Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

This is a comprehensive overview of anesthesia to include pre-, intra- and post-operative care and evaluation of surgical patients. Students will spend equal time in the pre-operative evaluation area; providing anesthesia during a case; and also post-operative evaluation. Student will develop familiarity with intubation techniques, the difficult airway, operative monitoring, regional anesthesia, and risk stratification.

Medical student participation in electives for credit away from the medical school is a privilege that is optional and not required for advancement or graduation. Students in Foundations of Medicine may not register for an elective away from the medical school if they have failed the initial summative examination in a course during the current or previous term. The prefix abbreviation "AWAY" designates a curriculum elective for credit with content approved by the medical school even though the medical school faculty do not directly deliver the curriculum and supervise the students. Medical school approval is required of all medical student curriculum experiences away from the medical school to assess the awarding of academic credit, assure that it does not adversely affect the student's academic progress, and address concerns of student safety, risk, liability, and potential impact on the financial aid status of the student. Electives that are away are graded as Pass/Fail. A maximum of 12 weeks of fourth-year elective clerkships or experiences (designated by the prefix, AWAY) may be performed at sites that are not affiliated with the medical school and for which the medical school faculty do not directly deliver the curriculum and supervise the students (eg, approved electives at other LCME-accredited medical schools), including a maximum of 6 weeks at non-LCME-accredited sites, with prior approval of the associate dean for Educational Affairs.

Medical student participation in electives for credit away from the medical school is a privilege that is optional and not required for advancement or graduation. Students in Foundations of Medicine may not register for an elective away from the medical school if they have failed the initial summative examination in a course during the current or previous term. The prefix abbreviation "AWAY" designates a curriculum elective for credit with content approved by the medical school even though the medical school faculty do not directly deliver the curriculum and supervise the students. Medical school approval is required of all medical student curriculum experiences away from the medical school to assess the awarding of academic credit, assure that it does not adversely affect the student's academic progress, and address concerns of student safety, risk, liability, and potential impact on the financial aid status of the student. Electives that are away are graded as Pass/Fail. A maximum of 12 weeks of fourth-year elective clerkships or experiences (designated by the prefix, AWAY) may be performed at sites that are not affiliated with the medical school and for which the medical school faculty do not directly deliver the curriculum and supervise the students (eg, approved electives at other LCME-accredited medical schools), including a maximum of 6 weeks at non-LCME-accredited sites, with prior approval of the associate dean for Educational Affairs.

This elective provides an opportunity for students to participate in new and ongoing Clinical Informatics research projects in the Department of Biomedical Informatics. Research projects may include working with registries and large databases to examine and investigate current clinical problems. Projects may be from 4-8 weeks in duration, done at flexible time periods to allow the student to participate in conjunction with their regular academic schedule.
Recent topics of research have included:
-Gun violence in southwest Michigan
-Effects of alcohol and drug use on traumatic brain injuries
-Timing and dosages of Lovenox for prevention of DVT/PE after traumatic injury
-Effect of pre-hospital aspiration in trauma patients and subsequent development of pneumonia
-Effects of health information technology and EHRs on physician stress/burnout and health care quality
-The impact on pt BMI of GLP-1 inhibitors
-Obesity research
-Minority health research
-Natural Language processing

Topics are flexible and open to student interest to develop their own clinical question to investigate. Students will have an opportunity to work with clinical databases used for current clinical research as well as a variety of other 'big data' databases to facilitate understand of, and use of these large datasets in Informatics research.

The purpose of this elective is to give the fourth-year medical student more detailed exposure to key topics in clinical informatics and to introduce them to the clinical informatics sub-specialty. It is designed for fourth year medical students who are interested in exploring important and emerging concepts in Clinical Informatics, as well as describing opportunities for careers in Clinical Informatics.

The course will consist of a guided review of the literature of both current and important historical articles related to the three key topics listed below.
At the completion of this elective, the student should be able to:
Describe the career pathways for physicians interested in clinical informatics, including training pathways and board certification.
Define and describe several key issues/challenges related to the use of electronic health records in the clinical setting, specifically:
1. The advantages and challenges of using computerized clinical decision support
2. The HIPAA privacy and security rules governing the use of personally identifiable patient information for patient treatment, research, and quality improvement.
3. The relationship between the use of EHR's and other health information technologies with physician burnout and other physician workforce issues.
Refine their presentation and critical appraisal skills by reviewing and presenting on assigned articles from the three topic areas

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

This elective is designed for medical students interested in biomedical education and those who view academic medicine and teaching as part of their career. Students will participate in scholarly projects in medical education with a faculty member(s) in the Department of Biomedical Sciences. Examples of scholarly projects may include, but are not limited to:
-Creating and facilitating a novel case- or team-based learning activity for use in the curriculum
-Creating a glass learning board video or a narrated-animated video for use in the curriculum
-Creating and directing a peer teaching activity
-Presenting a peer-reviewed publication at the medical education journal club
-Writing a review article in medical education
-Researching and writing NBME-style examination items
-Researching and writing course and event learning objectives
-Development of study guides or other materials to help students prepare for the USMLE step 1 exam
-Creating and administering a questionnaire and analyzing the results
-Developing rubrics and other assessment tools

Students will develop specific learning objectives and outcomes for the elective, based on the project proposed and in consultation with the faculty advisor(s).
Students must obtain approval from faculty advisor(s) prior to registering for this elective.

