Wednesday Courses

Modality: In-person

Class size: 6

Goal: 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. Arts for Children in Hospitals is designed to help students maintain that sensitivity, which is essential for developing the necessary skills for working with children and families. 

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: Lecture, discussions, hands-on experience with hospitalized children

Assignments: readings, participation, final paper and presentation

Instructor: Judy Rollins, PhD

Modality: Virtual

Class size: 14

Goal: To have students understand and be able to implement a process related to specific topics/symptoms and consistently present a logical and evidence-based approach to developing differential diagnoses.

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

Assignments: Students will have readings and work on clinical cases each week (30 minutes per week). There will be a final project where they analyze a clinical case in depth, and demonstrate their clinical reasoning skills.  Students must attend AND actively participate in all sessions. Final presentations will occur on the last day of the course and these will allow students to showcase their clinical reasoning .

Instructor: Deborah Topol, MD & Robin Felker, MD

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

Class size: 13

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: Discussions, lectures, reflections

Assignments: Reading, video, or online module prior to each session (30min max prep time), final presentation done in pairs with written summary, two reflection assignments (Community Observation Reflection, Online Module Reflection, 2-3 paragraphs each), attendance and active participation at all 6 sessions. 

Instructor: Tobie-Lynn Smith, MD

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

Class size: 13

Goal: This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the complex nature of obesity and its management. 

Learning Objectives:  Students will: 1) learn about the pathophysiology, epidemiology, and behavioral aspects of obesity; 2) explore evidence-based interventions, including lifestyle modifications, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery; 3) gain knowledge of the rising epidemic of obesity and provide effective care to patients struggling with weight management.

Format: discussions, lectures, hands-on 

Assignments: Weekly readings. Active engagement in discussions. The course will culminate with a writing assignment which will be based on developing personalized treatment plans for mock patients. 

Instructor: Rachel Gougian, DO

Modality: In-person, last class is off campus 

Class size: 10

Goal: Apply storytelling as a medical educational tool to promote a healing relationship with patients, colleagues, and the self.

This course, aimed at second year medical students, investigates the role of story-telling in a medical context, including meaning-making, empathic listening and communication skills. Through discussions, readings, videos, reflective exercises and consideration of other art forms, we will come to understand how stories help construct and process the experience of illness. We will also identify the themes most important to physician-writers.

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, story analyses, museum field trip, short readings/podcasts; NOTE: metro fee for a museum visit

Assignments: creative narrative project using selected media with written analysis

Instructor: Caroline E Wellbery, MD, PhD

Modality: In person; First and last session on campus. Students will need to arrange their own travel to The National Gallery of Art for four sessions

Class size: 15

Goal: This  course invites students to critically analyze original works of art in order to build skills that support visual literacy, communication, and perspective-taking.  

Learning Objectives:  1) Working independently and collaboratively in small groups, participants will learn to closely examine works of art, articulate and acknowledge their personal preconceived notions, collaborate on problem-solving, and increase communication through analysis and discussion.  2) Students will then create a plan to apply these skills to their work to enhance relationships with patients, other members of medical teams, caregivers and colleague.

Format: Each meeting focuses on one of four major themes: observation, communication, empathy, and bias.  Open-ended activities will help students build skills in each of these areas.  Inter-active programming at The National Gallery of Art.

Assignments: There are suggested readings for this course, and each student will complete a final project. Attendance and participation are mandatory.  The final project includes both a written and creative component.

Instructors: Julia Langley, MA, MBA & Lorena Bradford, PhD, MA