The Southern Illinois University
School of Medicine
Student to Student Handbook

• Introduction
• Student Resources at SIU
• Student Handbook
• Office of Student Affairs
• Student Wellness
• Medical Student Health Resources
• The Guide to Springfield
  • Links to the Springfield Area
  • Housing
  • Dining
  • Shopping
  • Entertainment
  • Recreation
  • Local Points of Historical Interest
  • Banking
  • Haircut
  • Auto Service
• The MSII Year
  • USMLE Step I
• The MSIII Year
  • Introduction
  • Away Rotations
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Family and Community Medicine
  • Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • Internal Medicine
  • Surgery
• The MS IV Year
• Student Organizations
• Philanthropic Opportunities  

Introduction

Welcome to SIU-SOM. This handbook is written for students by students. It is intended to be a companion to help you get the most from your study and leisure while at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

This handbook is by no means comprehensive, but is instead a starting point for you to go out and discover things for yourself.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this online edition of the Student to Student Handbook.

Student Resources at SIU

• Office of Student Affairs
• Student Wellness
• Medical Student Health Resources    

The Guide to Springfield

Links to the Springfield Area

• Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau
• The City of Springfield
• The State of Illinois: Comprehensive site about the State of Illinois, including tourism and fairs and festivals.
• Illinois Times: The Best of Springfield
• springfield-illinois.com: Community bulletin board, information on lodging and restaurants, churches
• springfield-il.com
• online-springfield.com
• The University of Illinois at Springfield
• The State Journal-Register: Illinois' state capital newspaper providing local news, advertising, links and online  

Housing

The bulk of this information is intended for first years in Carbondale moving up to Springfield. Some useful links: http://www.siumed.edu/studentaffairs/housing.html

http://www.springfieldhome.com/

Where to start

First of all, do not get all worked up about finding a place to live. There are plenty of good, reasonably priced places. And, if you have not made living arrangements before the end of first year, do not worry, you have the whole summer to find a place.

In the Spring of first year, the Office of Student Affairs in Springfield compiles a packet of housing information they gathered from the departing fourth years. This packet contains information on apartments/houses that fourth years have lived in. In addition, fourth years who bought houses in Springfield will send information down to Barbara to have her post it in the student lounge. So keep your eyes peeled for either of these if you want to get an early start.

Utilities

• Electric and Water: City Water Light and Power, ph. (217) 789-2030 http://www.cwlp.com
• Natural Gas: Cilco, ph. (888) 672-5252 http://www.ameren.com
• Phone: Ameritech, pH, (800) 244-4444 http://www.sbc.com
• Cable: Insight Communications, pH (217) 788-5656   http://www.insight-com.com

Dining

The Illinois Times has a rather comprehensive listing of restaurants, as does the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Bellacinos 6th St. Just S of Jewel	$6	Grinders, pizza, italian
Cancun Sherman, IL	$8	Mexican. Great service. Good food.
Tokyo of Japan Stevenson Dr.	$7-15	Japanese. The food is cooked right in front of you. A good place for a group of people.
Vics Wabash Ave.	$6	Good pizza.  Paper thin crust.
Cafe Brio 6th St. downtown	$5-10	Tex-Mex. Great atmosphere. You can tell that they try to make the place "urban" but that they do not take themselves too seriously. The lunch menu is good, and its cheaper than the dinner menu
Magic Kitchen Peoria Rd.	$5-7	Thai. The standard by which all others are measured. A once in a lifetime experience on a warm weekend night. BYOB, sit in the parking lot until a table is ready for you. Do not eat the hottest stuff unless you love pain.
Sebastians	$12-14	Varied
Ritzs Little Fryer	$4-6	Sunday brunch/Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Barrell Head Wabash Ave.	$5-9	Americana. This is a locally owned place with lots of Irish decor. A great place to get filled up.
Rizzis	$15	Italian. Classy
Thai Kitchen 9th Street	$6	Thai. Great if you are on your OB rotation. Right across the street from St. Johns.  Same people as Magic Kitchen.
Saputos	$10-15	Italian. Good food.
Alexanders West Jefferson		Americana. Option of cooking your own steaks.
Indigo Linbergh W. of Wal-mart	$15	Nouveau/Carribean. Great atmosphere. Live piano on weekend nights.
Siam Palace	$6-7	Thai/Chinese. Comparable to magic kitchen
Maid Rite	$5	Great local greasy spoon. Fries, burgers and homemade rootbeer floats.
Thailand Cuisine	reasonable	Great food, clean atmosphere
Cams take Wabash west, past Veterans...keep going for several miles..first small town or will see small bar on right		Get the walleye platter...delicious and cheap
Augies Front Burner	$10	California? Great eclectic dishes in a cozy environment.
Lucas Pizza On Iles, in first strip mall on the right when traveling west	$6	Good pizza and stromboli. The owner is a real character. They sell pizza by the slice.
China Star	$6-7	Best Sesame/General Tsos Chicken in town
J.Ps	$5-7	Diner
Buffet City 1774 Wabash Ave.	$5-7	> 150 items to choose from; lunch buffet is only $5.25.
Darcys Pint	$7-10	Amazing horse shoes.
Smokey Bones BBQ & Sports Bar	$8-17	You control the TV above your table; try the homemade donuts.

Shopping

White Oaks Mall on the corner of Wabash and Veterans Parkway offers several large department stores as well as franchises of national retail outlets such as the Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch, Gadzooks and Wicks and Things. The list below focuses on unique, locally owned establishments that have been frequented and recommended by medical students. Here is a link to some Springfield shopping areas: http://www.visit-springfieldillinois.com/visitorinfo/shopping/index.htm.  

