At UWMC Med 682 consists of 3 third and fourth year medical students. Students read electrocardiograms with an Attending Physician daily, attend cardiology clinic one half-day per week, see cardiology consultations, and observe cardiac catheterizations, angioplasties, and echocardiograms. They are invited to examine all patients who come in for catheterization or echocardiography, thereby increasing their knowledge of cardiovascular examination. The clerkship is intended to orient the student to the basics of cardiology. The students see consultations and present the cases to the Residents and the Attending physician.
Rounds are didactic in nature, but also cover daily practical care in cardiology problems.
The students attend rounds in the coronary care unit and there is sometimes an option for one student to spend full-time in the coronary care unit. Students are expected to gain insight into the utility of several invasive and noninvasive diagnostic tools. Each student reads a number of electrocardiograms per day with a daily ECG review session. Cardiology clinics and teaching conferences are held weekly. A one month cardiology clerkship at the VAMC is available to 3 fourth-year medical students each period.