University of Virginia School of Medicine
Curriculum Committee
Minutes
04.17.03

Pediatric Pathology Conference Room, 4:00 pm

Present (underlined) were: Reid Adams, Robert Bloodgood, Anita Clayton, Gene Corbett, Donald Innes (Chair), Vern Juel, Howard Kutchai, Maria Meussling, Jerry Short, Bill Wilson, Brian Wispelwey, Ryan Zaklin, Debra Reed (secretary) Guest: John Gazewood

1. Enhancing Clinical Experience. (John Gazewood) Dr. Gazewood presented a proposal to enhance student clinical experience during the first two years of medical school. First year students at present have limited clinical experience. In PoM-1, students have three half-day sessions with a community primary care physician, three interviews with hospitalized patients, one interview with a patient in a long-term care facility and spend one weekend morning on hospital rounds with a ward team. These activities have been consistently among the most highly rated activities in PoM-1. The cost of this program to the OCBME is approximately $30,000/year. Expansion of this program would be difficult due to cost and limited availability of preceptors.
   
   Dr. Gazewood proposes a program of preceptorships with University of Virginia clinical faculty. Students will spend 1/2 day a month in an afternoon clinic with a single University of Virginia physician in both the first and second semester of their first year.
   
   
   1. Overall enthusiasm for and relevance of the clinical experience. Getting students into a clinical setting on a regular basis during the first and second years. Increased attention to physical diagnosis and patient interaction.
   2. Number of physicians required to administer this proposal. Recruitment and reimbursement of physicians for time teaching students in this program. Continuity into the second year and number of additional physicians required.
   3. Would this lessen the time a physician might have to spend with the third year students doing clinical rotations - how might this effect the efficiency of clinics.
   4. Evaluation process - what every student should take away from the experience.
   5. While a one student to one preceptor experience is optimal, is it possible to have two students to one faculty to lessen the amount of preceptors needed? Room in the clinics? Still as effective?
   6. If proposal is developed, a curriculum complete with goals and objectives and evaluation models will be necessary.
   7. Problems in clinic with third and fourth year students and residents already competing for patients and introducing first and second year students into the mix.
      

   The Curriculum Committee will discuss this proposal further in the context of forthcoming curricular changes as outlined in the decade Plan and respond to Dr. Gazewood.
   
   

2. The next meeting of the Curriculum Committee will be 5/1/03.

 -Don Innes
-dmr