Runners World	West White Oaks Drive	Running apparel, shoes, etc.
Barnes and Noble	Veterans Parkway	Bookstore
Food Fantasies	1512 W. Wabash, pH 793-8009	Health food store, all organic, and if you are lucky you will get a whiff of patchouli
The Peace Store	Wabash	World wide gift store
Prairie Archives	522 E. Adams pH 522-9742	A maze of very interesting and cool stuff, not just dusty old books as one might tend to believe
Recycled Records	625 E Adams pH 522-5122	Used furniture, Cds, video games, etc.
Colin Folk Art	Salisbury, Il. (toward New Salem)
Uncle Chucks Nursery		Great bedding plants
R & M Cyclery	832 W. Washington	If you want to buy a good bike go to this shop. Not the cheapest but well worth the service. No BS, no attitude.
Biketek	957 Clock Tower Dr.	Bicycles

Entertainment

Recreation

These are some activities/locations that students have enjoyed in the past. Check out the Illinois Department of Natural Resources page to find out about state parks and more: http://dnr.state.il.us/. Check out this site about Springfield area parks: http://www.springfieldparks.org

Walking/Biking/Running:

Washington Park	Wonderful for running, biking or walking
Lost Bridge Trail	5 mile trail from Springfield to Rochester. Trail starts at IDOT building on Dirksen Parkway. Good for biking, roller-blading, walking, running, etc.
Backwoods Mountain Biking Trails	By Lake Springfield, go south on Chatham Rd. until you hit a T road, go right, turn left at next house, go to dead end, wear helmet and beware of logs.
Lincoln Memorial Gardens	2 miles of hiking, great for walks.

Hunting:

Site M

16,000 acres located West of town. Take Jefferson all the way out of town and follow signs. Forty minute drive. Check in at office to get permits.

Fishing:

Sangcris Lake	25 minutes east of town
Sangamon River

Athletics:

Volleyball Leagues	State police armory (just north of the capital) during winter and at the 4 seasons during summer
Indoor soccer	Several leagues at Soccer World on corner of Veterans Parkway and Lawrence.
Hockey	Rec league
Soccer	Springfield Mens Soccer League
Softball	Numerous leagues; park district may be the best

Fitness Clubs:

YMCA	4th and Cook. FREE. Decent facilities.
FitClub	$30-40 per month.
Springfield Racquet and Fitness	Very nice. Expensive. Student rates available

Golf:

Bergen Golf Course	9 holes/par 35	2900 Clear Lake Ave., 753-6211
Brookhills	9 holes/par 31	5350 Old Jacksonville Rd., 787-8576
Bunn Park	18 holes/par 72	2500 S. 11th St., 522-2633
Lincoln Greens	18 holes/par 72	700 East Lake Drive, 786-4000
The Oaks	18 holes/par 70	5250 Oakcrest Road, 528-6600
Pasfield Park Golf Course	9 holes/par 34	1700 West Lawrence, 753-6226
Piper Glen Golf Club	18 holes/par 72	7112 Piper Glen Dr. (Veterans Parkway- 3mi S. I-72) 483-6537
The Rail	18 holes/par 72	1400 S. Clubhouse Dr., 525-0365 (Home of the LPGA State Farm Classic each Labor Day Weekend)

Local Points of Historical Interest

Below are some great places in the Springfield area that students have enjoyed.

• Dana-Thomas House - Located on 4th and Lawrence. If you are a Frank Lloyd Wright fan, this place is a must see. One of his most complete works. Has received many superlatives from students in the past. A great place to take your family. There are tour guides to take you through the house.
• Illinois State Museum
• Lincoln Home National Historic Site
• Lincoln New Salem Historic Site   

Haircut

These are some places around town where students in the past recommend getting their hair cut.

Jefferson Street Styling	$9	Jefferson St.	Barber shop. Owner is named Scott and is very nice
Master Cuts	$12	Mall	Cheap.
Borics	$7	Mall	Cheap. I have short hair and have always liked it.
Attitudes - Dave Shinnebarger	$23	1219 W. Ash	He is the best!
Clipper Shop	$8	Next to Matthews Bookstore	These guys razor cut neck and sideburns
Southern View Barber Shop	$8	St. Joseph St., take a right at Ramada on S. Sixth	Throw back to 1950. Good haircuts.
BJ Salon	$20-30	W. Robbins, near Parkway Pointe Theatres	Pricey but good. Full service salon that offers many more than haircuts. Worth the price.

Auto Service

These are some businesses in the Springfield area that students have had good experiences with.

• Jack Stolat Auto Service Center - 717 S. 5th St. (corner of 5th and Cook).
• ALL-KAR Automotive Inc. - 222 E. Apple Orchard Rd.
• Floyds Import - Stevenson Drive.
• Metric Wrench - South 9th Street. Foreign transmissions.
• Jims Auto Service - 1915 N. Dirksen. "
• Springfield Tire and Alignment - Rutledge and Miller.

General Websites

• Univ. of Michigan (http://anatomy.med.umich.edu/)
• http://www.emedicine.com
• www.bloodbook.com (for interpretation of lab values)
• http://thalamus.wustl.edu/course/ - a good neuro site
  

The MSII Year - Year 2 Curriuculum Page

TEXTBOOK SELECTION

Pathology

• Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease (aka "Robbins") by R.S. Cotran, V. Kumar, and S.L. Robbins is an ABSOLUTE MUST! This is the core text and had many photographs of pathological specimens. It is recommended that you obtain a copy of this text.
• Pocket Companion to Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease (AKA"Baby Robbins"). This is an outline version of the main text. It is very good for reviewing the material and on those occasions where you are short of time. Some people use it extensively, but using it as a sole text is not advised. If you have the extra money, it may be a good investment.
• Board Review Series (BRS): Pathology. This book is used extensively by students and seems to be well-liked. Again, it is in outline form and without pictures. It, too, is good for reviewing the material as well as for cramming when that precious commodity, time, is in high demand. Another plus for this book is that many students in previous years recommend this as a good review book for studying for the USMLE. Therefore, based on your personal preference and finances, this may be one you want to procure. NOTE: Take this book to Dr. Murphy's lectures and fill in the blanks!!!!!!
• Harrisons and the Merck are used more second year than first. For the group cases, they answer many questions that the above pathology books do not cover.

