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 As an enriched program for
students pursuing careers in primary care medicine, the Generalist
Scholars Program (GSP) parallels the regular medical school curriculum
at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Five
programmatic themes comprise the core of the GSP experience for
students. These themes are Scholarship, Health Policy &
Public Health, Leadership & Communication, Wellness &
Mindfulness and Clinical Practice.
- Scholarship
This is one of the cornerstones of the program and culminates in
the development of a thesis project
and accompanying oral
presentation which is presented to the School of Medicine
community at the end of the 4th year. GSP students create forms
of scholarship that contribute to the ever-increasing wealth of
knowledge surrounding primary care medicine. Past students have
engaged in the creation of many different forms of scholarship
including traditional biomedical studies, qualitative interviews,
medical chart reviews, observational studies, literature reviews and
program evaluations.
- Health
Policy & Public Health Students attend
additional talks by public health care specialists on topics related to
health care policy and the impact of these policies on patient
care. Students also learn about ways physicians may engage in
advocacy and may pursue specific public health issues of interest to
them. Those students interested in public health and policy may delve
more deeply into these issues by taking an additional year to pursue a
master’s degree in public health.
- Leadership
& Communication GSP students are expected to
assume a leadership role in their future endeavors, whether that be as
community practitioner or in the realm of research and academia.
Leadership preparation starts early on in the program when
students help plan and coordinate the annual primary care week
activities sponsored by the School of Medicine. Through a variety
of educational experiences students are challenged to develop their
oral and written communication skills, whether in the context of direct
patient contact, advocacy activities, research, or teaching.
- Wellness & Mindfulness The curriculum
stresses the importance of developing healthy behaviors and balance in
its future physicians. To this end, students are exposed to a
variety of strategies that they can employ throughout their education
and future careers to attain a mindful attitude and greater wellness in
both their professional and personal lives.
- Clinical Practice Through various
preceptorship and shadowing experiences, students have additional
opportunities to observe and work with clinicians as they see
patients.
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Medical Students
Biomedical Engineering
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