Pathway: Humanities and/or Clinical Ethics
Well filled though the day be with appointed tasks, to make the best possible use of your talents, rest not satisfied with this professional training, but try to get the inner education of which I speak.
William Osler, on medical education
William Osler urged his students to educate themselves beyond the sciences of medicine, and practicalities of the work of medicine. Such an "inner education" is acquired by thoughtful reflection and a critical analysis of the patient, physician and practice of medicine.
This inner education is a central objective of medical humanities. Medical humanities seeks to contextualize the theory and practice of medicine, and offers students an opportunity to reflect, critique and consider medicine from multiple perspectives. The Division of Medical Humanities offers an enriched program of learning opportunities in these areas to interested students through the Pathway in Medical Humanities/Clinical Ethics.
OBJECTIVES
The Pathway program provides medical students with an enriched experience in clinical ethics and humanities throughout their four years of medical school. Students with particular interests in humanities, social medicine, and/or clinical ethics will have diversified opportunities in a variety of clinical and research activities, as well as special events and competitive awards.
MENTORING PROGRAM
Each student will be paired with a clinician or an academic with expertise in medical ethics or medical humanities. The mentor will meet with the student on a regular basis to discuss issues, and support research in a student's area of interest.
A current list of mentors is available by viewing faculty. Other faculty may serve as mentors with approval of the Division.
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Independent Research Project
Students are required to complete an independent research project, or develop a curricular component (elective or seminar) supervised by any medical humanities faculty, or ethics consultation faculty, or other faculty approved by this Division and completed during the fourth year.
Proposal:
Students must first submit a two page proposal about their research or curriculum which includes a final title, a clear, concise research issue or question which will be addressed, and brief discussion of methodology and sources to be used. This proposal must be submitted no later than August of a student's third year. Receipt of this proposal will allow us to include the title of the research work and comments on the student's participation in the Pathway for the Dean's Letter.
The research project will result in either a written paper of 10 - 15 double-spaced pages ( 2500 - 3800 words) an oral presentation (preferably as Power Point) of 20 minutes (with approx. 10 minutes of questions ) to appropriate faculty and to other Pathway students during the student's fourth year. The educational project will result in a description of an elective of medical humanities seminar including learning objects, syllabus, and evaluation tool. Where feasible, the student may have the opportunity to teach/co-teach the curriculuar component they have designed.
Students must arrange with their supervisor a convenient date to make the presentation, if oral. Other Pathway students, and faculty will be invited to attend. Papers/presentations need to be completed no later than March of a student's fourth year.
In addition to the independent research project, students will select components appropriate to their interests in ethics and/or humanities, and approved by the Division faculty. Information about specific conferences, meetings and interest groups are listed below.
To maximize the learning opportunities of this Pathway, students are strongly encouraged to:
- enroll in three Medical Humanities Seminars in their first two years
- choose one elective from the following:
- Clinical medical ethics
- Clinical ethics research project
- Clinical ethics and palliative care elective: 4 weeks on the Ethics Consultation Service, and in hospice and palliative medicine with Tim Quill
- Art, medicine and literature: 1 week
- Creative writing: 2 weeks
- Nontraditional healing: 1 week
- Literature and medicine elective: 2 weeks
- History of medicine elective: 2 - 4 weeks
- Documentary film and medicine: 2 - 4 weeks
- Research/creative projects in medical humanities: 2 - 4 weeks
- attend a total of at least 15 sessions/year of any of the following:
- Wednesday noon conferences:
- Interdisciplinary Ethics Rounds
- Biopsychosocial Integration Conference
- Palliative Care Conference
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine Conference
- Schwartz Centre Rounds
- Special Interest Groups:
- Bioethics Journal Club
- Literature and Medicine Reading Group
- Corner Society for the History of Medicine
- Reader's Theatre Group
- Annual Ethics Rounds
Admissions to Pathway Program
The Clinical Ethics and Humanities Pathway is open to all medical students who have been accepted at URMC, and who have a strong interest in clinical ethics and /or humanities. An information meeting is held in Jan/Feb of each year; all students are notified of the date. Contacts: Stephanie Brown Clark (275-6469), stephanie_brownclark@urmc.rochester.edu; Jane Greenlaw (275-0174), jane_greenlaw@urmc.rochester.edu.
