University of Virginia School of Medicine
Curriculum Committee
Minutes 12.16.99

Pediatric Pathology Conference Room, 4:00 p.m.

Present (underlined) were: Reid Adams, Robert Bloodgood, Anita Clayton, Al Connors, Gene Corbett, Joanna Goldberg, Donald Innes (Chair), Steven Meixel, Jerry Short, Bill Wilson, Robb Williams, Debra Reed (Secretary) 

1. Don Innes has contacted Margaret Mohrmann, Director of the Electives Program for a roster of the Electives Board members.
   
   The Electives Oversight Board ensures that the goals, objectives and teaching responsibilities of the curriculum are carried out in a uniform, organized and coordinated fashion; ensures provision of approval, review and evaluation processes.
   
   The Electives Board is responsible for oversight of the approval process for elective programs; performing a yearly assessment of elective programs including the # students/academic year/elective and elective relation to residency selection. The Electives Oversight Board should provide a general review of expectations & value of the electives program. This report should be submitted to the Clinical Medicine Committee and forwarded to the Curriculum Committee.
   
   
2. The discussion regarding Y1 structure continued. At the present time, there are approximately 15.5 hours of lecture per week during the first year.
   
   Proposal 1:
   
   Limit lecture hours to per week to 12 (a 20% reduction); three free afternoons per week; one afternoon of PoM and one for an Exploratory.
   
   Proposal 2:
   
   Limit lecture hours to per week to 12 (a 20% reduction);two free afternoons per week; one afternoon PoM and one for an Exploratory and one for class.
   
   It was suggested that Proposal 2 be implemented in the fall of 2000 progressing to Proposal 1 in the fall of 2001.
   
   The pros and cons of decreasing Anatomy from three quarters to two quarters were discussed. Gross dissection was felt to be an important part of medical student training, it should probably be limited to the major organ systems or structures. A physician co-director would be helpful in determining the "functional" anatomy (organ relationship with disease, diagnosis, and treatment) that should be taught. It was suggested that pathology might be introduced in Y1 to allow for reference to disease states while learning the "normal". Consideration was given to teaching in interwoven blocks, not necessarily in semester long blocks. It is a curriculum that is being designed and as such it does not have to conform to a preconceived schedule of blocks or semesters or years.
   
   
3. The Practice of Medicine retreat is scheduled for January 15, 2000. The retreat will begin with an initial discussion of the PoM course. The PoM course needed an organized approach. Two possibilities for this approach are to follow:
   
   1) the curriculum of the Anatomy/Cell Biology courses
   
   OR
   
   2) build around the physical examination - all first year courses including the PoM course would attempt to conform as much as possible to a patient physical examination
   
   The Committee felt the second approach, with some features of an organ system approach, might better serve the students and faculty needs at UVA.
   
   The Basic Science instructors on the committee agreed that it should be possible to parcel out
   Y1 1 semester or 2 semester courses over the year to enhance the relevance of their material.

Donald J Innes, M.D.