Bella J. May

Combined Clinical Visits and Regional Continuing Education for Clinical Instructors

ABSTRACT: The academic coordinators of clinical education of the Medical College of Georgia regionalized clinical visits and presented continuing education programs for clinical instructor development in response to increasing numbers of clinics and students and decreasing travel budgets. We visit all affiliating clinical facilities in one geographic area during the same trip and present a clinical instructor development program on one or more evenings. One of the local center coordinators of clinical education provides the needed meeting and audiovisual support and responds to local questions. We invite practitioners within 2 hours driving time of the meeting. The system has been used since 1989, and 18 continuing education programs have been presented to date. All have been very well‐received. The system has allowed us to visit more facilities with the same budgetary allocation and to reach about 436 therapists in clinical education‐oriented programs.

Lumbar Disc Disease

Test of choice: MRI – a high-field MRI is safe and fast Myelography  Next best thing  Irritates spinal cord  Dogs usually seizure during recovery Plain radiography  Narrowed intervertebral disc space  Presence of calcified disc(s) Rx of choice: Strict cage rest if ambulatory Hemilaminectomy if nonambulatory Pain management  Opiate drugs preferred  Muscle relaxers will relieve pain from muscle spasms  NSAIDs and corticosteroids-controversial  High risk of GI ulceration