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Family Medicine Honors/Career Track Program

Goals:

1. To shape interested students intoleaders in Family Medicine.
2. To prepare students to excel in Family Medicine residencies.
3. To promote scholarly pursuits by both students and faculty on topics in Family Medicine.

Criteria for Entrance:

1. Good academic standing as judged by the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine faculty.
2. Successful completion of the Family Medicine Clerkship.
3. Specific clinical or professional topic of interest for scholarly study.

The Honors' student must include in her/his senior schedule the following required activities:

1. Family Medicine Sub-Internship (FPMD 7210)
   Students will be required to spend four weeks participating in the Family Medicine Sub-Internship, either at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center, under the administrative supervision of Dr. Peter Weir; St. Marks Hospital, under the administrative supervision of Dr. John Berneike; McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, under the administrative supervision of Dr. Greg Gochnour; Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, under the administrative supervision of Dr. Michael Rhodes; or at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho, under the administrative supervision of Dr. Derek Wright. During this period, he/she will work on the Family Medicine Service, taking care of patients under the supervision of Family Medicine residents, attending physicians, and the Family Medicine faculty including the behavioral science faculty of DFPM. Duties will include working up and helping plan the care for patients admitted to the service, presenting these patients to residents and attending physicians, attending DFPM conferences and teaching sessions, and generally functioning as a member of the team on the Family Medicine Service.
2. Family Medicine Preceptorship Program (FPMD 7200)
   Students will be required to perform a four-week Family Medicine Preceptorship. Teaching will be provided by the student's preceptor often a clinical faculty member of DFPM. Additional experience, while not required, may be arranged. Both urban and rural placements can be arranged.
3. Honors/Career Project (FPMD 7220)
   The student will, with the help and advice of her/his faculty advisor, plan and carry out a project. The project can also include working with faculty in other divisions of DFPM. There are three types of projects that can be completed: (1) Original Research - Clinical or health services research. (2) Library Research - A comprehensive literature review covering a topic of interest. ...(3) Service - A service project that benefits our community such as the Truth From Youth Anti-Tobacco Program, for public school children, providing leadership for student organizations such as the Family Medicine Interest Group or the Utah Rural Outreach Program or other service activities.

   The project should be planned in detail with the faculty advisor(s) at the beginning of the senior year. Four weeks of elective time should be set aside for the student to set up or complete the project. Honor students and faculty advisors will review progress on the projects at required, monthly lunch meetings. A final paper must be submitted at the conclusion of the student's project--on a date to be determined. The student will present the project to the DFPM faculty and staff as well as other students in the Family Medicine Honors/Career Track Program on a date(s) to be determined. An award for the best project and presentation will be presented at the Family Medicine Senior Banquet--on a date to be determined.

   A project proposal is required for participation in this program and it is due the first of June. The student with the cooperation of his/her faculty advisor should prepare the proposal. The one-to-three page proposal should be organized according to the attached project outline and signed by the STUDENT, FACULTY ADVISOR, AND PROJECT ADVISOR. The signature of each faculty member indicates her/his willingness to participate as your advisor or project advisor. If the faculty advisor and project advisor are the same, she/he must indicate acceptance of both roles by signing both lines. Please submit completed project proposals to Susan Cochella, MD, MPH, in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine by the first of June. You may use your project advisor as a resource in outlining your project objectives, methods, and month-by-month timeline. You may also turn to your faculty advisor for any other difficulties in completing your Honors project proposal. Should you still have questions or difficulties in completing the proposal, do not hesitate to call Rholinda Lange, the program coordinator, at 581-3967 or Send Rholinda an email.

   All research projects involving human subjects require the University of Utah's Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. The student is strongly encouraged to begin the approval process as soon as possible. IRB approval is not necessarily obtained upon the first application and can take as long as three months. IRB applications can be obtained on the IRB website at http://www.utah.edu/irb.

   Also, please be aware that the University of Utah requires all persons [including students] conducting research with human subjects to complete training in Human Subjects' Confidentiality. There are three approved courses, two of them online, which can be accessed at http://www.research.utah.edu/irb/training/online.html. The CITI training takes about four hours of online time, and the NIH "human participant education" takes about two hours of online time. (You only need to complete one of them.) There is no cost.

4. Attendance (FPMD 7220)
   Students are expected to attend all meetings and other required activities (project presentations) of the honors/career track. On rare occasions such as out of towm rotations or significant illness, students may need to miss lunch meetings. On these occasions, students are expected to contact Rholinda Lange in advance of the session to notify her of their reason for missing the meeting. This notification should be done as soon in advance as possible (ideally three days in advance) for meal planning purposes. Students missing more than half of all lunch meetings for the above reasons will not pass rotation.
5. Maintaining Honors Status
   To maintain your Honors status, you must meet the following requirements:
   1. Attend the noontime lunch meetings held each month in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine as described above. Please refer to the Attendance policy #4 above.
   2. Submit a final paper to the Program Coordinator on a date to be determined by the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine.
   3. Present your Honors project to Department of Family and Preventive Medicine faculty and staff as well as other students in the Family Medicine Honors/Career Track Program on a date(s) to be determined by DFPM.

Application Schedule:

1. Applications for the Honors program will be available and distributed electronically to third year medical students. The student's written application for the program will include:
   1. The statement of the student's reasons for selecting the Family Medicine Honors/Career Track Program, and
   2. the proposed project's topic and its appropriateness to Family Medicine.
2. Applications are due in FEBRUARY in order to be considered and notified prior to the School of Medicine's Dean Office deadline for senior schedules. Submit completed applications to Rholinda Lange, Program Coordinator, in Room 108 at DFPM at 375 Chipeta Way, Suite A, in Research Park.
3. Students will be notified in FEBRUARY of their acceptance into the Honors Program.
4. For students accepted into the Honors Program, final project proposals are due the first of JUNE.

Selection and Notification:

The application, evaluation of the student's performance in her/his junior clerkships and on the Step 1 Exam, evidence of interest in Family Medicine, and overall performance in medical school will be reviewed. The DFPM faculty will make the final selection. The program is limited to a maximum of 20 students. Students will be notified of their acceptance in the Family Medicine Honors/Career Track Program in February. Honor students will be invited to attend Family Medicine Grand Rounds on Wednesdays from 8:00 to 9:00 AM at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center, and other activities of the department throughout their senior year.

• Honors Program Application
• Project Outline

Program Director:
Susan Cochella, MD, MPH ( Send Dr. Cochella an email 587-3460 )

Program Coordinator:
Rholinda Lange ( Send Rholinda an email 581-3967 )