SUB-INTERNSHIPS
A four-week sub-internship in either medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, emergency medicine, urology, orthopaedics, anesthesiology, general surgery, plastic surgery or family medicine is required. Sub-internship course objectives and evaluation forms were standardized during the early part of curriculum reform. All objectives were linked to overall institutional objectives.
COURSE OBJECTIVES OF ALL SUB-INTERNSHIPS
Patient Care Objectives:
- Independently collect both focused and comprehensive, developmentally appropriate patient histories and perform a developmentally appropriate physical examination with formulation of a problem list, differential diagnosis and prioritized management plan.
- Develop a prioritized management plan with the health care team and describe a rationale for the clinical plan.
- Reassess patients continuously throughout the hospital course, and summarize interval patient information and rationale for ongoing clinical management or modifications in management and recognize critical illness requiring immediate attention.
Medical Knowledge Objectives:
- Demonstrate the ability to expand independently knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical and cognate sciences, and integrate and apply this knowledge to patient care within the patient, family and community context.
Practice-Based Learning and Improvement Objectives:
- Demonstrate the ability to recognize personal limitations, to use self-directed learning, evidence-based medicine and to access appropriate resources to answer clinical questions.
Interpersonal and Communication Skills Objectives:
- Communicate effectively with patients and families across a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, taking into account health literacy level.
- Communicate patient information accurately and efficiently to all health care team members in both oral and written formats, including hand-offs, rounds, conferences and consultation requests.
Professionalism Objectives:
- Demonstrate professionalism in behavior, attire, integrity, compassion, respect, altruism, responsibility and cultural sensitivity when interacting with patients and their families as well as all members of the healthcare team.
Systems-Based Practice Objectives:
- Demonstrate appropriate and effective team work with supervisors and healthcare providers, including those from other disciplines to assess, coordinate and improve patient care.
- Recognize, address and work to prevent errors and near-misses, and participate in the evaluation of personal or system errors and implementation of potential solutions.
ADVANCED CLINICAL EXPERIENCE (ACE)
This is a required two-week course that includes the creation and implementation of an individualized learning plan. The course is offered in many specialties and the students choose the specialty in which they experience ACE.
COURSE OBJECTIVES OF THE ACE COURSE
Patient Care Objectives:
- Apply clinical problem solving skills to develop integrated therapeutic plans for the acute management of health problems.
- Demonstrate advanced clinical reasoning skills in patient care.
Medical Knowledge Objectives:
- Demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge of biomedical, clinical and cognate sciences.
Practice-Based Learning and Improvement Objectives:
- Reflect on individual learning needs and develop a self-directed individualized learning plan.
Interpersonal and Communication Skills Objectives:
- Communicate clearly and professionally, in both oral and written formats, to patients and other members of the healthcare team.
Professionalism Objectives:
- Demonstrate professionalism in behavior, attire, integrity, compassion, respect, altruism, responsibility and cultural sensitivity when interacting with patients and their families as well as all members of the healthcare team.
TRANSITION TO RESIDENCY (TTR)
The Transition to Residency (TTR) course is a four-week course which is required for graduating fourth-year medical students. This course consists of a two-week General TTR and a two-week Specialty TTR. The course is offered between January-April of the fourth year and its purpose is to prepare medical students for the rigors of the internship year. This course was created to address previous student concerns about feeling inadequately prepared for residency training.
The TTR course includes lectures, team-based learning sessions, small-group case discussions, procedure laboratories and high-fidelity simulation cases. Additionally, students are recertified in Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. The topics are designed to be case-based, practical and highly interactive; they cover numerous useful topics including management of shock, communication across specialties, pediatric resuscitation, top 10 intern night calls and managing finances.
ELECTIVES
The LEARN curriculum offers students a greater opportunity to pursue electives in a wide variety of fields to meet the individualized needs of the students. Students are required to complete a minimum of 26 weeks of elective including 14 weeks of clinical electives. These electives can be taken intramurally or at external approved sites. Electives are approved after review by the Office of Undergraduate Medical Education and need to have goals aligned with the overall institutional learning objectives. All electives require course director approval and a standard student evaluation to be completed. New electives continue to be approved through a rigorous review process and final approval by the Curriculum Committee.
