Endocrinology and Diabetes

Course Description: This rotation is generally a two- to four-week, structured clinical experience under direct supervision designed to provide the student experience diagnosing, treating and caring for patients with endocrine diseases.

Clinical experiences are intended to assist the student's transition from didactic to integrated clinical evaluation and management of patients with endocrine disease as their main clinical presentation. Under supervision, students are expected to assist in the management of endocrine diseases. 

Course Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate basic skills in obtaining a history and performing a physical exam with emphasis on the endocrine system.
2. Perform oral case presentations that are organized, appropriately detailed and endocrine-focused.
3. Compose medical notes that are organized, appropriately detailed and endocrine-focused.
4. Discuss indications for appropriate laboratory and diagnostic tests for common endocrine diseases (diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, lipid abnormalities, metabolic bone disease and calcium disorders). 
5. Describe common clinical presentations, evaluation and management of common endocrine disorders (diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, lipid abnormalities, metabolic bone disease and calcium disorders).
6. Recognize and initiate diagnostic evaluation for less common endocrinopathies (adrenal disease, pituitary disease and gonadal dysfunction).
7. If includes inpatient time: Describe the consultative practice model.
8. If includes inpatient time: Discuss principles of inpatient diabetes management, especially insulin management.
9. If includes inpatient time: Recognize common endocrine emergencies in the inpatient setting.