The triaging position is available to medical students of any year after completing the general CCRU Clinic training session. During the fall, however, this position is reserved for M1 students after training to meet ICM requirements. 

In this position, students check in on patients, obtain their chief concern, and take vitals (including temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, weight, and oxygen saturation). Triaging helps build essential clinical skills and allows students to improve skills necessary for patient interactions.

The four patient interviewing positions are available to all medical students, including M1 students who have finished their first semester and have completed the Spring training session that focuses on interviewing. The interviewing positions simulate the environment of clinical rotations. Students will see the patient to obtain the chief concern and medical history, perform a core physical exam, and a focused physical exam if necessary. Students present their patient and differential diagnosis to the attending physician or resident and develop an assessment and plan; they then see the patient together before discharging them.

Volunteering as an interviewer, especially during the second half of M1 year, is a unique opportunity to see patients, one-on-one. This experience is invaluable as it not only prepares students for clinical rotations but also exposes students to aspects of the medical field that can only be obtained through real-world experiences.

During clinic shifts, the floor manager is the “go-to” person for all questions about referrals, prescription assistance, supplies assistance, and general clinic operations; they are in charge! The floor manager arrives between 5 and 5:15 pm and opens the clinic, organizes patient papers for the evening, checks in with ESNKY staff, and ensures exam spaces and triaging rooms are ready for use. As attending physicians, student interviewers, and the triager arrives, the floor manager orients them to the clinic and typical operations. While patients are being seen, the floor manager assists in directing patients, tracking clinic inventory, providing referrals, and problem-solving. At the end of the night, the floor manager files patient charts, makes sure the clinic is in order and locks up.

The floor manager is essential to ensure that each clinic night runs smoothly, as they are the one person who knows what is going on in all areas of the clinic at any given time. Volunteering as a floor manager allows the student to become familiar with the finer aspects of the CCRU Clinic, such as the community health care resources available for patients and how to help a patient obtain vital medication through prescription assistance. Additionally, volunteering as a floor manager enables students to develop problem-solving skills and think on their feet. All of these benefits of floor manager greatly prepare students for clinical rotations during third and fourth years.

The floor manager shift is reserved only for CCRU Outreach Executive Team members.

Undergraduate students can shadow one of our triagers or patient interviewers. Students will also be able to help out with various tasks throughout the night in the clinic space such as tracking used inventory for the evening, dispensing medications, sterilizing patient beds in between patients, and helping with other things that come up during the night. These responsibilities help maximize clinic flow and allow the student to listen to and observe valuable interactions between interviewers, physicians, and patients. If you are interested in volunteering as a shadower, please send one of our student schedulers a message. Student schedulers include Molly Daugherty (molly.daugherty@uky.edu) and Kathryn Zalla (kathryn.zalla@uky.edu).