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Medical Student Curriculum Guide
Knowledge—Issues Unique to Adolescence

Rationale

Adolescence represents the stage of human growth and development between childhood and adulthood. It encompasses physical changes in addition to cognitive and psychosocial maturation. Medical problems common in adolescents reflect, in part, the interplay between physical and psychosocial development.

Learning Objectives

  1. Recognize unique features of the physician-patient relationship during adolescence, including confidentiality and consent.

  2. Describe strategies for interviewing and counseling adolescents.

  3. Discuss the characteristics of early, mid, and late adolescence in terms of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial growth and development.

  4. List the major causes of mortality and morbidity in adolescents.

  5. Recognize the features of psychosocial and mental health problems common in adolescence, including school avoidance/failure, eating disorders, depression and suicide.

  6. Discuss approach to preventive counseling and identification of risk behaviors for these keys areas: sexuality/sexual activity (sexual orientation, contraception and sexually transmitted diseases), substance abuse, and personal safety (firearms, violence, motor vehicles).

  7. Identify medical and psychosocial difficulties encountered by adolescents with chronic diseases (also see section on "Chronic Disease").

  8. Review the concepts of "risk-taking behavior" and "high-risk"
    youth.

Competencies

  1. Conduct a health maintenance visit on a healthy adolescent incorporating a developmental assessment, risk behavior assessment, and preventive counseling.

  2. Describe one's approach to counseling a teenager concerned about contraception and sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, or a youth who engages in smoking or "binge" drinking.

  3. Describe pertinent features of the history, physical examination when evaluating a boy or girl with delayed pubertal development.


Copyright 2003
Medical College of Georgia
All rights reserved.

School of Medicine | Medical College of Georgia

Please email comments, suggestions or questions to:
Kenda Rindt, krindt@mail.mcg.edu.
May 28, 2003