Programs

Program Descriptions

Clinical Conversations

Being able to see physicians and other health care providers working in the setting of patient care is important for any aspiring pre-health student. When the COVID pandemic did not permit direct patient observation by students recently, NSS established a new program which we are calling ‘Clinical Conversations’.  Several of the physicians & other health care professionals meet with small groups of students over Zoom and present them with clinical cases to illustrate the diagnostic and management approach to patients and to share personal stories of the humanistic interactions which are so important in patient care.  This program, launched in winter term 2021, is distinct from our ‘Dinner with a Doc’ program (see below) whose purpose is to acquaint students with different specialties and career paths.  Stay tuned for announcements to this term’s sessions and check out our ‘Past Events’ on our home page.

DHMC Medical Grand Rounds

As an extension of our successful Clinical Conversations Program which allows NSS students to hear stories about current medical practices, we will be regularly posting information, where appropriate, about Medical Grand Rounds at the DHMC. Grand Rounds, a historic tradition in academic medical centers, offer the opportunity to hear about the latest about the interdigitation of the clinical science and the practice of medicine from experts from within or from the outside of the departments. Each Department offers some version of these gatherings of the department members, including faculty, residents, fellows and medical students, usually on a weekly basis. The DHMC Department of Medicine has recently returned to “live” grand rounds In Auditorium E at the DHMC, but has also continued its practice of on-line viewing. Note again: although “live”, MGR presentations are always accessible virtually as below and are archived for later viewing.

Shadowing Program at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC)

Since 1997, NSS has organized and supported an extensive clinical shadowing program at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Students are paired by lottery with physicians and other health care providers to participate in clinical activities ranging from the operating room to the birthing pavilion to the out-patient clinics. Stay tuned for termly updates.  

Community Shadowing Programs in Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine and Other Health Professions

Shadowing programs in these clinical activities are arranged through the Pre-Dental Society and Pre-Veterinary Society or by special arrangement (e.g. optometry, pharmacy) through NSS. 

Dinner with a Doc

Each term, NSS organizes evening dinners with Geisel faculty members. These small gatherings allow NSS members to learn more about the medical profession from those who practice medicine and how these individuals integrate their work responsibilities with their personal lives. The NSS Leadership Committee is always open to as to which faculty members to engage each term, either by a specific name or just suggesting a medical discipline one would like to learn more about. Just e-mail us!  

NSS-Geisel Student Conversations

NSS strives to build strong relationships between NSS members and Geisel medical students.  These include a program where NSS members can review the biographies and be matched with a Geisel student for ‘virtual’ conversations. A great way to begin a mentoring relationship! See this link for more details for f24.

Training the Eye: The Art of Clinical Observation

Training the Eye: The Art of Clinical Observation is a workshop taught by museum education staff at the Hood Museum of Art. It is designed to enhance observation and diagnostic skills in future health professionals through the careful examination of works of art. Similar workshops are currently offered to medical students at the Geisel School of Medicine and health professionals at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Norris Cotton Cancer Center. The goal is to help pre-health students look and think critically and communicate effectively about what they see. The workshop, which can be held virtually, will also demonstrate what it means to truly engage with a work of art and demonstrate the role an art museum can play to restore and renew the spirit.  Stay tuned for announcements in the coming terms.