- Consult/Subspecialty electives-
These are non-call months designed to be done by residents who have special interests in these subjects. These months will enhance the clinical and/or research training at both intern and resident level. They also facilitate finding mentors and establishing a rapport with them to do goal directed research. The experience is enhanced by specialty conferences, journal clubs and city-wide conferences that can be attended if residents want to do so.
- Ambulatory medicine
- Cardiology consults
- Cardiology clinic with Dr. Willerson
- Cardiology- Echocardiography
- Cardiology- Electrophysiology
- Cardiology – Heart Failure Service with Dr. Meyer
- Nephrology Consults
- Critical care nephrology
- Renal Transplant Service
- Endocrinology Consults
- Calcium and Mineral metabolism clinic
- Reproductive Endocrinology Clinic
- Geriatrics Consults
- Palliative Care Consults
- Pulmonary Consults
- Infectious Diseases Consults
- Gastroenterology Consults
- Hepatology Consults / Liver Transplant Service
- Hematology Consults
- Oncology Consults
- Rheumatology Consults
- Wound Care clinic with Dr. Halphen at LBJ
- Hyperbaric Medicine/Wound Care Clinic at Hermann Hospital
- HIV clinic/ Thomas Street Clinic- This is a special month designed for residents or interns who would like to enhance their understanding of HIV, opportunistic diseases and current treatments. This rotation will help to enhance your procedure skills as multiple procedures are done at Thomas Street clinic including thoracentesis, lumbar puncture, arthrocentesis, paracentesis, pelvic exams and colposcopy. Several other consultants have different clinics here and on prior request those clinics can be attended.
- Research elective- Research in various fields is available and highly encouraged. This elective requires prior meetings with a research mentor, finalization of a research projects, IRB approval and writing of a hypothesis at least 1 month prior to the commencement of the elective. This protocol needs to be followed and emailed in writing to the associate program directors before commencement of the elective. There are several regional medicine conferences where an abstract may be presented to obtain the complete experience of the elective.
- Critical Care Nephrology- This is a special month designed for learning of the concepts in critical care issues of Nephrology patients and it involves rounding on patients at different ICUs in Hermann Hospital.
- Emergency room rotation- This rotation can be done either at the intern or resident level. This provides an opportunity to see different patients in the critical stages of their ER presentation. Shock room experience will give exposure to multiple procedures including intubation, administration of paralytics, Quinton catheter placement, central venous and arterial line placement, suturing and trauma workup among others. The residents will also gain expertise in use of bedside ultrasound techniques available in ER. They will also be able to work in close association with Surgery and Obstetrics and gynecology and Radiology residents. The work in ER is in terms of shifts of 11 hours and at least 14 shifts must be done to be given credit for this month. Dr. Carlos Roldan will be in charge of this rotation. Residents are expected to attend Wednesday ER conferences held at Medical School.
- MD Anderson Cancer Center clinics- This elective can be arranged to observe and participate in care of ambulatory oncology patients. This needs to be arranged at least 2 months in advance in writing with prior approval of the supervising faculty and the program director.
- MD Anderson Cancer Center research- This elective can be arranged to formulate and start a research project in the field of resident’s choice. This needs to be arranged at least 2 months in advance in writing with prior approval of the supervising faculty and the program director. Some residents have done clinical and/or basic science research including projects involving GI malignancy, Neurooncology, Dermatopathology, Leukemia, Investigational Cancer therapeutics to mention a few. There is extensive paperwork involved that must be SUBMITTED two months prior to the elective. You will need to contact either Lori (713) 745-2078 or Denise (713) 792-2696 to set this up. Charity will need to complete a letter in order for this paperwork to be submitted, so please send her an email with the time period of the elective, the name of the faculty, and the department which you will be rotating in. Please read and complete the paperwork at the following links:
MDA Elective Overview
MDA Elective Evaluation (This is for MDA ONLY) - Ophthalmology - This rotation includes outpatient and inpatient ophthalmology clinics and hospital experience. This rotation will also help hone the resident’s skills in using the ophthalmoscope, common ocular emergencies, treatment and diagnosis of uveitis, keratitis, Wilson’s disease, Sarcoidosis, endopthalmitis and CMV retinitis to mention some.
Contact Phyllis Rhodes at (713) 500-6003, or Phyllis.L.Rhodes@uth.tmc.edu
- Radiology- This rotation is done by residents who wish to improve their radiological skills in reading x-rays, CT scans and MRI, Mammograms, Barium swallows and ultrasounds. Special requests can be made to do interventional radiology at LBJ or Hermann hospital.
Contact Lea Roberts at (713) 500-7643, or Lea.L.Roberts@uth.tmc.edu
- Sleep Medicine and PFTs- This can be done to learn different sleep study techniques and treatment of OSA and learning to interpret PFTs.
Contact Melody Racicot at (713) 500-6833, or Melody.Racicot@uth.tmc.edu
- Dr. Fred elective- Special rotation must be arranged with Dr. Fred. Involves Socratic Method of teaching, special discussions with Dr. Fred about reviewing articles found in the library, attendance at Dr. Fred’s morning reports and Dr. Fred Rounds. It also includes an end of the month evaluation with Dr. Fred and is allowed only for residents.
Contact Dr Fred for information
- Post-call rounds with Hospitalist- This is a special rotation to be designed to include rounds with teaching hospitalist attending who are also mentors to all the residents at the Internal Medicine program. This can be done either at LBJ or at Hermann Hosptial, must be done Monday to Friday with participation in at least 70% of the noon conferences. Resident is expected to round with all the medicine teams in the mornings Monday to Friday and participate as an active member in the post call rounds. He/she is also expected to be an active participant / volunteering to do evidence based learning, reviewing articles for the issues brought up during busy post call rounds. This month is expected to allow residents to make decisions based on presentation and examination and review of labs done overnight which is what is done by hospitalists on an everyday basis. The resident will be evaluated by all the attending. Choice of attendings must be approved by the Program Director and Chief Residents.
- Evidence based medicine- This is a unique rotation offered only at UT Houston under the tutelage of Dr. Molony who will review and help the residents acquire expertise in evidence based critical review of literature following CASP guidelines. This can be undertaken by residents or interns and will mandate attendance at every Morning report. Clinical evidence based questions come up at every morning report and the resident/ intern is expected to review articles, do a Pubmeb or Cochrane database search and present a synopsis of these articles to the audience at Friday Morning report which will be evaluated and supervised by the chief residents and faculty including Dr. Molony.
- Away electives- are not offered unless under special circumstances, and have to be approved by Dr Farnie. Note: The resident will NOT get a paycheck for this month, and will also have to pay for their own malpractice insurance, and health insurance out of pocket. There is extensive paperwork which must be submitted 6 months in advance to elective.
Contact Charity Harbes or Dr Farnie for further information.
If approved, paperwork may be found at this link:
- Anesthesia
Contact Jonetha Davidson (713) 500-6271, or Jonetha.A.Davidson@uth.tmc.edu
- Dermatology - Needs two months advance notification to reserve your spot. Fills up quickly.
Contact Donna Clanton (713) 500-8329, or Donna.R.Clanton@uth.tmc.edu
- Pathology – Residents can rotate in any variety of the departments of pathology. Options include Heme Path with review of blood smears and bone marrow biopsies with pathologists and hematologist, Anatomic Pathology with review of gross/histologic specimens and tumor stains, as well as Blood Banking.
