UTMB 3rd Year Obstetrics & Gynecology Clerkship
Thank you for your interest in serving as a medical student preceptor. This is an exciting and rewarding way to help the next generation of students learn about the exciting field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Here, we will provide an overview of our expectations for preceptors and students. During the 6-week clerkship rotation students should rotate through various Obstetrical & Gynecological services, both inpatient and outpatient services. Students are to be exposed to the everyday care for women in all stages of life in the clinic, inpatient, labor and delivery and operating rooms. This is an interdisciplinary field where we anticipate students will work alongside various medical providers at your facility, including if applicable, Attendings, Fellows, Residents, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants and/or Certified Nurse Midwives. Students should be in PPE for sick visits or potential COVID patients.
When teaching UTMB 3rd year medical students, we ask that you provide them with more than just a shadowing experience. As we prepare these students for residency, they need as much autonomy with patients as possible. After a day or two of shadowing to familiarize students to the clinic, we expect them to see patients independently, obtain a history, do an appropriately supervised physical exams and present patients to the preceptor with an assessment and plan. We also strongly encourage students to write notes in the EMR. If this is not possible, they can do a note on a word document for select patients for the preceptor to review/provide feedback. Given the hands-on nature of the specialty it is also imperative they have hands on experience in the OR and L&D and we will work with your organization to ensure create affiliation agreements that allow participation not only observation.
While on the 6-week Clerkship, students participate virtually in various education opportunities with the UTMB campus. Required activities are listed below.
Students will be required to take 4 weekly quizzes. Those normally occur on the 2nd-5th Friday of the clerkship at 8am via Zoom. The links below are the guide given to students for studying.
The students participate in Faculty Small Group sessions led by a UTMB faculty. These sessions occur 3-4 times for an hour each during the 6-weeks. During these sessions, students will present a H&P and SOAP note to a UTMB Faculty for grading.
During the 6-week clerkship rotation, UTMB medical students are required to meet the minimum skills shown on this skills card. As well as obtaining experience with a variety of types of patient encounters. The skills card also shows these patient types which students log for completion.
Students will be required to complete a virtual objective structured clinical exam “OSCE”, via Zoom, with one of the UTMB Clerkship Directors on the 6th Monday of the rotation. It uses a written script where the Clerkship Director acts as the patient. The OSCE covers one OB patient and one GYN patient.
The student will take their NBME exam the last Thursday or Friday of the 6-week clerkship. They are excused at noon the day before their exam for study.
Students are assigned one day per week as a “virtual study day.” This day is to be used for completing their online study material (view the links above) and 25 required APGO Quizzes.
The preceptor plays a critical role in feedback and development of the student. Please plan to provide verbal feedback throughout the rotation and complete an overall evaluation at the end of the 6 weeks. The student will meet with the UTMB Clerkship Directors at the midpoint, but we also ask the preceptor to provide midpoint feedback to the student as well.
Preceptor Qualifications
- MD or DO
- Board eligible or certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Licensed and working in the state of Texas
- Must be an Obstetrics & Gynecology generalist with an ambulatory component of their work
- No outstanding board orders on the Texas State Medical Board
- Preceptor must go through UTMB appointment process before accepting students
- As of April 19, 2022, all preceptors must comply with the CMS mandate and submit proof of COVID vaccination to UTMB's Employee Health. Proof of the first two shots is required. It is not necessary to show proof of a booster shot to be compliant.
Community Teaching Physician Commitment per Student
Teaching time per student: Each student would rotate in your clinic for a 6-week period. We require 4 days each week in a preceptor's clinic (with a 45-hour maximum student work hours per week).
During the first week, preceptors should orient students to their practice and ascertain the students' strengths / weaknesses regarding history taking, obstetrical and gynecological physical exam, and presentations. Students have had training in the EPIC Electronic Medical Record, and we encourage you to allow them to write notes on every patient they see. Students should receive feedback on their notes, and the skills card will need to be completed and signed off.
Preceptors may ask a student to round with them in the hospital after regular clinic hours. They may also ask the student to work during Saturday clinic hours. Both these teaching opportunities are acceptable if that time does not exceed the 45-hour work week maximum for the student.
2023-2024 Academic Calendar
For questions, please contact Brandie Denton, the 3rd Year Obstetrics & Gynecology Clerkship Coordinator.
Course Contacts
If you are interested in teaching medical students for the UTMB 3rd Year Obstetrics & Gynecology Clerkship, please contact Brian Sullivan.