Medical Student Rotations in Urology
Chattanooga Medical Student Electives
Clinical training for medical students at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga is based primarily at Erlanger Health System. This outstanding facility is a comprehensive, not-for-profit teaching hospital and the area’s recognized leader in health care. Erlanger houses Erlanger Hospital (adults), Children’s Hospital (pediatrics). The entire complex is licensed for more than 800 beds. The Erlanger Medical Staff has over 900 physicians and the UT College of Medicine Chattanooga has a resident/fellow complement of 192).
The UT College of Medicine Chattanooga currently sponsors nine (9) residency programs: Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, OB/GYN, Orthopaedic Surgery, Pediatrics, Plastic Surgery, and Urology. It also sponsors 11 fellowship programs: Cardiovascular Disease, Colon and Rectal Surgery, Emergency Medical Services, Gastroenterology, ACS Mastery in General Surgery, Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, Neuro-Interventional Surgery, Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, Emergency Ultrasound, and Vascular Surgery. Discussions continue for additional fellowships in the near future.
UTHSC students who wish to schedule clerkships and electives in Chattanooga can do so through the regular scheduling process in Memphis with Department of Medical Education in Memphis. Senior, non-UT students desiring an elective rotation in Chattanooga must schedule through the AAMC’s VSAS system (allopathic and osteopathic students and must meet requirements recommended by the Physician Coalition and AAMC. The elective request must be approved by the visiting student’s Dean’s Office.*
Parking is provided by the hospital at no cost to students. Some funding is provided by the hospital for call meals are available for use in the hospital cafeteria. Questions may be addressed to the Office of Medical Education in Chattanooga. The office is located in Suite 104, Whitehall Building (directly across the street from Erlanger) at 960 East Third Street. For general questions abut student rotations, please contact Tiffany Nabors, Medical Student Services Specialist, at 423.778.7442 or via email at mse@erlanger.org).
Limited housing is provided by the University for UT medical students, based on availability and priority. Housing requests should be made online as soon as rotations are scheduled. Housing is not guaranteed to any student; however, UT M3 Students have first priority. All housing is based on availability and time of application.
UTHSC students may schedule junior and senior rotations in Chattanooga through the regular computerized scheduling system or by contacting Jenn Wilson, Lead Coordinator for Clinical Curriculum in the Office of Medical Education in Memphis.
Non-UT Medical Students visit our Medical Student Education homepage.
URO 45030 Urology JI – CHATTANOOGA
Course Coordinators: Jessica Lange, MD
Course Contact: Kristin Burns, Kristin.Burns@erlanger.org
Location: Erlanger Health System
Size: 3
This is a face to face clinical rotation offered in the fall and spring semesters and receiving 6 credit hours.
The educational learning objectives for this course:
Patient Care
- Demonstrate efficient history taking skills on patients presenting with complaints.
- Demonstrate physical examination skills in the evaluation of non-critical patients presenting with common urology complaints.
- Formulate a differential diagnosis of the most likely conditions based upon symptoms and signs.
- Consider the differential diagnosis in order non-critical patients presenting with common urology complaints. From the most serious pathology to the least.
- Order and interpret common ancillary studies such as lab tests or radiographs on urology patients.
- Institute appropriate therapy of common urology complaints.
- Make decisions concerning the need for patient hospitalization.
- Demonstrate proficiency in procedural skills appropriate for the medical student level, under the direct supervision of an attending physician.
- Establish the ability to manage 1 to 3 patients simultaneously.
- Develop and carry out patient management plans.
The number of patients per week for whom the student will have some responsibility for is 10.
Students are responsible for pre-rounding on their personal patients prior to rounds and presenting to the team on daily rounds including a complete assessment and plan. Personal patients are assigned by the resident or attending. Students observe and assist in surgeries and follow their respective patients from admission until discharge thus establishing a pattern of continuity of care. Students will also experience patient care in an outpatient setting by seeing patients in the urology clinic under the supervision of the faculty and senior residents. For the 3rd year rotating students, emphasis will be placed on history and physical performance and gaining an understanding of basic urological disease. For 4th year students their responsibility is increase to overseeing and guiding pre-rounds with regards to the junior students. They will be expected to act as interns albeit without the same authority and level of supervision. All students will not be responsible for performing any procedures in an independent unsupervised manner.
All patient care will be supervised or directed by either a resident or faculty member. Indirect supervision by a faculty member or resident may be applicable to obtaining a history and physical, surgical dressing changes and postoperative surgical drain management. All inpatient, outpatient and floor procedures will be performed with direct supervision from a faculty member or a resident with the appropriate supervisory status (senior resident may take the student through a cystoscopy).
Please visit the UTHSC College of Medicine Chattanooga - Medical Student application page for application details.
* Due to our limited resources for UTHSC medical students and UTHSC Residents, the Department of Urology is unable to accept medical students from outside the US.