Microbiology

Medical Micro and Immuno (Levinson & Jawetz-royal blue), Lange Review Book	Excellent review book - expects you know some basic concepts, great for those that have a micro background. A must for everyone for the Boards. The second half of the book is immunology.
Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple	For those who like the M.R.S. series, this book is excellent. Great stories, pictures, and chart. Treatment of every organism is emphasized along with chapters of basic pharmacology. It is a little more detailed than Jawetz. Describes some of the basic concepts that Jawetz assumes you know.
Microbiology Companion (white binder)	This was written by two medical school students. It is very organized, includes flashcards, treatment, and highlights important information. Detail is similar to Jawetz or the MRS.
Jawetz Medical Microbiology	Like other Lange books. Detailed. Use as a supplement.
Sherris Medical Microbiology	Also detailed. Great supplement.

 Pharmacology

Lippencotts PharmacologyPharmacology Made Ridiculously Simple	This book is different than the other Made Ridiculously Simple books. There are very few "cute" pictures that this series is known for. This book has excellent charts including the trade name, the mechanism of action, the side effects, drug interactions, etc. A good supplement to Lippencotts, but may not give enough explanations for some.
Pharm cards	Flashcards made by two Harvard medical students. Excellent. Also includes flashcards of diagrams for mechanisms of actions that are very helpful. Some drugs are given in greater explanation that Lippencotts or MRS, and other drugs are not mentioned that Lippencotts or MRS includes. Again, try to use more than one source, but this is an excellent way to test your knowledge.
Goodman & Gillmans	Excellent, but detailed. Use as a supplement to answer any questions.
Modern Pharmacology (Craig and Stritzel)	Also a great book for those who have a quest for additional knowledge.
AMA Guide to Drugs	A large green book given to students that join the AMA. Used by most to find additional information. (There was talk about changing the book for future AMA members).

Immunology

Lange Micro/Immuno	Great for immuno as well (see above)
Medical Micro & Immuno Jawetz (royal blue)	The second half of this book is an excellent review for immunology. As stated before, this book is a must.
Immunology Sites, Terr, and Parslow (green)	Detailed. Good supplement. Lange format.
Cellular and Molecular Immunology (Abbas)	Some great illustrations and diagrams.

USMLE Step 1 - USMLE Info

This is important. Do not let anyone tell you that it's just a test; this may be the single most important event of your career up to this point. This is not meant to scare you; take the test seriously. If you have prepared up to this point, a little hard work and you are good to go.

Everyone adopts their own personal strategy for board preparation. It is important to set reasonable goals for yourself regarding what material you want to cover. This is different for every individual.

A good book to start out with is First Aid For The Boards. The introductory portion of this book will answer many of your questions regarding the boards. Most importantly, this book has reviews other board review books, and is a good starting point when you begin book shopping. This book contains concise reviews of path, pharm, etc., and has several useful pnemonics. It is money well spent. Ask around during second year about what books/resources other people used. This strategy will help you more than this handbook. Kaplan's Q-Bank is routinely regarding as the best question source.

Regarding registration, Dr. Constance, Nancy Calvert and the rest of the folks in the Office of Student Affairs will keep you on top of deadlines, etc. No worries there.

REMEMBER THIS: Take a vacation after boards. It is undesirable to go from studying for Step I to Third year all in one breath.

 The MSIII Year - Year Three Contacts; Year 3 Curriculum Page

Introduction

• Enjoy yourself. do not be dead to the world for a whole year.
• Work hard all the time. Your hard work may or may not be noticed, but whether it is or not, you will always know you did your best for your future patients.
• Work together. When you are working as a group, one weak link can make a few weeks of your life that could have been tolerable, miserable.
• ALWAYS BE HONEST. If you did not specifically look for clubbing when you were performing the physical exam, do not write that you did not find it in the note. If your conscience does not catch up with you, someone else will, and that usually results in embarrassment.
• Read. Read. Read. Hitting the wards is not a license to stop reading. Do not make the mistake of blowing off an exam. You may find yourself wasting your 4th year vacation time repeating a clerkship.
• There are ears everywhere. Do not talk about patients in the elevator or the cafeteria. If you are going to vent, make sure that the residents or attendings cannot hear you. Spouting off about how much a clerkship stinks within earshot of someone who is part of that clerkship usually yields grim prospects for your grade.
• Sleep whenever you can.

Away Rotations

• Start thinking about "aways" early in third year
• April before fourth year, look at specific programs
• May before fourth year, do not wait any longer, start applying!
• Call early for immunization records
• Some programs require quantified titres, check into this
• Inquire about insurance policies, our plan may not cover you while "away"

Obstetrics and Gynecology - OB/Gyn Clerkship Website

Overview

This is a 6 week clerkship that is divided into a three week obstetrics experience and a three week gynecology experience. In addition to the respective clinical experiences, there are lectures once a week that all students in the clerkship attend. There are also several assignments that must be completed during the clerkship in order to pass. You are required to present 3-4 H&Ps to the attending that has been designated as your preceptor. It is recommended that you prepare for these by having a resident critique your H&P and then rewriting it before you give it to your preceptor. Be ready to answer questions about the case because you will be asked them, and you want to look good. Try to pick up the exam the day that the respective lecture is given. Some of the questions are answered in lecture. You will also be required to give several 10 minute talks during this clerkship. Usually, they are about common problems.

The exam at the end of the clerkship is an NBME shelf exam. It is multiple choice and almost completely composed of vignette style questions. It is highly recommended that you read as much as possible during the gynecology portion of the clerkship. OB can be unpredictable, the days are long (i.e., you do not feel like reading when you get home), and depending on how many students there are in your rotation, you may be post-call quite a bit. Bottom line, you may have little time to prepare for the exam during OB.

