Wednesday Courses

Modality: In-person (classroom and GUH hospital)

Class size: 6

Goal: This course is designed to help students maintain sensitivity, which is essential for developing the necessary skills for working with children and families. American medical education has been criticized for suppressing the very sensitivity that motivates medical students to become physicians in the first place. The hours of memorization and continual rewards for “correct answers” threaten to shift the medical student's focus from the whole child to the child's disability or condition. 

Learning Objectives: 1) Describe the psychosocial needs of children who are hospitalized. 2) Discuss the ways in which the arts can be used to help children cope with the stresses of hospitalization and illness. 3) List three ways in which individuals can stay connected to their creative selves as practicing physicians. 

Format: Discussion, lectures, hands-on activities with pediatric patients

Assignments: readings, participation, 750 to 1250 word final paper and 15 minute final presentation

Instructor: Judy Rollins, PhD

Modality: In-person

Class size: 12

Goal: The goal of this course is to teach students how to create simple drawings of patient diagnoses within 3 minutes and to study the portrayal of illness in works of art. Despite not being professionally trained, many physicians report using drawing as a means of communicating with patients. The use of these visual aids in clinical practice improves patient satisfaction, and betters recall and understanding of health information. 

Learning Objectives: 1) Think critically and reflect on the patient experience. 2) Use empathy to take on the perspective of the patient/caregiver. 3) Gain a better understanding of anatomy. 4) Make clear, concise drawings that assist patients in understanding their medical condition.

Format: 1 field trip, lectures and drawing classes

Assignments: assigned drawings to practice at home, short readings and final project including a short, written paper and one final presentation

Instructor: Julia F. Langley, MA, MBA & Gavin Glakas

Modality: Hybrid

Class size: 12

Goal: This selective will help make clinical reasoning more accessible by teaching students about the fundamental elements of clinical reasoning, and by giving students a chance to practice their clinical reasoning through case-based teaching conferences focused on chief complaints they are likely to encounter on the wards. By taking this course, students will better understand how to think clinically, and become more conscious of their thought processes during patient diagnosis. 

Learning Objectives: 1. Develop an appreciation for clinical reasoning, and experience how conscious practice builds clinical acumen. 2. Identify common nomenclature used in clinical reasoning, and recognize how learning basic verbiage can lead to better diagnostic accuracy. 3. Improve clinical reasoning through the active use of problem representation, illness scripts, semantic modifiers, pre-test/post-test probabilities, likelihood ratios and creation of diagnostic schemas. 4. Professionally engage with peers to practice the art of clinical reasoning

Format: mixture of lectures, videos, pre-class readings, small group discussion/reflection of readings, sase based discussions, watching instructional videos of Dr. Catherine Lucey discussing clinical reasoning

Assignments: Actively participate in small-group discussion sessions, completion of the final clinical reasoning group presentation.  

Instructor: Deborah Topol, MD & Robin Felker, MD

Modality: Hybrid (some sessions in person and some virtual)

Class size: 10

Goal: The goal of this selective is to gain insight and understanding of the complex medical and social issues faced by persons experiencing homelessness. The course will cover topics related to trauma, social determinants of health, health care access, substance use, factors to consider in developing patient centered medical care plans and self-care. Students will also explore and discuss policy and advocacy options to improve the health of this population in the interface of social science, public policy, and clinical medicine.

Learning Objectives: 1) Describe the epidemiology of homelessness and understand it as a social and political problem with health implications. 2) Recognize and address barriers to healthcare access among homeless population (health system level, individual levels, and provider competency level). 3) Develop skills to address medical problems specific to homeless population. 4) Learn patient-centered approaches to health care considering patient’s social and health needs and individual priorities. 5) Learn about and understand importance of collaboration with community and grass-root organizations that provide services to homeless. 6) Understand Housing is Health Care and learn advocacy tools to end Homelessness.

