University of Virginia School of
Medicine
Curriculum Committee
Minutes 08.19.99
Pediatric-Pathology Conference Room 4:00pm
Present (underlined) were: Reid Adams, Robert Bloodgood,
Anita Clayton, Al Connors, Gene Corbett, Donald Innes
(Chair), Steven Meixel, Jerry Short, Bill Wilson, Robb
Williams, Debra Reed (Secretary)
Dr. Eugene Corbett reviewed the report by the Council on
Medical Education Task Force on Medical School Objectives (June, 1998).
This Task Force, chaired by Dr. Corbett, was established by the CME to
put together a document articulating the objectives of medical
education at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. The group
attempted to be comprehensive yet concise in their proposal of the
following 12 objectives. The Task Force constructed the individual
categories to be complete and able to stand alone. They attempted to
create a template for medical education that would match the work of
practicing physicians. The goals are described in terms of competencies
required of the contempoary physician.
The competencies required of the contemporary physician include
- The development and practice of a set of personal and professional
attributes that enable the independent performance of the
responsibilities of a physician and the ability to adopt to the
evolving practice of medicine. These include an attitude of:
- Humanism, compassion and empathy,
- Collegiality and interdisciplinary collaboration,
- Continuing and lifelong self education,
- Awareness of a Personal response to one's personal and profession
limits,
- Community and social service,
- Ethical personal and professional conduct,
- Legal standards and conduct,
- Economic awareness in clinical practice;
- Knowledge in the basic human sciences
- The ability to engage and involve any patient in a relationship for
the purpose of clinical problem solving and care throughout the
duration of the relationship,
- Eliciting a clinical history,
- Performing a physical examination,
- Generating and refining a prioritized differential diagnosis for a
clinical finding or set of findings,
- Developing and refining a plan of care for both the prevention and
treatment of illness and the relief of symptoms and suffering,
- Developing a prognosis for an individual, family or population
based upon health risk or diagnosis, with and without intervention, and
planning appropriate follow-up,
- Selecting and interpreting clinical tests for the purpose of health
screening and prevention, diagnosis, prognosis or intervention,
- Organizing, recording, presenting, researching, critiquing and
managing clinical information,
- Selecting and performing procedural skills related to physical
examination, clinical testing and therapeutic intervention, and
- Knowledge of the social, economic, ethical, legal and historical
context within which medicine is practiced.
After discussion, the Curriculum Committee agreed that while the
above objectives were clear and comprehensive, an additional category
regarding research should be added. While the majority of our students
will become clinicians, all should have an appreciation for medical
research. Medical school should provide a basic knowledge of the
scientific method. Furthermore, the UVA School of Medicine has a
mission of educating medical school graduates who wish to enter
academic medicine. An objective reflecting medical research might be
fulfilled in the form of a clinical, educational, literature search or
laboratory project, culminating with a student presentation of their
work to their colleagues - a "Research Day" or similar event. [Note#1]
Committee members were asked to e-mail Dr. Corbett recommendations and
he will draft this objective. A preliminary suggestion - "Competency in
the understanding and application of the scientific method for the
purpose of furthering medical knowledge."
Committee members discussed formalizing the responsibilities of the
Curriculum Committee. There was concern that the committee not get
bogged down with too large a membership. The committee acts with the
approval of the Dean. The committee needs to have a tangible influence
on teachers, evaluation of teachers, standardization of teaching
performance and participation, creating and overseeing a set of
performance standards. The following Curriculum Committee
responsibilities were modified by Jerry Short from the suggested
Curriculum Committee Responsibilities (see attachment to MinutesCC
08.12.99)
The Curriculum Committee of the School of Medicine is responsible
for the design, management, and evaluation of the undergraduate medical
curriculum in accordance with the accreditation requirements of the
LCME.
The Committee has the authority, with the approval of the Dean, to
set educational objectives, establish educational requirements,
allocate curriculum time, specify teaching methods, select course
directors, and evaluate educational outcomes.
The Committee is also responsible for making recommendations to the
Dean about salary support for faculty who teach, teaching space
required by the curriculum design, and other support needed to make the
curriculum effective, e.g., computer staff and facilities and the
standardized patient program.
The Committee will establish processes for reviewing, evaluating,
and revising the curriculum on a recurring timeline to ensure that the
curriculum is coherent, coordinated, current, and effective.
The Curriculum Committee should foster more interdisciplinary
information sharing. For instance, last year Dr. Kadner spoke to the
Preclinical Committee regarding the changes that had been made to the
microbiology course and the evaluation of those changes. The Curriculum
Committee might provide a set of goals and objectives to the Course
Directors along with the Curriculum Committee's expectations. This
would provide a basis on which to evaluate individual courses. Similar
activities should be assimilated into the Clerkship Committee.
The committee would like to learn from the views of faculty members,
both here at UVA and at other institutions, with a interest and insight
in medical education. Gary Owens, who runs the recently overhauled
MD/PhD program will be invited to discuss how we might benefit from
some of the recent changes made to that program. Susan Squillace who
heads the General Scholars Program will also be asked to meet with the
Curriculum Committee. Steven Borowitz from Pediatrics could be invited
to discuss the Hospital Information System and how that might be used
for medical education. It ws suggested that we have Biochemistry, where
scheduled time has been cut by 40% and moved towards a disease based
curriculum, discuss the specifics and anticipated outcome of this
change. It was suggested that the Basic Science courses should have a
physician co-director to help guide clinical relevance in the teaching
of the basic science principles of medicine.
Note:#1 The scientific method should be presented throughout the
clinical years as a model for medical practice. It was suggested that
what drives students in the direction their career will take is a
faculty roll model and not something you teach. In many specialities,
the selection of a research career path usually takes place during
residency not medical school.
Donald J Innes, M.D.
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