Obstetrics

OB is probably among the most fun and the most grueling three weeks you will experience as a medical student. Be ready to get up at 4:00 am every day, and do not expect to have many days off, if any, during this three weeks. Call is in house, and the amount of sleep you get is variable, you may get none or you may get 3 or 4 hours.

During OB you will spend one week on the Maternal and Fetal Medicine (MFM) service, one week in clinics with Dr. Nichols and the residents, and the rest of the time in the hospital. While on the MFM service, you round on the MFM patients when you get there in the mornings and then you go to clinics with Dr. Huffman when he has them during the week. While on the MFM service you will see things like pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes and preterm-premature rupture of membranes. With the residents, you will participate in the Stork clinic. You will be an expert at finding fetal heart tones and measuring fundal height by the end of the day. When you are in the hospital, you will follow laboring patients, patients on Magnesium, and write H&Ps on incoming patients. When you are on the other services and do not have a clinic or other scheduled activity, you spend the rest of the time at the hospital. You also have to spend a morning with the lactation consultant.

Here is what to expect on a typical day in OB:

• 5:00 am-Round on all SIU patients, post C-section patients and actively laboring patients. If you are on MFM, you start there. If you are not on MFM and you get done, head over there to help your buddy because you will be over there next week. On average, it takes 5-10 minutes longer to see an MFM patient than a non-MFM patient.
• 6:30 am- Meet in doctors lounge while resident on call the previous night goes over the board with laboring patients listed on it. Then you round on SIU patients with the residents. Be prepared to give an oral presentation on patients you saw. Helpful hint - write pertinent patient info down on census sheet while writing note on the chart. Use this when presenting. Once rounds on SIU patients are done, see all the patients of private attendings on the floor that have not been seen yet. Find out the local attendings that do not want students seeing their patients, no use doing work that is not wanted.
• 8:00 am-Back to doctors lounge. This time, attendings will be there to go over the board of laboring patients. This is the time when you will give your talks. The talks are low stress so do not get worked up about them.
• 9:00 am- Those of you that do not go off to clinic stay around the hospital all day. You will divide up the laboring patients and the patients that are on Magnesium and follow them throughout the day. These patients require notes on the chart every two hours.
• 6ish-Wait for check-out rounds (which usually never happen) after which you are dismissed by the residents.

• Introduce yourself to any laboring patient so you can get in on a delivery. Most local attendings prefer that you meet the patient and coach them along in their pushing if you want to be in on the delivery.
• Volunteer for anything
• Bug nurses to let you start IVs and Foley catheters
• Act busy if you are not busy. There is almost always something to be done.
• Laboring patients and patients on Magnesium that are not in MFM need to be checked every two hours
• Bring snacks, eat when possible and sleep when possible

Gynecology

The gynecology portion of the clerkship includes scrubbing in on surgeries and participating in clinics. The services you will participate in include Residents clinic, Gynecologic oncology, Dr. Nelsons clinic and hospital. The student on gyne onc works exclusively with the gyne-onc attending for the week, and the rest of the students meet every morning and every afternoon for rounds. Keep in mind that patients assigned to a particular clinic service may also be scheduled for surgeries in the hospital. It is likely you will have more free time when you are in gyne than when you are in OB (except when you are in gyne-onc). Once again, try to read as much as you can during gyne.

The residents clinic is a general gyne clinic. The residents are great and like to teach, its a good experience. You will also spend an afternoon at the public health STD clinic. Approach this experience with an open mind because it is a great change of pace. You take the history, examine the patient, make the diagnosis and treat the patient. You really feel like a doctor.

The week of gyne onc has the potential to be the most grueling of the year. You may see some really cool things when you are in gyne onc. You may scrub in on an 8 hour surgery to remove a tumor that most people only read about. Also, the atending gives you a pretty extensive hand out that spells out what she expects and what you should know for the week. I would recommend you read the required chapters in Hacker and Moore. It will really help you to get more out of the week.

Dr. Nelsons clinics are general OB/GYN clinics. Dr. Nelson is very nice and very patient. She likes students and makes you feel like you are part of the team.

Call for the gyne portion of this clerkship is at home call. The typical day in gyne begins at between 5:30 or 6, depending on how many post-surgical patients you have to round on and whether or not you need to do an H&P for a morning surgery. Then between 6:30 or 7, all the residents and students meet for rounds. Be prepared to give a 1 or 2 minute presentation on your patient(s). You may also have to give one of your talks at this time. The students assigned to clinic then go to their clinic, and those on hospital go to their surgeries. The gang then reunites between 4 and 5 for check out rounds. At these rounds, you go over the cases from that day. This is another time when you may have to give one of your talks.

Book Recommendations

• OB/Gyne Blueprints: Most everyone used this book.
• Pretest: Again the best question book.
• Underground Clinical Vignettes: Any book with vignette-type questions will do. The exam is largely vignette style questions. All these books are short, and easy reads. I recommend carrying this around with you. You can make 15 minutes of downtime productive if you go over a few cases.
• BRS Obstetrics and Gynecology: Outline format, can be difficult to read at times. Short enough that you can get through the whole thing during the clerkship.
• Hacker and Moore: Do not buy this one, they will loan you a copy at the beginning of the clerkship. Good book to have as a reference, but impractical to read cover to cover during the clerkship.
• NMS Obstetrics and Gynecology:
• OB Pearls
• Gyn Pearls  

Family and Community Medicine - FCM Clerkship Website

Overview

Family and Community Medicine is a six week clerkship that offers students a very heterogeneous experience. The overwhelming majority of you will complete this clerkship away from Springfield, working in the offices of family physicians throughout Central and Southern Illinois.

The clerkship starts with a three-day orientation in Springfield, after which you disperse to your respective communities. Be wise in picking your mentor. Make sure you look at what other students had to say about a particular mentor in the black book in the Family and Community Medicine office. Word of mouth is often helpful as well. Do not forget to take into consideration such things as days off, whether or not he/she does OB, and the composition of their practice.

