No. 407, August 2007
Editor: Kathleen Watson, M.D., drwatson@umn.edu
Editorial Assistant: Allison Campbell Jenson, aac@umn.edu
In this issue: News - Students - Faculty - Notices
NEWS
Entering class is above average in scores — and in number
This fall, our Medical School will welcome larger classes in both the Twin Cities and Duluth. Duluth has long planned to increase its class by three, to 58, but the increase on the Twin Cities campus only recently became fully apparent. Our Medical School recorded a significant increase in applicants – up 22 percent versus the national increase of 4.6 percent. As usual, we admitted more students than our class size, anticipating the usual attrition rate. This year, however, more students chose the University of Minnesota over other offers. In the Twin Cities, we will welcome 183 students, up 18 from our class size of the last 10 years. Most of the students are from Minnesota – 151 compared with last year's 131 – and nearly 40 of those are from Greater Minnesota. This is a very talented group of people, with higher MCAT scores and GPAs than in past years. We see this as a good problem to have on behalf of Minnesota. We believe that our MED 2010 efforts to make medical education more individualized also may be making us more attractive to future physicians. We recognize, however, that a class that is larger than usual may cause scheduling problems for teachers and learners. We ask for your patience and flexibility in the weeks and months ahead.
-- Dean of the Medical School Deborah E. Powell, M.D., and Assistant Dean for Admissions Paul T. White, J.D.
Orientation for entering students this month
New medical students start this month on the Twin Cities and Duluth campuses of the Medical School. Starting at 9 a.m. on Aug. 6, the new class on the Twin Cities campus will be introduced to our Medical School leaders, master tutors, financial aid staff, and others. They will learn about the curriculum, communicating with patients, and managing stress. Running from Aug. 6-7, the orientation also includes an introduction to anatomy, a film (The Doctor), sessions specifically for spouses and partners, and opportunities to socialize. On Aug. 16, an educational retreat offers tips on effective learning and test-taking strategies, as well as an introduction to the culture of the biomedical community. The Duluth campus orientation takes place Aug. 28-31, with welcomes and introductions to curriculum, well-being, and educational resources, as well travel to small towns to see rural medicine in action. On Sept. 6, there will be a follow-up with discussions of study skills, professionalism, and affirmative action issues.
Powell names new leader on Medical School – Duluth Campus
Last month, Medical School Dean Deborah E. Powell, M.D., named a new academic leader for the Duluth campus: Gary L. Davis, Ph.D. Davis, the new senior associate dean, is a clinical psychologist and 32-year faculty member of the University of Minnesota Medical School -- Duluth Campus. He will be responsible for all aspects of the Duluth Campus mission: education, research, university service and outreach, and certain clinical service. Davis has been chair of the Behavioral Sciences Department on the Medical School's Duluth Campus since 1984.
Minnesota's Future Doctors completed first phase of program July 20
Instead of zigzagging on the way to medical school, Wanda Vue can follow a straight line because of Minnesota's Future Doctors. A Hmong undergraduate at the University of Minnesota, she was one of 23 college students from groups underrepresented in medicine to attend the inaugural session of Minnesota's Future Doctors. On July 20, the last day of the six-week program, another student, Jordan Sang, said he was excited about learning new ways of thinking needed for diagnosis. Sang is an American Indian currently attending Minnesota State University Moorhead. This intense summer course of introduction and instruction, primarily on the Twin Cities campus of the Medical School, will be followed by two additional summer experiences. "The students are passionate about serving their communities and about understanding the demands and rewards of careers in medicine," says Jo Peterson, director of the program. "I am excited to watch their progress in the years to come." The Minnesota's Future Doctors program is sponsored by the University of Minnesota and Mayo Medical Schools, with support from the Minnesota Medical Association.
STUDENTS
Welcome to the new class from the Student Council
Student Council welcomes the class of 2011 this month and encourages students to get involved with Council! Also, the new and greatly improved student website is up and running. Please visit it at https://www.student.med.umn.edu/index_new.php for upcoming events, announcements, and Student Council meeting minutes. You can also post your own events. We look forward to our Council retreat this fall. Please e-mail sayl0039@umn.edu with any ideas or issues you would like your Student Council to address.
Beyond Harry Potter: The e-portfolio and wizards
Used consistently and effectively, the e-Portfolio is both a learning tool and a communications tool. It serves as a confidential electronic repository for personal information that can be accessed and augmented throughout one's career. Its role in lifelong learning is being formalized in 2007-2008 through the creation of templates or "wizards" designed to accommodate assignments from Physician and Society and Physician and Patient that illustrate a student's professional and reflective development. Year-one wizards are complete; year-two wizards should be completed this fall.
