VOL 3, No 6, June 2001
New 3rd-year course joins basic science with clinical practice
Under the entry “marriage” in the American Heritage College Dictionary, Third Edition, is this definition: A close union.When it comes to the clinical and basic sciences, Elisha Brownfield, M.D., and Jerry Ondo, Ph.D., authors of Foundations of Clinical Medicine (FCM), believe they have found just that.
“We were asked by the curriculum committee to develop a course for third-year medical students with a strong basic science underpinning,” Ondo said recently during a progress meeting with Brownfield on the course.
“We did it from scratch,” Brownfield added. “We made it similar to the parallel curriculum—meeting in small groups, case-based, student-driven.”
Specifically, the course is designed to provide students a standardized curriculum consisting of:
- important clinical conditions
- associated basic science principles
- concepts of health promotion and disease prevention
- behavioral science and ethical issues
- physician-patient relationship issues
The course is organized into themes, with each theme comprising several medical ailments falling within that theme, such as addiction, panic and depression as ailments falling within the theme of psychiatry. (see adjoining table).
Brownfield and Ondo believe the themes should be relevant to their respective rotations, thereby making for a “more or less seamless” transition between themes.
“The themes reflect what a third-year student should know,” Brownfield said. “It's what they see in the highest frequency of their patients. These are not esoteric topics.”
FCM has eight main objectives, including:
To be able to discuss fundamental diagnostic and treatment features of important clinical conditions, including acute, chronic, adult, pediatric, geriatric, psychiatric, neurological, surgical and women’s health.
To be able to discuss the basic science principles underlying the mechanisms of disease and treatment associated with the previously mentioned clinical conditions.
Identify patient care issues that impact patient outcomes, including 1) adherence, use of alternative treatments, accessibility to health care and any financial constraints, social, cultural and ethical issues, and epidemiological features of common clinical conditions.
To describe health promotion and disease prevention concepts associated with common pediatric and adult conditions.
To define the role of the physician realistically and to work comfortably in that role.
To develop an appreciation for the patient’s state of mind and the ways the patient interacts with others, in order to be a better physician for that patient and deliver personalized care.
To recognize that forming a particular relationship with the patient
implies having specific kinds of relationships with other family members.
S.C. Aquarium site of celebration for residents, fellows
The South Carolina Aquarium was the backdrop for a party June 8 hosted by MUSC’s Office of Graduate Medical Education for residents and fellows (and spouse or guest) who were completing their training program at MUSC.
Sharon
Maroney, ophthalmology residency program coordinator, left, and Sandra
Murrow, GME office staff member, enjoy the event at the S.C. Aquarium.
Approximately 300 persons attended the party, including 95 of the 130 residents and fellows participating in the conference and their guests, according to Franklin Medio, Ph.D., director of graduate medical education at MUSC. Others in attendance were hospital administrators, MUSC and College of Medicine administrators, clinical chairs, residency program directors residency program coordinators.
Sponsors for the conference included Pfizer, Bank of America, South Carolina Medical Association, Selecthealth of South Carolina and Trident Health Systems.
Dr.
Kelly Seab, Anesthesiology, and her husband, Kevin Tetrick, celebrate the
door prize she won, a dinner for two at Circa 1886.
A number of door prizes were awarded, including stays at Seabrook Island, Woodlands Resort, Charleston Place Hotel and the Mills House, and dinners at local restaurants including Circa 1886, Peninsula Grill, Brett’s Slightly North of Broad and Fish.
Participants received a glass paperweight bearing the MUSC logo.
“That was just a way our office could say thanks to the residents and fellows for all their hard work,” said Medio.
Continuing Medical Education
The following conferences are sponsored by MUSC. All conferences are to be held in Charleston unless otherwise noted.August
19 - 22
COSECH Cardiovascular & Hypertension Prevention
and Control
Charleston Place Hotel
September
14 - 15
Pitts Lectureship in Medical Ethics
MUSC Campus
14-15
CME Sympawsium
Madren Center, Clemson
21 - 23
Achieving Excellence in GME
Mills House Hotel
22
Update on Treatment of Hypertension
Holiday Inn and Suites, Florence, S.C.
24 - 29
10th Intensive Review of Emergency Medicine
Embassy Suites-Convention Center
27 - 28
7th Diabetes Conference
Embassy Suites-Convention Center
November
4 - 7
11th Annual International Soc. of Exposure
Analysis Conference
Embassy Suites Convention Center
November 30 - December 2
4th Annual Frontiers in Pediatrics
Westin Francis Marion Hotel
February
23
Liver Disease and Transplantation Symposium
Lightsey Conference Center
Teaching Tips
From the Plenary Session at the First Annual Charleston Connections: Innovations In Higher Education Conference conducted by Dr. Barbara J. Millis, director of Faculty Development, United States Air Force Academy:When surface learning, students focus on acquiring the facts to be tested on; with a deep approach to learning, students look for the meaning and understanding of concepts.
Key Elements that Foster a Deep Approach (Not Surface) to Learning
Motivational Context: Students' motivation is intrinsic, and they experience a need to know something.
Active Learning: Students are actively involved, rather than passive.
Interaction with Others: There are opportunities for exploratory talk.
A Well-Structured Knowledge Base: Content is taught in integrated wholes and related to other knowledge, rather than presented in small separate pieces.
Don't miss this
5th Annual International Association of Medical Science Educators, July 21 through 24, Rochester, Minn. More information can be found at the IAMSE Web site: <http://www.iamse.org>.The Medical Educator is produced by the Office
of Public Relations