First and Second Year   

Fundamentals of Doctoring

Fundamentals of Doctoring (FOD) spans the first two years of medical school. The first segment of the FOD curriculum begins in the latter half of the first year. The second and third segments of the FOD curriculum occur in the second year. 

Students are paired with a physician and will learn in the preceptor’s ambulatory office. Sessions will focus on learning the clinical method. The student learning sessions use a combination of directed, structured observation of preceptors providing clinical care and student-led patient encounters. 

In addition, students will begin to observe and practice professional behaviors and develop their physician identity. They will be exposed to themes associated with primary care practice such as being part of a team prioritizing patient problems, patient-centered care, shared decision making, continuity relationships, care coordination and patient education. 

During the Clinical Experiences portion of the segment, students will engage in training with allied health professionals at various sites. These experiences include nutrition, nursing, social work, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology.

Additional Opportunities 

Family Medicine Medical Student Scholar Program (FMSP) 

The Family Medicine Scholars Program is a special 4 year longitudinal curriculum for selected medical students. This track will provide highly motivated students a unique opportunity to engage in preceptor-supervised educational experiences 
that will expand upon their fund of knowledge and skill set within Family Medicine. The designated students will participate in an array of mentored unique clinical and didactic activities. The FMSP will supplement the required curriculum at UCCOM. 
The FMSP will support students interested in exploring the different aspects of Family Medicine including ambulatory primary care, sports medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics, inpatient based care, urgent care, geriatrics, etc. 

Interested students should contact Dr. Anisa Shomo at Anisa.Shomo@uc.edu 

Geriatric Medicine Student Scholars 

The Geriatric Medicine Student Scholars Program accepts up to eight students in each entering M1 class, with the expectation that they will all remain in this extracurricular program through the four years of their medical schooling.  Their involvement includes (1) Attendance at monthly dinner-discussion sessions held eight times a year; (2) Participation in either the M3 or M4 geriatric medicine rotation; (3) Consideration of summer research in the filed of geriatric medicine or aging research. Individual mentorship with Dr. Schlaudecker and personalized learning goals for GMSS are both highly encouraged.  

Interested students should contact Dr. Jeffrey Schlaudecker at Jeffrey.Schlaudecker@uc.edu 

Medical Spanish/Latino Health Elective (MSLHE) 

The Medical Spanish/Latino Health Elective is a longitudinal experience for medical students aimed at preparing them linguistically and culturally to serve the Latino/a/e/x population in the US and abroad. It includes an online Medical Spanish course, an intensive July course, Simulated Spanish Patient Experiences (SSPEs), an evening seminar series, Spanish conversation groups, and service-learning experiences. First-year medical students in good standing may apply, with preference given to those who have previous coursework or experience in speaking Spanish or working with Spanish-speaking communities. Medical students enter in January of their first year and graduate from the elective at the end of the third year.  Students receive four weeks of fourth year elective credit.  Contact the course directors, Christy O’Dea, MD MPH, or Brittany Almaraz, MD, for more information.

Contact the course directors, Brittany Almaraz, MD at jacobsbt@ucmail.uc.edu or Christy O’Dea, MD MPH at Christine.odea@uc.edu for more information. 

Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) 

The FMIG is a student-run group consisting of students in all four years who have an interest in Family Medicine. Students meet monthly to hear speakers present on a variety of topics, such as life as a family physician, common health problems encountered by primary care physicians, underserved issues, medical ethics, palliative care, advanced care directives, stress management. The FMIG hosts the Secrets of the Match dinner, which helps medical students navigate the residency match process. Opportunities for service to inner-city agencies are available as well. 

Medical Student Summer Research Experience

The Medical Student Summer Research Experience brings together medical students with an interest in primary care with Family Medicine researchers and clinicians. Students apply for the experience through the Common App during their M1 year and are selected through a competitive process. Research and experiences occur during the summer between M1 and M2 year. Recent research projects have included the development of a homeless resources app, hypertension resources for primary care physicians, preparation of nursing, social work, and mental counseling students on working with patients with opioid use disorder and using medication assisted treatment, creation of virtual reality simulations for providers on underrepresented patient populations, and more. In addition, the students will have a weekly preceptor experience that explores the various practices of family physicians, including outpatient and inpatient medicine, center for intellectual and developmental disabilities, and geriatric medicine. The students will also meet weekly for small group classes and discussions led by DFCM research faculty. Funding for the medical student summer stipends is provided by the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians and the Southwest Ohio Society of Family Physicians. 

Interested students should contact Andi Christopher at chrisao@mail.uc.edu.