkship (Interdisciplinary Generalist Clerkship): In an evaluation of all third year clerkship conducted by the Evaluation Subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee, our clerkship and OB/GYN tied for the highest overall rating. This rating was based on a combination of student evaluations, clerkship structure, educational methods, and syllabus quality.
  • Required Fourth Year Medicine/Family Medicine Option: Students can satisfy the fourth year Medicine requirement by spending four weeks on the Family Medicine inpatient service. The Family Medicine option is popular and all slots are filled early in the process. Students have responded well to the changes that were implemented to produce a more consistent and rigorous experience.
  • Fourth Year Electives: Our faculty continue to offer a variety of popular fourth year electives. These include several ethics electives as well as electives that address rural health care, student health, HIV, history of medicine, medical informatics, managed care, and religion and culture.