Required courses – year 1
History of Medicine (HMNTS*1111)
A comprehensive survey of the history of the medical profession, this course provides a foundation for students in the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Topics covered range from prehistoric healing to the enlightenment to 21st Century medical innovations. Special emphasis is given to the history of osteopathic medicine and the philosophy of Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of the profession.
Behavioral Medicine (PSYCH1105)
Designed to introduce the student to the psychological, social, behavioral and cultural basis of clinical medicine by focusing on common patient problems and the circumstances that evoke important behavioral/emotional responses, this course serves as an introduction to managing these problems, and assists the student in more effectively and respectfully communicating with patients and peers. The student should develop increased insight into personal functioning and feelings and develop the professional skills needed to act as an empathetic and effective behavioral change agent. Additionally, students will be introduced to theories of human development throughout the individual and family life cycle, and key transitions that may create individual/family stress. During the course, students will have the opportunity to practice and demonstrate the application of Motivational Interviewing Skills in the context of a simulated patient encounter (SPAL).
Ethics I – Introduction to Medical Ethics (BIOE*1120)
The course is designed to serve as an introduction to recognizing ethical dilemmas in medicine and appropriately addressing them. Students will explore basic ethical concepts, theories and principles, and the importance of morality, virtues and values. Additionally, the interaction between the law and ethics will be introduced to assist in resolving ethical conflicts and maintaining professional behavior and standards. Each student brings values and beliefs from her/his family, religion, culture, education and personal experience. During the course students will evaluate and augment their beliefs.
Required courses – year 2
Ethics II – Medical Ethics and Legal Topics in Clinical Medicine (BIOE*2120)
The course is designed to assist students in understanding central issues of frequently encountered ethical problems, and the interrelationship between medical ethics and the law. Cases that have shaped medical ethics, as well as the more subtle ethical issues arising in practice will be discussed. Potential ethical problems faced by students during clinical rotations will also be explored. The emphasis will be on the development of case-based ethical problem-solving skills through participation in team-based learning groups. At the completion of the course, students will demonstrate the ability to apply ethical decision-making in the context of a simulated patient encounter (SPAL).
Psychiatry (PSYC2107)
This is a clinical case-based course, designed to introduce the student to the field of psychiatry, with a focus on learning basic psychiatric nomenclature, important defense mechanisms, methods of assessment and diagnosis using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition-Text Revision, psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatment modalities for common mental disorders, and psychiatric risk assessment.
Elective courses
A well-rounded and personally resilient physician must understand not only the science of medicine but the art of healing and the gift of self-compassion and understanding.
Accordingly, faculty from the department and other colleges of the University offer a wide variety of electives to enrich and inform the education of students, and to assist them in remaining grounded in those dimensions of life that will help enliven and sustain them throughout a long career in medicine. Electives are offered periodically throughout the year by faculty within the department as time and student interest dictate, and include the following:
- Interviewing & Communication Skills for Enhanced Patient Care
- Spiritual and Religious Issues in Patient Care
- Mental Illness in the Cinema
- Medicine and the Arts
- Education on Palliative and End-of-Life Care (EPEC)
- Introductory Figure Drawing
- Medicine in the Movies
- The Healer’s Art
- Literature and Narrative Medicine