There are several assignments that are due throughout the clerkship, including a paper, an evidence based medicine assignment, and an oral presentation. The paper is optional and extra credit. I strongly recommended that you do this paper, as it can help immensely toward your getting honors in this clerkship. The evidence based medicine assignment is required. In a nutshell, you write a SOAP note about a patient, find two journal articles pertinent to the case regarding a specific treatment, test or therapy, and compare the two articles using Dr. Ewarts criteria. For the community agency assignment, you write a SOAP note on a patient that you referred to a community agency, and then go check out the agency and write about it. The oral presentation is on a common topic encountered in family medicine. You draw your topic out of a hat during orientation. The paper is due around the middle of the clerkship, and the evidence based medicine assignment, community agency assignment and oral presentation are due during the last week of the clerkship.

The final clerkship exam includes the 100 question shelf test and 8-10 stations that test many of the topics that were covered in the orientation. It is very difficult to study for the written exam because of the vastness of the material that it covers. The best advice for preparation is reading the chapters in the Sloan Family and Community Medicine textbook that you feel particularly weak in. For the stations, go over the objectives in the orientation materials, and review any handouts that you got during orientation.

By the way, you need a good excuse to stay in Springfield for this clerkship. The reasons for sending you away are legitimate. They really want you to experience family medicine away from the medical school, and see how things work in another hospital. Just to warn you, being married will not keep you in Springfield, nor will having a pet.

Book Recommendations

All the textbooks that you need for this clerkship are provided during the orientation.  

Pediatrics - Pediatrics Clerkship Website

Overview

Pediatrics is a 6 week clerkship. It is divided into a 3week outpatient experience and a 3week inpatient experience. Generally, one-third of you will have outpatient the first two weeks, one-third the middle two weeks and one-third the last two weeks.

Scheduled activities in the clerkship include lectures, Chairmans Rounds, and the clerkship exam. Lectures are at noon M-F with an occasional lecture at 4pm. Lectures are more or less required. It is advisable to go because many of the questions from the written exam come directly from lecture notes.

Chairmans Rounds are usually Tu-Th at 4pm. If you were on call the night or day before rounds, be prepared to present the patient(s) that you admitted. A patient case is usually the starting point to discuss a pediatric topic that is important.

The clerkship exam is administered over a span of two days. You take a written exam the first day and see a standardized patient the second day. The written exam is composed of 100 multiple choice shelf test. Both parts of the exam are challenging. It is also wise to go over material presented by Mr. Silverman because they contribute a few questions to the written exam as well. If you are going to use a textbook, try to pick one that you can read cover-to-cover throughout the clerkship, so that you will cover your bases. The standardized patient portion of the exam is given on the second day. You really cannot prepare for the standardized patient exam other than knowing the didactic material well. Generally, you see the mother of a child (you cannot have children for SPs because of child labor laws) and obtain a history.

In addition to the scheduled activities, you are required to write 6 H&Ps with discussions, and you will have a faculty mentor that you will meet with weekly. Meetings with your mentor typically last 1 hour and are usually centered around presenting and discussing your H&Ps. The H&Ps can be derived from any patient that you see during the clerkship. However, it is easiest if you use patients that you see while on inpatient. This is because faculty expect you to obtain a VERY thorough birth history, developmental history, and social history. All of this historical information is difficult to obtain in a 15 or 30 minutes clinic visit. Three of your H&Ps are graded by your mentor and three are graded by other faculty. In general, your discussion should include a problem list, differential diagnosis, an assessment that includes your most likely diagnosis and why, a plan, and a discussion of the prominent topics of the case. Try to do your best not to procrastinate. Writing the H&Ps can be time consuming, and you want to make sure that you have some time at the end of the clerkship to study for the exam.

Outpatient

This is your vacation/study time during Peds. The outpatient experience consists of half-day clinic or newborn nursery experiences. Morning clinics typically begin around 8:30 or 9am. Afternoon clinics typically begin at 1 or 1:30. Lecture supersedes clinics, so do not be afraid to let the faculty know that you have class. The exception to this is when you go to a community Pediatricians clinic.

In general, the outpatient experience is very fun. You will find that you have several half-days without obligation. There are no hospital obligations when you are in outpatient. Some of the faculty expect that you review charts the day before clinic. I found that all of the clinic experiences were more enriching if I had a chance to review at least the diagnoses of the patients coming in the next day. Reading ahead makes you look good if you get pimped.

Although you will find yourself to be fairly busy during outpatient, you will have more free time and will be better rested than when you are on inpatient. So read as much as you can during inpatient. For those of you who do not have inpatient first, outpatient is a good time to churn out your H&Ps.

Inpatient

• 5am-7am     Pre-round on patients, notes on chart by 7am, preferably before the intern puts his/her note on the chart.
• 7am-8am     Rounds with faculty, chief residents and interns. The format depends on who the chief residents are for the month. Typically, you will need to be prepared to present the full H&Ps of patients you admitted the previous night when on call. And, if there is time left, all students should be prepared to give SOAP note presentations on all patients in the IMC and peds general wards. This is a good time to show off your presentation skills and gain points with the attendings.
• 8am-9am     Morning report with the residents on Wednesdays and Pediatric Grand Rounds in Bunn Auditorium on Thursdays.
• 9am-12pm   Otherwise, you are supposed to discuss your patients with the intern and/or attending.
• 12pm-1pm  Lecture
• 1pm-4pm Check on your patients. Sometimes the chief residents will give you informal presentations on topics in pediatrics. If nothing is going on, this is a good time to read.
• 4pm-5pm Chairmans Rounds
• 5pm-? Check up on your patients before you go home.

