Medical Student Rotations

It's Time to Come to Reading!

The Reading Hospital and Medical Center is a major teaching affiliate of Jefferson Medical College, Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. We provide clinical rotations for more than 200 medical students each year.

A wealth of medical center resources and a strong commitment to medical education assure each student opportunities for a wide array of challenging personal and professional growth experiences within the context of high-quality, compassionate patient care.

In addition, medical school students have the opportunity to experience The Reading Hospital in preparation for selection of their residency. We offer independent programs in family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and one-year transitional and preliminary medicine residencies. An osteopathic internship and internal medicine residency are also offered. An affiliated program exists with Temple University School of Medicine in psychiatry and with Drexel University College of Medicine in surgery.

Students at The Reading Hospital enjoy working with our supportive, friendly faculty, learning at our well-equipped suburban campus, and serving a diverse urban population – not to mention free housing and free meals! The Reading Hospital currently offers Third Year Clerkships and Fourth Year Electives in the following areas:

Third Year Clerkships

Family Medicine Clerkship: The student will care for a full range of ambulatory patients who visit a family medicine office. Community medicine experience is obtained at clinics in dermatology, sports medicine, gastroenterology, acupuncture, and university student health clinics. The student will participate in procedure workshops, nursing home visits, and hospice care.

Internal Medicine Clerkship: The 3rd year student will be responsible to perform histories and physicals and will provide ongoing care for 2-3 patients at any one time. Students will attend morning report, daily midday conferences, grand rounds, and a special lecture series for students.

Ambulatory General Internal Medicine: The student will work in the office practice of The Reading Hospital’s General Internal Medicine Faculty. The student will develop experience in the evidence-based approach to ambulatory care, including health maintenance, acute office-based medical problems, and chronic medical conditions.

Obstetrics and Gynecology: The obstetrical rotation will focus on the normal physiologic changes of pregnancy. During the gynecologic portion of this rotation the student will develop skills in the performance of a comprehensive gynecologic history and physical exam.

Pediatrics: The student will develop history taking and physical examination skills in the care of the pediatric patient. The student will have “hands on” experience in both the inpatient and outpatient settings throughout the rotation.

Psychiatry: The student will receive a broad exposure to inpatient and outpatient general psychiatry, including patients with drug and alcohol dependence. Emphasis will be placed upon developing competence in obtaining an appropriate history and performing mental status evaluations.

Fourth Year Electives

Emergency Medicine Rotation:

• Students will work directly with Emergency Medicine attending physicians in the evaluation and treatment of patients with both emergent and urgent conditions. In this large community hospital setting, students will learn the scope of emergency medicine practice, as well as the principles of evaluation and stabilization of patients with critical illnesses.

Family Medicine:

• Ambulatory Family Medicine/Community Health - Emphasis will be placed on a community health approach to patient care by participating in a wide variety of community experiences, from hospice to clinics for the underserved. The student will also care for a full range of patients who visit the ambulatory family medicine offices.
• Inpatient Rotation - This rotation’s goal is to enhance the development of the knowledge and skills necessary to practice inpatient medicine, with particular attention to the responsibilities of the family physician.
• Sports Medicine Rotation - The student will participate in a broad range of sports medicine outpatient care, including athletic training centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers, and cardiac rehabilitation facilities. Also included is training in sports medicine surgical procedures.

Internal Medicine:

• Ambulatory General Internal Medicine - The student will see patients independently in both a private general medicine and medical clinic setting.
• Cardiology Rotation - Students function as subinterns, providing primary and consultative care to cardiac patients in both the coronary care and medical/surgical units, as well as in the outpatient cardiology clinic.
• Gastroenterology Rotation - Students experience a busy inpatient service, involving a large volume of patients with various GI system disorders.
• Hematology/Medical Oncology Rotation - Each student will have the opportunity to improve physical diagnosis skills focused on recognition of complications of disease and therapeutic issues. In this clinical setting, students will also use peripheral blood smear and bone marrow evaluations to recognize and assess common hematologic problems.
• Infectious Disease Rotation - Each student becomes a member of a large hospital-based practice of consultative infectious disease, and will receive a short refresher course in microbiology, including interpretation of gram stains, culturing methods, and sensitivity studies.
• Nephrology Rotation - This experience sharpens clinical decision-making and patient management skills, especially when dealing with very sick patients often suffering from multi-organ failure.
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Rotation - The student will be exposed to a broad range of physiatry, including acute care, post acute care, and ambulatory settings. Problems encountered include stroke and brain injury, neuromuscular disorders, and a range of orthopaedic conditions. The student will gain an appreciation for the multidisciplinary approach to meeting the complex needs of rehabilitation patients.
• Rheumatology Rotation - The student participates in the evaluation of a broad range of rheumatic problems and associated medical complications of both the conditions and their therapies.

