Clinical Education

The clinical education component of the curriculum has two components: integrated clinical experiences and 36 weeks of full-time off-campus clinical experiences. Integrated clinical experiences are part of a given course and occur in either pro-bono clinics, as an assignment in a course, or in the simulation lab. Currently, the curriculum contains four types of pro-bono clinics: for the adult and pediatric populations with neurologic conditions, persons with orthopedic conditions, and for persons with amputations.

The program’s mission is to prepare generalist practitioners and to give students an exposure to a broad range of physical therapy settings. As such, the program requires completion of three, 12-week full-time clinical experiences. Each experience will be in one of the major setting types – inpatient acute, rehabilitation (inpatient or outpatient), and outpatient. All students must complete a clinical course in each of the three major settings.

For qualifying students, pediatric rotations can replace the rehabilitation requirement on an as-available basis. Clinical education assignments are not structured to create an opportunity to visit faraway places, to allow a student to live at home, to be near a significant other, to lead to employment at a specific site, or to develop specialty skills. They are structured to give the student a well rounded clinical experience. Placements in Northern California are preferred but some outlying rotations will be necessary to fulfill the Program educational goals. Thus, students need to be prepared to attend a clinical outside the metropolitan Sacramento area on one or more clinical rotations and to arrange transportation and housing as needed for all clinical affiliations.

1st ExperiencePT695A - Clinical Experience I12 weeks during the 6th semester2nd ExperiencePT695B - Clinical Experience II12 weeks during the 8th semester3rd ExperiencePT695C - Clinical Experience III12 weeks during the 9th semester

Clinical Education & Assessment Center

Applying knowledge learned in the classroom to the actual care of patients can be a major and difficult transition for students in medicine and other healthcare professions. At Drexel University College of Medicine, the state-of-the-art Barbara E. Chick, MD '59, Clinical Education Assessment Center (CEAC) provides a custom-designed setting where students can learn, practice and be evaluated on the skills they will need to communicate and work effectively with patients. The CEAC is also an ideal facility for continuing education for physicians and other practicing health professionals.

The CEAC has 10 fully equipped exam rooms surrounding a centrally located control room. In these exam rooms, which replicate a physician's examining room or a hospital room, trainees work with specially trained "standardized patients." Faculty observe their interactions through one-way glass windows, and can communicate with the trainee or patient by intercom.

Each room is equipped with a color video camera. Video can be transmitted to a separate observation room, where a faculty member can view multiple patient-trainee encounters on a bank of monitors. (Professional development programs at the College use this arrangement to teach clinical skills evaluation to faculty members.) The technology also enables faculty at any of their campuses to serve as evaluators through their videoconferencing system.

The medical students' clinical skills videos are maintained in a database over their four years of medical school, enabling them to observe their performance and improvement over time. Faculty members review these videotapes with students to provide feedback on their clinical development.

Recent computerization and installation of advanced audiovisual equipment has made the CEAC one of the most sophisticated facilities of its kind in the world. The patient and trainee activity checklists are computerized, thus providing timely, valuable feedback with printed score reports, often within an hour.

Standardized patients are volunteers who are specially trained to act as patients. They serve as a resource for teaching and evaluating clinical skills, including physical examination, communications, history-taking, patient counseling and patient education. Each standardized patient is given a specific medical complaint or role, and is taught how to give a medical history and to undergo a physical examination. Some of the symptoms and physical findings of these "patients" are real, while others are simulated.

A professional trainer and faculty members prepare standardized patients for their roles. Standardized patients are able to assist in both teaching and evaluation of students. They are also trained to provide constructive feedback regarding the completeness and style of the "doctor-patient" encounter.

Using standardized patients also provides an opportunity to create simulations of duties that are difficult to handle, such as notifying the family when a patient dies or coping with an angry patient. This practice helps prepare trainees for real-life events, without adverse consequences for themselves or the patient.

Learn more about the Standardized Patient program

A variety of programs at all educational levels use the Clinical Education Assessment Center.

For more information, please contact the director of clinical skills education and exam at:Office of Educational AffairsDrexel University College of Medicine2900 W. Queen LanePhiladelphia, PA 19129Phone: 215.991.8528

Pulse - Commencement 2017 Dean's Special Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching

The winners of the Dean's clinical teaching awards were announced at Commencement by Dean Daniel V. Schidlow, MD, and honored at a luncheon hosted by Valerie Weber, MD, Vice Dean for Educational Affairs.

Dean Schidlow, Dr. Kapetanos and Dr. Weber

Abington Jefferson HealthSteven Balint, MDDepartment of Medicine

Albert Einstein Medical CenterMarvin Schatz, DODepartment of Medicine

Allegheny Health NetworkAnastasios Kapetanos, MDDepartment of Medicine

Drs. Tory Miksiewicz-Clugston and Patrick Rice, Altoona Family Physicians

Aria Jefferson HealthDavid H. Sirken, DODrexel Neurosciences Institute

Capital Health SystemRajeev R. Shah, MDDepartment of Pediatrics

Crozer-Keystone Health SystemElise C. Hogan, MD, MPHDepartment of Family Medicine

Dana Farabaugh, MD, associate dean for clinical education, and Dr. Nookala

Easton HospitalRobert S. Bloch, MDDepartment of Surgery

Friends HospitalJennifer Leong, MDDepartment of Psychiatry

Hahnemann University HospitalLarry Edward Krevolin, DODepartment of Medicine

Dr. Maqsood

Kaiser PermanenteChristopher Kevin Chiu, MDDepartment of Surgery

Mercy Health SystemTahir Maqsood, MDDepartment of Psychiatry

Monmouth Medical CenterNoah R. Gilson, MDDepartment of Neurology

Drs. Krevolin and Weber

PinnacleHealth SystemVinod Nookala, MD, FACPDepartment of Medicine

Reading HospitalShahab S. Minassian, MDDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynecology

St. Christopher's Hospital for ChildrenDaniel R. Taylor, DODepartment of Pediatrics

Drs. Taylor and Weber

St. Francis Medical CenterJulie M. Pantelick, DODepartment of Medicine

WellSpan York HospitalConstance N. Ebong, MDDepartment of Psychiatry

Family Practice SiteAltoona Family PhysiciansFamily Medicine Residency Program

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