2024-2025 Academic Catalog

MED 4591 Sleep Medicine Clinic & Consults

Working closely with other members of the consult service, clerks will have responsibility for providing initial consultation as well as daily follow-up on their assigned patients. Emphasis is placed on gaining a more thorough understanding of the broad spectrum of sleep medicine to include circadian rhythm disorders, sleep movement disorders, parasomnias, and hypersomnias. There will be an emphasis on proficiency in diagnosing and managing obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia. An introduction to polysomnogram interpretation (both in-lab and home types), actigraphy, overnight pulse oximetry will be provided as part of this rotation. Patients of all ages will be managed. Clinical research is an important part of sleep medicine, and clerks will be encouraged to participate in new or ongoing sleep medicine research. Goals: At the end of this elective, senior students will be able create differential diagnoses on patients that have common sleep-related symptoms, understand the importance of polysomnography findings, interpret common laboratory tests, and develop management plans for their assigned patients. Ultimately, senior students will be proficient in identifying sleep- related disease symptoms and be able to provide initial treatment of these problems. They will also be able to develop a reasoned approach to caring for similar patients in the future (prior to referring patients to sleep medicine). Unique Objectives: Develop proficiency in identifying signs and symptoms of sleep-related disorders, particularly obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia. Correctly interpret data from patients’ history, laboratory and radiologic evaluations, polysomnography and actigraphy and incorporate it in patient management decisions. Develop skill in the initial management of sleep-related disorders. Participate in clinical research on a sleep medicine-related topic.

Credits

4

Offered

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) - MD; Brooke Army Medical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston (JBSA) - TX