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ADMISSIONS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
DEPARTMENTS
ALVIN J. SITEMAN CANCER CENTER
TEACHING AND RESEARCH DIVISIONS AND PROGRAMS
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
ADMINISTRATION
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES OF THE FACULTY
REGISTER OF STUDENTS
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SCHOOLS OF WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
ALL FACULTY
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Washington University School of Medicine provides students with a supportive, stimulating and challenging environment in which to acquire a thorough foundation in scientific medicine and develop skills, professional attitudes and personal commitments necessary for the practice of medicine at the highest possible level of excellence. In addition, the medical school fosters a commitment to collegiality, respect of individuality, community involvement and leadership through many extracurricular organizations and activities supported by the school. The educational program is designed to ensure that each graduating student will demonstrate the following:
• Knowledge of core concepts and principles of human biology.
• Knowledge of the scientific foundations of medicine and medical practice including disease pathogenesis and treatment, illness prevention and health maintenance.
• Proficiency in applying the scientific method to the practice of medicine including the processes of problem identification, data collection, hypothesis formulation and the application of deductive reasoning to clinical problem-solving.
• Knowledge of human behavior and an understanding of the impact of ethnic and cultural characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and other social factors on the practice of medicine.
• Proficiency in obtaining an appropriate medical history, performing a physical examination, and performing basic procedures necessary for the practice of medicine.
• Cognitive skills essential to the formulation of clinical questions, critical evaluation of scientific and clinical data, and effective application of this data to clinical problem-solving.
• Efficient and effective utilization of educational resources and proficiency in acquisition and assimilation of new information and practices.
• Recognition that there is uncertainty in clinical decision-making.
• Recognition that information and practices in clinical medicine can become obsolete and should be modified and refined based on new (evidence-based) information.
• Effective oral and written communication skills with patients and their families, members of the academic and medical communities and other members of the community at large.
• Commitment to provide compassionate care for all people.
• Dedication to inquiry and to life-long learning through self-education and self-assessment and active participation as teachers of patients, colleagues and members of the community.
• Appreciation of the essential role of biomedical research in the advancement of medicine and a commitment to the spirit of collaboration and support of basic science and clinical research efforts.
• Dedication to high standards of professional integrity and ethical behavior in clinical practice and biomedical research.
Description of Undergraduate
Medical Education Program by Year
First Year
The first-year curriculum focuses on the acquisition of a core knowledge of human biology, as well as on an introduction to the essentials of good patient care. Diversity among matriculants in undergraduate background and in approaches to learning is recognized and fostered. The courses are graded Pass/Fail, and a variety of didactic means are made available including lectures, small groups, extensive course syllabi, clinical correlations and a Lotus Notes computerized curriculum database. The Practice of Medicine I uses regular patient interactions and integrative cases to teach students to skillfully interview and examine patients, as well as the fundamentals of bioethics, health promotion/disease prevention, biostatistics and epidemiology. An optional summer research program between the first and second year provides an opportunity for students to explore various areas of basic science or clinical research.
Second Year
The second-year curriculum is focused on human pathophysiology and pathology. Through lectures, small group discussions, laboratory exercises and independent study, students acquire broad, detailed knowledge of mechanisms of disease pathogenesis, clinopathological relationships and fundamental principles of therapy. The Practice of Medicine II course continues students’ introduction to the fundamentals of patient care and emphasizes organizing and interpreting clinical information to form a problem list, differential diagnosis and treatment plan. Students also learn how to accurately document and concisely present clinical information. Supervised clinical experiences and small group discussions further engender development of the professional attitudes and high ethical standards required for the third-year clinical clerkships.
Third Year
The overall goal of the third year is implementation of fundamental interactive clinical skills necessary for the practice of medicine at the highest possible level of excellence. Students achieve this goal by participating in intensive, closely supervised training experiences in the core clinical clerkships involving inpatient and ambulatory settings and interactions with patients who present a spectrum of emergent, urgent, routine and chronic clinical problems. Through these experiences, students exhibit growth and maturation in their abilities to take medical histories, perform complete physical examinations, synthesize findings into a diagnosis, formulate treatment plans and document and present information in a concise, logical and organized fashion. During the clinical clerkships, students learn to use the biomedical literature and other educational resources in the service of their patients and in self-directed learning. Students also use their personal experiences and rapidly expanding knowledge of human behavior and ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic and other social factors to develop their own personal standards of compassionate, respectful and ethical behavior in the practice of medicine.
Fourth Year
The overall goals of the fourth year are to consolidate, enhance and refine the basic clinical skills developed during the clinical clerkships and to explore specialty areas within the field of medicine. This is accomplished by providing each student with optimal preparation for selecting and pursuing graduate medical education opportunities in his/her chosen field of medical practice and/or research. Students may select from a broad array of clinical rotations and research experiences and may arrange extramural experiences.
Last Modification: 08/03/2009 | |