Outpatient elective, no weekends, no call.

Some clinics are held at satellite offices. The student must provide his/her own transportation to these sites. 

The course will consist of sleep clinics, time in the sleep lab, formal tutorials by the Sleep Physicians and assigned readings from critical papers and tests in neuromuscular disorders. The main course text (to be loaned to the student) will be the “Secrets of Sleep Medicine” supplemented by other materials as appropriate. Course conferences will include Sleep Grand Rounds first Thursday of every month from noon to 1 pm and other relevant multidisciplinary lectures.

Learning Objectives (Competencies):

Medical Knowledge
1. Provide the student an exposure to the diagnosis and evaluation of a variety of sleep disorders so that they may identify them in patients. 2. Expose the student to testing modalities in Sleep Medicine with a focus on polysomnography (PSG) so that they can recognize the uses and limits of diagnostic testing in sleep disorders 3. Provide a knowledge base regarding sleep medicine through structured readings and one-on-one ‘seminars’ so that students can readily identify these patients and how to medically treat them.

Communication Skills
1. Elicit, legibly record, and present appropriately focused history and physical examinations for patients with sleep disorders. 2. Explain findings from clinical investigations, plans for follow up, and possible courses of therapy with indications, risks, benefits, and alternatives to patients and caregivers. 3. Discuss the impact of sleep disorders and its treatment (or lack thereof) on the patient and family members.

Professionalism
1. Display appropriate dress, grooming, punctuality, honesty, courtesy, respect for patient confidentiality, and other norms of behavior in professional relationships with patients. 2. Converse and behave appropriately in interactions with peers, faculty, residents, and healthcare staff, working collaboratively in providing care and treatment of patients.

Patient Care
1. Effectively observe, communicate, and interact with patients, families, and other healthcare workers to obtain histories, deal with difficult situations, and insure proper record keeping. 2. Describe a rational diagnostic and therapeutic approach to patients with sleep disorders.

Practice-Based and Lifelong Learning 
1. Use information technology to access and manage clinical information and perform on-line searches to support ongoing self-directed learning. 2. Search, evaluate and critically review medical literature appropriate to the care of individual patients or as an approach to a clinical problem, and present this information, as appropriate, to the health care team.

Social and Community Context 
1. The student will recognize the cost effectiveness issues of various technologies used in the evaluation of sleep disorders. 2. The student will recognize the importance of community education for the identification of sleep disorders. 3. The student will understand the impact of sleep disorders on society, productivity in the workplace and quality of life.

Assessment of Competencies:

1. Medical Knowledge will be assessed through clinical observations, reflected on the Student Summative Evaluation (SSE); and a paper on a related topic. A 20 question, multiple choice exam will be given on the last day of the elective.

2. Communication Skills, Professionalism, and Patient Care are assessed during clinical activities and are also reflected on the Student Summative Evaluation (SSE) form (total points from SSE are 60% of the grade).

3. Practice-Based and Lifelong Learning is demonstrated by the Sleep Medicine topic paper that the student must complete and present to the team. The Attending may assess this competency as well during other clinical activities, and reflect it on the SSE form.

4. Social and Community Context will be assessed through clinical activities and questions on this topic will be included on the final multiple-choice exam.

Competencies are evaluated on the SSE, completed by the Attending(s) at mid-rotation (end of week 1) and end-rotation (end of week 2), All SSE forms are discussed with the student at those times. The mid-rotation evaluation does not count toward the final grade, and is an informal feedback. It is intended to give the student guidance as to modifying, improving or encouraging continuation of their performance to the end of the clerkship.

Calculation of Final Elective Grade:
60% Student Summative Evaluation
20% Paper and presentation on a related topic 
20% 20-question multiple-choice exam