Student education

Opportunities for medical students with the SIU Family Medicine Residency Program Alton
Did you know that the word “doctor” is derived from the Latin, docco, which means “to teach?” Physicians certainly are teachers, in many ways, from the interactions they have with their patients and communities, to the interactions they have with each other and also those experiences with other medical learners. At our program, residents work with 3rd and 4th year medical students doing rotations in Family Medicine. Experiences may include, but are not limited to:

Medical student Family Medicine clerkships
These experiences, typically in the 3rd year of medical school, are primarily open to students from medical schools with whom we have existing relationships, including SIU School of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis University, and AT-Still University.  Medical students doing their Family Medicine clerkships may spend time in the outpatient and inpatient settings, working alongside the residency faculty and resident physicians.   Suggested length: 4-6 weeks.

Medical student Family Medicine sub-internships
Typically occurring in the 4th year of medical school, sub-internships are also primarily open to students from medical schools with whom we have already existing relationships as mentioned above. Sub-internships are typically focused on our Family Medicine Inpatient Service (FMIS), where sub-interns get to experience increased responsibility and independence, and get a taste for what the first year of residency will be like. Sub-interns work one on one with senior residents and attending physicians during these experiences, while also participating in group educational experiences.  Suggested length: 4 weeks.

Medical student electives
Electives, which often occur in the 3rd or 4th year of medical school, are also generally limited to those schools with whom we already have a relationship. Electives can vary in length and must be approved by both the medical school of the student and by our program. We have a limited number of opportunities for these experiences.  

If you are a medical student who is interested in an experience listed above, please contact your medical school. Medical school representatives can contact our coordinator, Alison Witcher, for additional inquiries.

Opportunities for other health professions students
We recognize the importance and benefits of inter-disciplinary educational experiences across the health sciences. Pharmacy students from SIU Edwardsville School of Pharmacy, under the direction of Dr. Deja Finley, PharmD faculty member, also train alongside medical learners in our clinical settings on a longitudinal basis.  

Additionally, our resident physicians have occasional opportunities to learn alongside dental students, student nurses, medical assistants in training, and other health professions learners. These experiences are arranged through the students’ school and must be approved by the clinical site the experience is occurring in. Please contact your school if this is an opportunity you are seeking, as the residency program itself does not coordinate these experiences.