Format: Lectures, class discussions, potential field trip (TBD)

Assignments: readings, online modules, reflections (30-45 minutes/week), final group project, 2 (one page each)  reflection assignments 

Instructor: Tobie-Lynn Smith, MD

Modality: Hybrid (some sessions in person and some virtual)

Class size: 2

Goal: This course aims to prepare medical students for conducting or reviewing human subject research and serving as an observer of monthly Biomedical Investigational Review Board (IRB) committee meetings. This course is for students who are planning to serve as either a full or alternate member during 3 and/or 4th year. Mandatory activities after this course: Join virtual monthly Biomedical IRB committee meetings in September, October, November and December 2024 (3rd Thursday of each month 1-3 pm ET). If student can not agree to this requirement, they should not sign up for this course. 

Learning Objectives:  Students will: 1) learn the structure and functions of IRB, 2) gain skills to proficiently review IRB documents, continuing reviews, and protocol modifications, and reportable new information.

Format: online training modules, small group discussions and reviews of 1-3 study protocols and consents, protocol amendments, continuing reviews and reportable new information.

Assignments: attendance, participation, discussion and submission of review documents written using GU IRB template; online CITI (if not already done) and EROC training modules (8 hours, certificate issued upon completion)

Instructor: Michael Plankey, PhD

Modality: In-person (Note: one class may be virtual and one class will be held during dinner at my house, <3 miles from GUSOM)

Class size: 10

Goal: In personal essay we make sense of the world around us and its meaning for ourselves with a reflective, subjective view. This Selective has been created for beginning and experienced writers, to write, process becoming a physician and receive constructive feedback to more effectively describe your reality and your place in it. This course provides a safe place to explore your experiences and be yourself on your road to becoming a caring, competent, and compassionate physician.

Learning Objectives:  1) Write one personal essay for the final exam. 2) Demonstrated their ability to critique writing and provide constructive comments. 3) Gain an appreciation for a unique non-clinical aspect of medicine. 4) Explore an area of special interest not presented in depth in other parts of GUSOM’s core curriculum. 

Format: discussions 

Assignments: <35 minutes/week, except for last week, reading articles, attendance, participation, submit a final essay with reflections.

Instructor: Margaret Cary, MD, MBA, MPH

Modality: In-person (Note: one field trip off campus) 

Class size: 12

Goal: The overarching goal for this Selectives course is to provide information, develop understanding, and formulate action plans concerning the issues facing disabled patients and to equip students to improve disabled patient's quality and equity of care across specialties.

Learning Objectives: 1) identify, analyze and critically evaluate a wide range of clinical, public health, and philosophical issues in relationship to disabled patients and their health. 2) understand the factors impacting quality and equity of care for disabled patients and develop specific plans to improve such care for your own future disabled patients and those in your healthcare system. 3) develop a critical, historically informed understanding of disability theory, of the concept of "quality of life," and of the concept of health disparities. 4) recognize the role of ableism in healthcare delivery and have the knowledge to become actively anti-ableist. 5) cultivate interpersonal communication skills, including being able to discuss sensitive issues concerning disability with respect and clarity.

Format: In person discussions + multiple short guest lectures from relevant experts + one field visit to/from Gallaudet University (NOTE: students need to pay metro fee or arrange other transportation)

Assignments: Readings or podcasts, none of which take more than 30-35 minutes on average. The last week will require more time for the final written assignment. Participation plus a final written assignment; mid-course feedback + summative narrative feedback will be provided.

Instructor: Joel Michael Reynolds, PhD

Modality: In-person, last class is off campus

Class size: 12

Goal: This course investigates the active and passive roles of story-telling in a medical context, including clinical learning, meaning-making, empathic listening and communication skills. 

Learning Objectives:  1) Define narrative medicine. 2) Apply principles of story structure and function to students' own narratives. 3) Recognize the link between story-telling and clinical skills. 4) Examine the differences between patient and physician perspectives on illness. 5) Identify storytelling as a tool for constructing meaning. 

Format: discussions, interactive exercises and museum visit (NOTE: students need to pay metro fee for a museum visit)

Assignments: Short pre-class study and reading assignments; create story and interview podcast in pairs; plus written reflection

Instructor: Caroline E Wellbery, MD, PhD