Disruptions in Development

Disruptions in Development is a longitudinal class in which you have the opportunity to press pause on the deluge of information you’re receiving in the basic science blocks to discuss and reflect on the other side of medicine: the human condition. During the 15 meetings scattered over 34 weeks, you’ll break from memorizing facts about various disorders and diseases to hear from a real patient about what it’s actually like to live with a diagnosis. You’ll learn from individuals who’ve lived with paralysis, received a terminal cancer diagnosis, or dealt with life-altering psychiatric illnesses. You’ll discuss the decision people make to donate their bodies to science, the battle patients face in navigating the healthcare system to access care, and the process by which elderly individuals can lose their rights. The class has been nicknamed “Sad Class” due to the emotional and moving narratives you’ll hear from these incredible patients. This is one of the classes that makes Mayo, Mayo. As you learn to recognize and accurately diagnose disorders, you’ll also learn to understand and empathize with the person behind the diagnosis.

You’ll need to write a reflection after each session, which will be due within a week of class. It can be any length, you can reflect on whatever component you want; as long as you write something before the deadline, you’ll get credit. Keep in mind, however, that you will also need to write two essays 2-4 pages in length, one halfway through the course and one at the end, reflecting on takeaways from the course up to that point. As long as you show up to class (in business professional on the days you have patient visitors) and submit your reflections on time, you will do well in this course. To get the most out of this class and to have meaningful content to reflect on, however, it's recommended you contribute to class discussions also.

• Lecture - Class is from 1:00 - 3:30 PM during the basic science courses. There are between 1 and 4 classes per month between July and February. Each session will consist of a lecture from Dr. Bright, followed by a patient story. This could be in the form of a guest, in which case you’ll be expected to dress professionally, or in the form of a pre-recorded patient interview or a story Dr. Bright will read (in which case you can dress as you normally would for class). Following the patient's story, the guest will be dismissed if present, and you’ll have the opportunity to discuss takeaways from the patient’s story together as a whole class, in small groups, or both. 

• Reading Material - There will be optional reading assignments posted to Brightspace to be read prior to each class. Most of the time these will provide you with context about the patient or topic for the class. If you find yourself pressed for time with your science blocks, then try to skim these readings or take a look at a couple of them if you cannot spend a significant amount of time reading them. What's most important is that you have an idea of the subject being discussed. 

• Reflections and Essays - Like many things in medical school and life, you’ll get out of this class about as much as you’re willing to put in. You can get away with skipping the reading, but the materials posted for each class were chosen because they offer fascinating insights into the medical humanities and opportunities for learning that will help you be a better physician. Additionally, you can get away with only engaging enough each session to have one little nugget to write about in your reflection, but here’s a little tip to save you some time: if you pay attention during each class and put the extra 20 minutes each time into a thought-out reflection, this will save you a lot of time on your mid-course and end-of-course essays as your thoughts from each session will already be organized and ready to compile for longer papers. It can be hard remembering patient names and stories from months ago when you didn’t put a lot of effort into the reflection for that session. Not to mention, this will help you to better remember the valuable lessons these patients have to share.

All of the information for this course can be found on its Brightspace page. No outside resources are required.