Textbook Recommendations

• Undergound Clinical Vignettes: Pediatrics. This book is perfect for times when you have a short attention span or only have 15 minutes of free time. It does not take much time to read a couple of cases in this book and learn something. It is also a good book to use for group pimping sessions.
• Blueprints in Pediatrics. Many people used this book. A must read. It is a book that you can read cover to cover throughout the clerkship with ease. It handles some topics well, while it is insufficient in others (e.g. pulmonary).
• Pediatrics Pretest. The best question book.
• Nelsons Pediatrics. A copy of this tome on pediatrics will be checked out to all of you at the beginning of the clerkship. This book is a good reference, and that is all I would recommend using it for.
• Rudolphs Fundamentals of Pediatrics, 2^nd Edition (a.k.a baby Rudolphs). This book is recommended by the faculty, and rightly so. It handles most pediatric topics in a comprehensive and fairly concise manner. Regarding pediatric problems, it groups problems by organ system. Thus, one can use the book to cover organ systems where there are commonly problems in the pediatric population, e.g., pulmonary and GI. If you are very ambitious, this is a book that you could read cover to cover during the course of the clerkship. However, it weighs in at a healthy 750 pages or so.  

Psychiatry - Psychiatry Clerkship Website

Psychiatry clerkship has undergone some changes the past couple of years. I will comment only on the things that I suspect will remain constant for the upcoming classes. This clerkship is a six week rotation that offers students a very heterogeneous experience. One student per clerkship travels to the state mental health facility in Anna, IL, and the rest of you will spend your six weeks in Springfield.

Due to the relative paucity of psychiatric inpatients, usually only two students are assigned to consult and liaison service per clerkship. The rest of the students see psychiatric patients outside of the hospital setting.

The seminars are on Religion and Medicine, Law and Psychiatry and Health Policy. They are presented by Dr. Myers, Professor LeBlang and Professor Silverman, respectively. Psychiatry Grand Rounds are every Friday at noon.

You will also be expected to take call 4-6 times throughout the clerkship. Call begins at 4:30pm and ends 7:30am, and it is at home call. It is your duty to contact the resident on call before you come on. Call in psychiatry is a very heterogeneous experience. Some people get called in every time, some get called in once or not at all. If you are on-call on Saturday or Sunday, it is probably best to contact the resident the Friday before. That way you do not have to wake up the resident on the weekend. It may be the only day that he/she gets to sleep in.

Textbook Recommendations

• Blueprints A must have
• DSM-IV Handbook Good for quick review
• Current Clinical Strategies in Psychiatry by Hahn, Reist and Albers. This is a little blue book that you can pick up at Mathew or online. It comes out every year and has concise summaries of most of the diagnoses that you are expected to know. And, because it comes out every year, it has fairly up-to-date information regarding treatment/pharmacotherapy. I highly recommend this book. If you know the information in this book well, you will be pretty well prepared for the exam.
• The Clerkship Series: Psychiatry, by Dr. Travis. You are loaned this book at the beginning of the clerkship. Dr. Travis is an emeritus professor at the school. This book is written at the level of sophistication found in 3^rd year medical students. Although not as comprehensive as Current Clinical Strategies, it has case studies for the major diagnosis that help you make the leap from a book to a flesh and blood patient. I recommend reading this book as a first or second pass through the major diagnoses in psychiatry. It can easily be read in one or two days.
• Synopsis of Psychiatry by Kaplan, Sadock and Grebb. This is a good reference book, but is too large to read cover-to-cover in a six week clerkship. There are a few copies of this in the library that you can check out.  

Internal Medicine/Neurology - Medicine Clerkship Website; Neurology Clerkship Website 

A few words about the Medicine clerkship.

• Wards is busy, study in your down-time, this is a intern-dependent experience as you spend a lot of time with the med first-years
• Up-To-Date is a great online resource, talk to the residents
• Chairman's Rounds are fun, do not sweat the presentation
• Dr. Constance Clinical Management sessions are great, do not miss
• Books-Med Recall, baby Cecil's, Wash manual, Blueprints
• MCSAP and Pretest are the best question books
• ER call can be hell if you are with an attending that doesn't care about teaching, talk to your peers about the best attendings 

Surgery -Surgery Clerkship Website

• Books
  • Surgery Recall, carry at all times, read X 2, you will be golden, Dunnington does not like this book
  • Essentials of Surgery, read if really interested in Surgery, not essential, see above
  • Pretest and Appleton and Lange for Q's, neither optimal for NBME, always use question books
• Attendings
  • Maggie and Cathy are your best friends, approach them first with questions
  • General-Dunnington, Fortune, Sutyak, Ramsey, and most SC guys are great
  • CVS-Quinn and Hazelrigg are excellent teachers
  • Ortho-McAndrew, Borowecki, Romanelli
  • Plastics-Neumeister, Wilhelmi
  • Urology-McKenna
• FAQ  
  • Can I go to the bathroom while scrubbed in? Of course, but for goodness sakes, go before!
  • What if I feel lightheaded? This is serious, do not pass out on surgical field, ask to sit down.
  • What are the hours like? Long. Hours will differ among specialties. do not complain.
  • What should I do prior to going to OR? Take off jewelry, always wear shoe covers, tape you mask to your nose if you wear glasses (prevents fogging), introduce yourself, be friendly, do not gown and glove yourself unless told to do so, be friendly, write your name down so circulator knows who you are, know the layers of the abdominal cavity, be friendly.
  • Can I take instrument off the Mayo tray? If you value your hands, no.
  • People are yelling at me, what should I do? This happens from time to time. do not yell back. Grow some thick skin. This is a very rare occurrence in our experience. These may be people you should avoid.
  • Can I eat the food in the Surgeons lounge? Yes.
  • Are girls allowed in the lounge? Of course.
  • How important are the faculty evals? Unfortunately, very important and very subjective. Always work hard and look interested.

