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Clerkships

If you are interested in Family Practice, you are welcome to join us for 4-6 weeks. We will feed you, put you up in a nice place, and you can learn from our patients, staff and physicians.

You may choose from several different clerkship options, or talk to us about your particular clerkship needs.

AFP

The main practice center is in a modern office close to the hospital. Minor surgeries, flexible sigmoidoscopy, cryosurgery, endometrial biopsy, colposcopy, Altoona Curve professional baseball, football at Penn State, hiking, biking, fishing and skiing can all be performed in and around Altoona.

You will be paired with faculty and senior residents in the program, seeing patients and doing procedures under our supervision. Home visits, nursing home visits, and other opportunities may come up. You will be involved in direct patient care. There is no night or weekend call during the clerkship, though you are always welcome to help out. You will spend one week helping take care of our hospitalized patients to give you a taste of the scope of family practice.

In your free time you can take in arts festivals, specialty shopping, antique shopping, shopping shopping and concerts.

Williamsburg

Our second family practice site is in the rural community of Williamsburg, PA. If you are looking for a rural experience, this is the place. In addition to a great learning experience with Drs. McLellan, Siems and Morrow, you'll get some good farming tips and better ways to beef up your herd. Williamsburg is a community of 2500, located about 18 miles from our Altoona office. There is a stipend for food, but don't spend it all on homemade pies.

Preceptor Award

The University of Pittsburgh, Department of Family Practice, selected us "best preceptor" for 2006 for their medical students. Dr. Robert Smith presented the award at our medical staff meeting 5-23-06.

How to arrange a clerkship

If you are a student at a LCGME accredited medical school and interested in Family Medicine, give us a call at 814-889-2020 or e-mail to students(at)altoonafp.org if you want more information.

Sorry, we are unable to offer observerships at this time.

1. Mail us a clerkship application. Either print it out from here or call for a copy.

2. Send a letter from your Dean that you are in good standing and will be covered by the school's malpractice insurance (or that you have a private policy).

3. You will hear back from us within one week of receipt of your completed application. If you do not, please call.

"The residents and attendings at Altoona love to teach and are extremely friendly; everyone makes you feel completely welcomed and it is a great environment to work and learn; a terrific rotation opportunity; the Altoona group is very flexible and the allow the students to see many aspects of Family Medicine including Rural Clinic, Urban Clinic and Inpatient Medicine; I was allowed to join the MedEvac helicopter crew for a day which was incredible; I spent time with a phlebotomist, ophthalmologist and the lab director; a fantastic rotation."
-(an anonymous evaluation)

Housing

We have two three bedroom townhouses for female and male students. See here for details.

What to bring with you

1. We require documentation of a negative PPD or chest X-ray. If you do not have one, you will be required to have a PPD placed on your first day here.

2. Be prepared to discuss your school's requirements for the rotation with the faculty physician who will be your advisor while you are in Altoona.

Finding your way

We have directions you can print to Altoona and many of the clinical sites we use for teaching.

Questions? Interested?

Give us a call: 814-889-2020

Ernie Stump Clerkship Coordinator	Cindy Fickes Clerkship Secretary

Clerkship evaluation by JD from LECOM (used by permission)

"This rotation was absolutely top notch. I would recommend AFP to all

students, regardless of whether they are interested in pursuing a career

in family medicine or not. The staff was very accommodating and was

clearly oriented toward the students/residents. The DME's were constantly

looking for feedback on how to improve a program I see as already being

optimal. The faculty was always teaching, and the hands-on experience

proved to be invaluable to me. Everyone there was nothing but friendly. I

have kept in touch with some of the members of AFP and have even received

updates on the program from both Dr. Ruhl and Dr. Sweeney. I highly

recommend this program to all LECOM students."