Obstetrics and Gynecology:

• This course will expose the advanced student to full-time obstetrical perinatal experience in a community hospital setting. Responsibility for the management of antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum cases in routine and high-risk pregnancies is included.

Psychiatry:

• Students will gain experience in: the evaluation of patients with major affective disorders; the performance of complete mental status examinations; and psychopharmacology.

Medical Student Rotations - Hospital Policy

Only Students from USMLE approved medical schools and US Osteopathic Schools are eligible for clinical rotations. Students must meet the following criteria:

• Student in good standing
• Prerequisites for the requested rotation completed
• Approval of Department Director
• Approval of DME
• Vaccination status – (proof of Hepatitis B immunization or antibody, Measles, Rubella, Mumps, and Varicella vaccinations or proof of infection)
• PPD within past year
• Instruction in universal precautions completed
• Hazard communication/right to know completed
• OSHA

Student responsibilities

• Respects privacy/confidentiality policies of the Hospital
• Identifies himself/herself to patients and medical personnel as a medical student
• Carries out only functions appropriate for a student in training
• Completes Medical Student Information Form at least one month prior to rotation.
• Completes evaluation of rotation form
• Returns materials at end of rotation (ID badge, keys, AVI tag, parking permit, beeper, all loaned materials)

Student role

The student may elicit a history and perform a physical examination upon the direction of his supervising physician and with approval of the patient. All aspects of the student evaluation should be confirmed by the assigned supervising resident or attending physician. Any procedure should be performed only under the direct observation of the licensed physician certified to perform and instruct in that procedure.

Responsibility of the supervising licensed physician

The purpose of the student’s rotation should always emphasize education over service. Goals and objectives should be defined, and regular formative as well as summative feedback is the responsibility of the supervising physician. Evaluation forms should be completed promptly and returned to the student’s medical school. Appropriate orientation of the student to the hospital is the responsibility of the supervising physician (including operating room orientation when appropriate).

Arrangements for most student rotations will occur by direct contact between affiliated medical schools and the appropriate department. It is the responsibility of the student coordinator in that department to assure eligibility and to orient the student to the hospital. Any curricular requirements will be transmitted by the student coordinator to the supervising physician.

An occasional student will directly contact a staff physician and request an opportunity for a clinical experience, under the supervision of that staff member. Any such request must be approved by the Department Director and DME. It is the responsibility of that attending to obtain the appropriate eligibility information regarding that student and to provide appropriate orientation and supervision as described above. The attending may ask for assistance from the Department Director or GME office, but in this circumstance, the accepting physician has ultimate responsibility to assure compliance with Hospital policy.

For more information about any of the above, or to arrange a tour of the Hospital, please contact the following departments or Graduate Medical Education at 1-800-592-9943 Ext. 8809.

Department of Emergency Medicine – Dr. Kristen Sandel
Phone: 1-800-592-9943 Ext: 4224 Email: sandelk@readinghospital.org

Department of Family Medicine – Dr. Jane Weida
Phone: 1-800-592-9943 Ext: 8352
Email: harrisc3@readinghospital.org

Department of Medicine – Dr. Lisa Motz
Phone: 1-800-592-9943 Ext: 4238
Email: MotzL@ReadingHospital.org

Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology – Dr. Sumit Ghosh
Phone: 1-800-592-9943 Ext: 8827
Email: ghoshs@readinghospital.org

Department of Pediatrics – Dr. Karen Wang
Phone: 1-800-592-9943 Ext: 9983
Email: wangk@readinghospital.org

Department of Psychiatry – Dr. Andres Pumariega
Phone: 1-800-592-9943 Ext: 9318
Email: Andres.Pumariega@readinghospital.org

Director of Medical Education – Dr. Marty Hotvedt
Phone: 1-800-592-9943 Ext: 8809
Email: medstudent@readinghospital.org