The MS IV Year - Year Four Curriculum Page

General Recommendations

• Start working on your CV now (if you haven't already)
• It is okay if you do not know what you want to do at the beginning of 4th year, although you may miss early match deadlines, if unsure plan a rotation in each thing you are considering early on. In the end you can apply to more than one specialty (although this is a big pain and is not necessary recommended)
• Take out supplemental loans starting Sept 1 (this way money will be available when you need it), the application and interviewing process is very expensive
• If considering away electives work on getting immunization records together now, will probably need Hep B titer, varicella titer, measles/mumps/rubella titers. Talk to Ruth Ann Born about this.
• Away electives are usually not necessary in less competitive specialties (unless looking at very competitive programs), however it can be really good to see something different from SIU
• Talk to 4th years about details for your specialty
• Think about who you are going to get letters from now
• Apply early (as soon as ERAS opens, around Sept 1), earlier if early match (see specific program info)
• Deans Letters do not get released until Nov 1 (this is true everywhere)
• No one interviews the week of Christmas or New Year's (follows academic calendar for breaks)
• If applying to a highly competitive specialty consider applying to 2 specialties, but do this quietly as this is not looked favorably upon by programs, however it is not recommended to apply to both specialties at the same program
• Most specialties will require a letter from the department chair, in general 3-4 letters will suffice, usually 2-3 from your specialty and 1 from another specialty

ENT

• EARLY MATCH thru San Francisco match
• Complete and submit applications ASAP (Aug 15), includes letters of rec, transcripts, etc.
• do not worry about Dean's letter release, will get interview offers before this occurs
• Do sub-I immediately and an away if planned
• Do away rotations if you are a weaker candidate or know exactly where you want to go, or just for experience if want it
• Start research early (preferably year 2 with ENT faculty, but year 3 can work as well)
• Any research is better than no research (case reports count)
• Recommend letters from ENT chair (Robbins), 2 ENT surgeons +/- 1 ENT researcher
• Apply to 40+ programs
• Will begin hearing from programs mid Sept and thru mid Nov
• Interviews mid Oct to mid Dec (plan lighter rotations during this time or vacation)
• Very competitive, can't be picky
• Apply quietly to 2 specialties if not ideal applicant, but do so quietly

ER

• Apply for away electives before March 1
• You can rotate here, but do it for experience not to get letters
• Do at least 2 away electives for letters
• Take anesthesia elective first during year 4 (Cherie will give ER people priority)
• Apply to 20-30 programs depending on how competitive an applicant you are
• Will probably hear from some programs before Nov 1, but more competitive programs wait for Deans Letters to come out
• Interviews start mid November and go thru end of January

Internal Medicine

• ERAS application, NRMP match
• Do sub-I early if need letters from IM faculty
• Recommend trying to work with Dr. Steward (chair) to get letter, if didn't get to during 3rd year may try to schedule sub-I when you know he'll be on or just schedule some clinics with him
• Interviews occur Nov thru Jan
• Less competitive except for prestigious, big schools
• Away electives are less important unless you know exactly where you want to go or if you want to go to big, prestigious program

OB/GYN

• ERAS application thru NRMP match
• Moderately competitive
• Need a letter from the department chair (Dr. Amankwah), simply schedule to meet with him, you do not need to have worked with him
• Apply to 15-25 programs depending on how strong an applicant you are
• Will begin hearing from programs in October, some wait for Dean's Letters
• Interviews start beginning of Nov. thru mid Jan.
• Away electives typically not necessary but good to see a different program, can do OB/gyn electives at other programs that SIU doesn't offer (i.e. MFM)
• An excellent resource pertaining residency programs is the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics website. Go to www.apgo.org/residency/ You will need to contact Dr. Nelson for the SIU username and password. This resource is better than Freida, although you should probably look at both.

Plastics

• ERAS application, NRMP match
• Very competitive, there are very few spots
• Research is important, looks really good to publish with Neumeister, Zook or Russell
• Recommend 1-2 away electives
• Good idea to dual apply
• Learn the difference between integrated, combined and traditional programs and find out which places have which (this is changing rapidly, may need to call programs for updated info)
• It is okay to call programs for info!
• Get application in early
• Will probably not hear back from anywhere until after Dean's Letters are released Nov 1
• Zook, Russell and Neumeister are BIG names in plastics, try to get letters from all of them, also from Surgery Dept director (Dunnington)

Urology

• EARLY MATCH thru ERAS- Apply as soon as ERAS opens (beginning of Sept)
• Requires seeing Jennifer Langley to have her scan everything early, otherwise it will be too late (Dean's Letter still doesn't go out until Nov 1- do not worry cause programs do not look at this)
• For 3rd year best to have had long rotations first
• Try to work with Urology faculty some during 3rd year for experience (schedule clinics on days off, etc)
• Match meeting info does not necessarily apply
• Away rotations not necessary but good for experience and to get letters (program here is small)
• Ask for letters ASAP since everything needs to be in at the beginning of September, encourage writers to complete letters early
• Some interviews are early, most are October thru December, many only offer one date, schedule light electives and time off, avoid required electives during this time
• Apply to at least 30 programs and schedule as many interviews as possible

Student Organizations

http://www.siumed.edu/studentaffairs/organizations.html

• AMA
• AMSA
• FMIG
• CMDA
• AMWA
• ACS

Philanthropic Opportunities

American Cancer Society, (217) 546-7586: not-for-profit organization providing information on cancer prevention and early detection, support groups, public education programs, and staff assistance in locating and obtaining services for medically indigent cancer patients. Volunteer Opportunities:

• Special Friends: pairs medical students with children (ages 7-15) who are experiencing cancer and their siblings. There are some organizational details which would have to be worked out, but it could be done easily. All year long.
• Relay For Life: a fundraising event in which teams of 10-12 people camp out and have one member of the team walking, jogging, or running around the track for the duration of the event. The event usually starts around 8 p.m. and ends the next day at 12 noon. Each member is required to raise $100 (or team total of $1,000). The event took place in June last year, but the date for this year is not certain.

