Elective Rotation – General Information For Residents

Options for elective rotations:

Patient care electives (if you are not preliminary for these specialties):
1. Anesthesia - Elective Rotation in Anesthesia Application
2. Dermatology
3. Radiology - Elective Rotation in Radiology Application
4. Community Ambulatory (Word)
5. Other – please specify
International patient-care elective
Non-patient care elective
1. Research
2. Reading
3. Other – please specify

General requirements for elective rotations:

Elective Rotation Application – complete application and forward to Dr. Luchi, copy to IMCHIEFS 3 months prior to your specified elective (exemption if elective is in first 3 months of schedule; in this case complete and forward ASAP.) For international electives the process must begin 6 months in advance (see below).
1. keep in mind paperwork that will need to completed along with your application; for example, Human Subjects Committee approval, an affiliation agreement with an another institution, and “the unexpected”.
Faculty mentor – must be identified on application, willing to supervise your elective and responsible for filling out your evaluation (must send one-line email to Dr. Luchi accepting this task)
Reading list
If a resident fails to meet these requirements, he or she will be assigned to another rotation

Specific elective requirements:

Patient care elective:
1. Identify learning goals, i.e. procedure proficiency, exposure to new patient populations or disease conditions
  1. example: what subjects are to be the focus (to learn about anti-HIV therapy; to learn indications for cardiac ablation)
  2. example: what procedures are to be learned (intubation - # to be performed; peripheral IV placement - # to be performed)
2. Electives outside of KU: These require affiliation agreements. The IM program administration will need advance notice to work on these – please discuss with IMChiefs or Dr. Luchi 3-6 months in advance of your planned elective.
International patient care elective:
1. Requires GME approval – (include them in the notice that you seek such an elective 6 months ahead of time and fill out GME application – Request for International Resident Rotation)
2. Require Workers’ Compensation to be in effect
  1. Submit a travel request to the Travel Audit Office irrespective of the travel-funding source. The travel request must be submitted at least four weeks prior to the travel date. Workers Compensation benefits cannot be extended for any overseas rotations without an approved travel request. (from GME)
3. Contact Director of the Office of International Programs, at least 6 months in advance of any planned overseas travel as part of a KUMC residency program (913)-588-1480.
Non-patient care elective
1. Description of the work (reading vs. research project)
  1. For research:
    - state the hypothesis you will be testing (it is generally wise to have the faculty supervisor help you to formulate this).
    - describe the method that will be used
    - describe what specifically will be accomplished for the month – (for example:) data collection (chart reviews, or interviews or laboratory work), data analysis, preparation of an abstract for presentation at a meeting, preparation of a draft of a paper for publication
  2. For reading: what materials will be studied
2. Special preparation required for most research electives:
  1. Human subjects committee/HIPPA approval must be obtained in advance. These generally must be initiated by the attending but may require your assistance. These may take months and knowing the status is the responsibility of the resident.
  2. If these are required and not in place at the time the elective starts, then you cannot take the elective because you will not be able to work on the research project.