Medical students invited to Iowa conference on primary care-psychiatry interface
Medical students are invited to attend, at no charge, a conference looking at the interface of primary care and psychiatry Aug. 24-25 that takes place at the University of Iowa. On Friday, the conference will focus on treatment of psychiatric illnesses in a primary care setting. On Saturday, participants will focus on issues unique to combined training in primary care (family medicine or internal medicine) and psychiatry. Medical students are welcome to attend all or just part of the conference at no charge. Please see the online brochure for more information and details for registration. In addition, you can contact Alison Abreu, U of Iowa Family Medicine and Psychiatry Program Director (Alison-abreu@uiowa.edu) with any specific questions.
Research opportunities: departmental contacts added
Medical students seeking research opportunities are encouraged to check out the listings on the Medical Education Web site. New to the page: A list of faculty contacts, by department, who will guide students to faculty members with specific interests.
Fellowship opportunity in cardiology research
The Sarnoff Fellowship Program is designed to give medical students the opportunity to spend a year conducting intensive work in a biomedical research laboratory located at an institution other than the medical school in which they are enrolled. The application will be available online in September; deadline for application is Jan. 9, 2008. Fellows generally have completed their second or third year of medical school. They are chosen by the Foundation's Scientific Committee each year on the basis of a national competition. In selecting its 18 fellows, the Scientific Committee seeks individuals with demonstrated intellectual and academic achievement and leadership ability.
Calling all students: For future issues, we'd love to hear your news about volunteer efforts, research work, or medical experiences in new environments. Send an e-mail to Allison Campbell Jensen, aac@umn.edu.
FACULTY
Medical education innovator: Holly Boyer, M.D.
"I'm used to telling people how to teach but it's really about how to learn," says Otolaryngology course director Holly Boyer, M.D. To promote learner-centered education in the clerkships, Boyer has developed a template that focuses on what medical students should learn at the various clerkships, from clinical skills like putting in an IV or cleaning an ear, to the goals and objectives established by the various course directors. This common clerkship Web site, says Kathleen Watson, M.D., associate dean for students and student learning, is a fine example of innovation in medical education. While Boyer has completed the template, the Web site still needs to be populated with content from all the clerkships. She expects that work to be done by the end of this calendar year. Then medical students, course directors, site directors, and faculty will be able to take advantage of this valuable new tool for clinical teaching.
New: One-on-one reviews for first-year medical students and master tutors
In recent years, first-year medical students have met with master tutors in small group discussion sessions supporting Physician and Society and Physician and Patient. This year, the Medical School is adding a new component to the student-Master Tutor relationship: one-on-one reviews. Three times during the academic year, each first-year student will meet for one hour with his or her Master Tutor. These reviews will be formative, not summative, and are intended as a strategy for increasing student-faculty interaction and satisfaction. Feedback from both students and faculty will be used to measure the effectiveness of the sessions.
Faculty development workshops available
The academic year 2007-08 line-up of medical educator development workshop offerings is now posted on the Medical Education Web site (also accessible from www.meded.umn.edu, via workshops links). All workshops are free to educators who are involved in teaching our medical students and residents. Registration is required. We will continue our series "Help! There's a Medical Student in My Office" designed for educators who teach in the clinic. Back by popular demand is our "Best Practices in Medical Teaching" series, for educators who teach in variety of medical settings, including lectures, small groups, and in the clinic. In addition, interdisciplinary Best Practices Institute (in Health Professions Education) will be provided for the third year in a row by all six University of Minnesota Academic Health Center schools and colleges. It is tentatively scheduled for Monday afternoon, May 19 and all day Tuesday, May 20, 2008. It will consist of plenary and small group sessions, as well as a poster session, similar to the 2007 Best Practices Institute.
NOTICES
Duluth campus of Medical School hosts high school students
The Northeast Minnesota Area Health Education Center brought 23 high school students from the Arrowhead region to Medical School – Duluth Campus last month. They were participating in the second annual North Shore Health Occupations Today (HOT). HOT is a three-day, fast-paced program designed for high-ability high school students who have an interest in health-care careers. On the Duluth campus, the students' learning included a session with Arlen Severson, Ph.D., in the Duluth anatomy lab. Partners in the HOT program include: Iron Range Resources, Lake View Memorial Hospital & Home, Lake Superior College, North Shore Trade & Tech Project, St. Luke's, SMDC Health System, STC-Secondary Technical Center, and the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy and Medical School – Duluth Campus.
Medical Bulletin available online
Keeping up with University of Minnesota Medical School news just got easier. Now you can sign up to receive the latest Medical Bulletin headlines—with links to all the current stories—via e-mail. It's simple to subscribe at www.mmf.umn.edu/mb/subscribe. You can always view the entire Medical Bulletin, as well as past issues, online at www.mmf.umn.edu/bulletin.