Family Medicine Survivorship Rotation

Goal

To educate Family Medicine residents about managing the care of cancer survivors, equipping them to provide appropriate care for cancer survivors in their practices.

Objectives

To provide Family Medicine residents with knowledge of cancer survivors’ care needs, including:

Surveillance for recurrence
Prevention of new cancers, screening for second primaries
Intervention for late and long-term effects of treatment (including lymphedema, sexual dysfunction, pain, symptom management), palliative/ end-of-life care
Quality of life (including psychological distress and spiritual, financial, legal issues)

Who can participate?

Second and third year Family Medicine residents from accredited programs

Where is the rotation held?

On-site at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

How long is the rotation?

Four weeks
Longer-term experience available at program director’s discretion

Curriculum

Within certain parameters, we can design the program to meet each resident’s learning objectives and home program requirements:

Core Components

Gynecologic Oncology Survivorship Clinic
Thyroid Survivorship Clinic
Breast Survivorship Clinic
Genitourinary Survivorship Clinic
Other Survivorship Clinics
Symptom Management/Palliative Care
Cancer Prevention Center (includes Tobacco Cessation)
Emergency Center
Communication Skills Training

Electives

Cardiology
Pediatric Long-Term Survivors’ Clinic
Endocrine
Radiation Late Effects
Lymphedema Clinic
Fatigue Clinic
Reproductive Health Counseling
Social Work
Nutrition
Spirituality/Chaplaincy

What’s the format?

Clinical experiences supplemented by informal lectures, conferences and self-paced study of current journal articles and Web-based materials
Residents rotate through various clinical areas to gain training about:
- Surveillance for recurrence
- Preventive services and psychosocial guidelines for maintaining survivors’ health and well-being
- Identifying and managing late effects of cancer and its treatment arising in the family practice setting
- Quality of life

Program Director

Lewis E. Foxhall, M.D., board certified in Family Medicine, serves as M. D. Anderson’s vice president for health policy. Dr. Foxhall has provided leadership and guidance for the existing Family Medicine rotation for more than a decade. He serves as an institutional representative facilitating comprehensive cancer control programs with numerous external organizations. Dr. Foxhall is an advocate for community-based cancer prevention and early detection, as well as improved access and quality of care for underserved populations.