Elective Number: 3202 (away)
Rotation Supervisor: George C. Wortley, MD
Designated Signer: Terry J. Thompson, M.D.
Evaluation should be given to: Dr. Wortley
Duration: Maximum 4 weeks, Minimum 2 weeks
Available: To 4th year medical students
Report to: Dr. George C. Wortley
Time to Report: 9:00 am
Place to Report: Big Island Family Medicine Center
Typical day: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Attendance: Attendance at elective activities is mandatory.
- Anyone who is ill or has a personal or family emergency must contact Student Affairs and the Attending on Service.
- Students are allowed to take off up to 1 day per week to interview between November 1 and February 1.
- Specific days missed must be approved by the Attending on Service.
Number of students per rotation: 1
Housing: Room is free, but needs to be scheduled
This is considered an away elective and requires an Application for Away Electives.
Course Description: Rural Medicine rotation is offered in the Big Island Family Medicine Center in Big Island VA. This is located 18 miles northwest of Lynchburg. Students will see a wide variety of acute and chronic medical problems in this rural practice. Home visits are made as a routine part of the practice. The Big Island Family Medicine Center is also the home base of the Big Island Emergency Crew. If needed, the physician responds to critically injured or ill patients with the local emergency crew. Also unique to Big Island is Dr. Wortley's sports medicine coverage of events including professional bull riding, ultra-distance running and adventure races in the Central Virginia area. Goals would include an understanding of common out patient emergency problems and chronic disease management. Students should know the basics of management of hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hyperlipidemia. Long-term management of depressive illness and anxiety disorders is also commonly encountered. Because of the distance to the hospital, management using office laboratory procedures and clinical impression is oftentimes more important than x-rays and extensive lab work. An understanding of how the individual patient and their illness fits into the context of family and community is also emphasized.
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