Arthritis Foundation, (217) 523-2200: not-for-profit organization that provides information and services to those afflicted with arthritis and raises funds to find a cure and improve quality of life for those with the disease. Volunteer Opportunities:

• Clerical Work. All year long.
• Education Programs: help with Health Fairs and Speakers Bureau.
• Fund Raising Events: help with the different events such as a golf tournament and telethons.
• Fundraising events:
• Jingle Bell Run: 5K run/1 mile walk; $15 entry fee; at Washington Park Pavilion.
• Golf Classic: date unknown.
• Mini Grand Prix: date unknown.
• Joint Parade: date unknown.

• Big Brother/Big Sister: Become a mentor with a child in the community. There is a time commitment to do this. To find out more contact Big Brothers Big Sisters by phone.
• Bowl For Kids Sake: A fundraiser in which Team Captains are asked to assemble teams of five, and collect pledges. Then the teams meet in February for a bowling party. Dates:

• Klondike Derby: Competition between small groups of Boy Scouts in skills such as cooking, lashing, first aid, fire building, and more. Held at Camp Bunn, 20 minutes south of Waverly.
• First Aid Meet: Realistic first aid competition, complete with make up and pumping blood. Scouts compete by patrol in solving a dozen problems in a round robin fashion. Held at National Guard gym on North Grand.
• Eagle Scout Recognition Dinner: Eagle scouts from previous year are paired up with sponsors, usually from career field of interest. The sponsors pay for dinner for the Eagle and themselves, $125. Held at rotunda of State Capitol.
• Scouting for Food: Help collect canned goods for local food pantry and food bank.
• Lincoln Pilgrimage: Program and parade from tomb to state capitol to remember our 16^th President.

• Breadline Sunday: November ______. A symbolic loaf of bread is offered for a donation of $3 and all proceeds go directly to support St. Johns Breadline. Labeling and sacking of bread at Vonos Medical Supply (400 N. First _____ from 7am-11am).
• Thanksgiving Food Baskets: Help collect and assemble food baskets for the poor. There is also a dinner catered at St. Johns Breadline on Thanksgiving.
• Christmas Food & Gifts Baskets: Help collect assemble food and gift baskets for the poor. Starts Dec. ___ and ends Dec. 24.
• Annual Catholic Charities Golf Outing: ________ at Piper Glen Golf Club.

• Annual Childrens Holiday Store: help children shop and wrap purchases. The store is for children ages 2-14 who can purchase gifts from 50 cents to $6. Daytime shifts during the weekends and 4-8 p.m. shifts during the week.
• Green Nose Days: march in St. Patricks Day and/or sell funny green noses for $1. The week of St. Patricks Day.

• Pantry Drives: help stock food items, paper products, etc. All year long.
• Pull Tab Collection: collect beverage tabs for the house to recycle. All year long.
• Thursday Night Meals: a group prepares and serves a hot meal for the families. Set up a specific date.
• Become a volunteer: volunteer six hours per month doing a variety of activities (clean, raise funds, clerical work, etc.). All year long.
• Caroling for Kids Book Fair: purchase a book at Barnes & Noble on _________ and present the Ronald McDonald voucher, and a percentage of the sales go to the charity.
• Caroling for Kids Gift Wrap: help gift wrap at White Oaks Mall. This is a free service for all shoppers; look for the Gift Wrap Kiosk. From Thanksgiving to December 24.
• Caroling for Kids: caroling groups take to the street and raise money through caroling.

• Annual Springfield Highland Games and Celtic Festival at the IL State Fairgrounds.
• "Celebrity" Golf Classic at Panther Creek Country Club.
• Ronald McDonald House Golf Outing at Oak Terrace Golf Course.

Sojourn Shelter & Services, (217) 726-5100: not-for-profit group that provides shelter, counseling, and court advocacy for victims of domestic violence and their children. Volunteer opportunities and fund raiser:

• Special events: volunteer to help out with various events such as golf tournaments, auctions, etc.
• Charity Auction

United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), (217) 525-6522: not-for-profit organization which provides services to adults and children with disabilities. Services include residential, day training and vocational services, developmental screenings, early intervention services, lekotek toy lending, computer loan program, and summer camps for children. Volunteer opportunities and fundraising events:

• Chatham Jaycees Oktoberfest: UCP booth serves Tacos-In-A-Bag. Other events during the fest are home brew competition, live polka music, live bands & international washer toss competition. Proceeds from both go to UCP Childrens Center.
• UCP Starfest Telethon: Crowne Plaza Hotel. Broadcast live on WAND-TV from 12 noon ? 6 PM Biggest fundraiser of the year.
• Annual Barstool Open: Sponsored by Miller Lite and 100.5 WYMG along with nine downtown bars, host a miniature golf tournament. Each bar constructs a golf hole while teams of four compete for lowest score.
• Annual Blue Chip Gala: Hilton Springfield Ballroom. Charity auction with an evening of fine cuisine, dancing, casino gaming, and a series of live and silent auctions.
• Casino Nights: These occur throughout the year to raise money for other organizations. Blackjack, craps, and roulette are the gaming tables of choice.
• Barnes & Noble Book Fair: Held in winter or spring. Volunteers needed to distribute book fair vouchers and obtain entertainment & distribute information.

• Community Care Panels: meet with 10-15 other volunteers from the community to review and evaluate program funding applications for certain service fields. 1 or 2 year commitment; requires about 19 hours/year; most meetings are from Jan.-April, but some meetings occur throughout the rest of the year.
• Day of Caring: a service project to kick-off the United Way Community Campaign. Costs $20 (t-shirt, lunch, & Co. recognition) or $7 (lunch only). Perform a service project with United Way volunteers such as cleaning/packing supplies for victims of emergencies, yard/house cleanup for disadvantaged persons, sort clothes/food for the disadvantaged, construct playground equipment, and plant shrubs and flowers. Occurs in early September.

• Volunteer tutors (VIA) : meet once a week with a student for 60-90 minutes to tutor them. To become a volunteer requires a 12 hours of training. Occurs all year long.