1. Student Continuity of Practice Experience (SCOPE) – A Longitudinal Primary Care Medical Student Clerkship Kyu K. Jana, MD; Jennifer Raley, MD; Cassandra Arceneaux, MD; Jamal Islam, MD; Mark Wolffarth, MD; Premal Patel, MD; Judith Rowen, MD; Victor Sierpina, MD University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Department of Family Medicine, Galveston, Texas JANUARY 28, 2016 GOALS: Students are provided with longitudinal experience with patients in a primary care practice following a patient centered medical home (PCMH) model; foster positive patient-physician/provider relationships where students will assume the primary care provider role. BACKGROUND: Continuity of care is the cornerstone of primary care. Students in other longitudinal ambulatory care programs have reported “improved understanding of the doctor-patient relationship, family dynamics, and community resources, importance of continuity, and psychosocial approach to patient care, and chronic disease management.“ 1 Primary care clinics at UTMB have been organized according to PCMH model. SCOPE within this model provides continuity of care educational opportunity for medical students. SCOPE is a voluntary program and students are selected based on their essays regarding patient centered care, role of students in addressing health disparities, and their career plans. SCOPE students will provide continuity of care in one primary care practice, working with one faculty champion/mentor, for 1 to 3 years. The program is designed to complement existing curriculum in family medicine, internal medicine and pediatric clerkships. METHODS: Students spend 1 session a month in their continuity of care clinics with same faculty champion/mentor in during first 2 years of medical education; and 1 session every 2 weeks during the 3 rd year. Curriculum includes periodic group meetings, workshops and assignments. Assignments include H&P’s, progress notes, reflective essays, learning issue/research paper, and QI project. And workshops on note-writing, oral presentations, motivational interviewing are held quarterly. To evaluate the program, students and faculty have and will continue to complete standard milestones and surveys. RESULTS OF FIRST YEAR OF SCOPE: Student enrollment: Number of students in Family Medicine Track of SCOPE program in 1 st year, 8 students; in 2 nd year, 1 student; and 3 rd year, 7 students. Patient feedback have been positive with recurring themes of good or excellent clinic experience, appreciation for genuine concern and compassion demonstrated by students and physicians, effective patient education, professionalism, and feeling at ease. Faculty feedback reflects the longitudinal nature of the clerkship and has also been overall positive with comments about student’s progress and development in terms of time management, confidence, professionalism, and initiative. Student feedback includes some critical feedback regarding EMR and the burden of various assignments. Otherwise students have expressed positive comments regarding overall educational experience, providing continuous care to patients, functioning as the primary care provider to patients, and developing decision making skills. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION: Student Continuity of Practice Experience completed has been in place for 1½ years and is meeting its goals to provide students with longitudinal experiences in primary care. Students are gradually assuming the role of primary care providers for their patients, developing relationships with patients, and are developing clinical skills to practice patient centered primary care. Response from students, faculty, staff, and patients have been positive. Milestone and objectives evaluations and student surveys will be ongoing. There continues to be interest and demand among students for the SCOPE program. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The project was funded by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Primary Care Innovation Program grant. Efforts of Christina Ford and Carmen Duplan, the coordinators for the SCOPE program, were essential. REFERENCES 1 Ogrinc G, Mutha S, Irby DM, 2002. Evidence for longitudinal ambulatory care rotations: a review of the literature. Acad Med 77(7):688-93. RESULTS SECOND YEAR OF SCOPE: One student left the program. Faculty feedback of students have remained positive pertaining to development of empathy, preparedness, conscientiousness, eagerness, competency in writing notes, maturity, demonstration of respect, and use of feedback. There was one comment about student needing to be more proactive.