This one-week elective will explore decision making theories as utilized in the medical diagnostic process. Foundational readings will include "Thinking Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman, PhD which reviews the Nobel Prize winning research he conducted along with Amos Tversky, PhD, in the subject of behavioral economics. Students will then read "How Doctors Think" by Jerome Groopman, MD, which will discuss how our cognitive biases affect medical decision making. These readings will explore our many unconscious errors in reasoning, the development of "prospect theory" and behavioral economics, how we understand the concept of happiness, and how the quality of the doctor patient relationship can affect diagnosis and care provided. Students will complete a guided reflection on the readings and then apply the knowledge gained through their reading and refection as they complete all cases in the Aquifer Diagnostic Excellence Series.

This one-week elective addresses the "overuse of health care resources by providing strategies for physicians to build trust and address patient attitudes and beliefs that more care is not always better care." Curriculum focuses on evidence driven recommendations surrounding screening, diagnostic studies, preventive care, the patient centered medical home model, medication management. During this elective, students will be review the concepts of High Value Care and apply knowledge gained by completing all cases in the Aquifer High Value Care series. In addition to exposure to key articles and documents in the Choosing Wisely Campaign, student will choose 3 specific High Value Care Recommendations, go back into the literature, and complete guided reflections on what they discovered about the topic and how that will impact their future care of patients.

This elective focuses on the planning, development, and/or execution of a research project as a means of understanding the entire research process in depth. The course stresses the integration of research into medical practice. Appropriate readings and periodic discussions will be used to augment the guided project development effort. The ultimate goal of this elective is to complete and publish one paper in a peer-reviewed journal, or present the student's work in an appropriate research forum.

Students also attend all regular weekly Emergency Medicine resident and student conferences during the elective. Students' duty schedules are adjusted to accommodate these educational sessions.This elective requires approval.

This elective focuses on the planning, development, and/or execution of a research project as a means of understanding the entire research process in depth. The course stresses the integration of research into medical practice. Appropriate readings and periodic discussions will be used to augment the guided project development effort. The ultimate goal of this elective is to complete and publish one paper in a peer-reviewed journal, or present the student's work in an appropriate research forum.

Students also attend all regular weekly Emergency Medicine resident and student conferences during the elective. Students' duty schedules are adjusted to accommodate these educational sessions. This elective requires approval.

This elective offers students the opportunity to learn about and experience pre-hospital and disaster medicine through a series of structured didactic sessions and hands-on field experiences. This elective is made possible by several partnerships: WMed Department of Emergency Medicine Division of EMS, Kalamazoo County Medical Control Authority, Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, Oshtemo Township Fire Department, Kalamazoo County 911 Dispatch, Life EMS, and PrideCare.

EMS is a relatively new specialty in the house of medicine, becoming an ABEM Boarded subspecialty in September 2010 with the first certification exam being administered in 2013. The Kalamazoo County EMS system is a high-performance single tier ALS system with countywide BLS first responders. Serving a population of a quarter million, the EMS system is made up of four ambulance services covering designated areas of the county and sixteen first responder agencies - fire departments and public safety.

The four-week curriculum is broken into 4 topic blocks, including history of ems, introduction to medical direction and system design, quality improvement and finance, and special ops. The NAEMSP textbook and online FEMA resources will be utilized. Students will ride along with our physician-staffed medical support unit twice a week, spend a day with a fire department/public safety agency, and observe emergency call taking and dispatching at a 911 and ems dispatch center. Additionally, students will participate in monthly local and regional meetings, weekly fellow didactics and emergency medicine grand rounds, monthly SIM lab, and monthly EMS case review. The course concludes with a written exam based on the 4 topic blocks and a written course evaluation. The course readings, exam, and evaluation will be available through an online learning platform, Moodle. Students may work ahead on assignments. Course faculty include WMed EMS Fellowship faculty/fellows and WMed EM senior residents.

The Yellowstone EMS elective offers WMed M-4 Medical Students an opportunity to have an immersive experience learning about wilderness and austere EMS within Yellowstone National Park (YNP) through a unique partnership between WMed and YNP. Students must be approved by the Elective director(s) prior to applying and due to popularity of the elective, a lottery system will ultimately be used to select students for participation in the elective.

Students will need to provide their own travel to/from YNP, but will have transportation provided within the Park. YNP-provided housing is subject to availablity. During the elective, students will receive an orientation to the YNP EMS System and tour components central to the operation of the prehospital system, including Base Stations, Fire Departments, ambulances and winter rescue vehicles, clinics, and training facilities/classrooms. Students will ride along with ambulance crews while responding to 911 calls and transporting patients to clinics or hospitals. Students will also respond to technical and backcountry rescues. Students will be involved in teaching and facilitating didactic sessions for prehospital providers. Students are directly supervised by YNP EMS Providers, on-site WMed faculty, fellows, and senior residents. Students will have indirect supervision by the YNP EMS Medical Director and WMed EMS faculty members at all times.

The Advanced Emergency Medicine Clerkship provides an in-depth experience with a diverse patient population across all ages and a wide range of pathological conditions in the emergency department. Students will be immersed in a fast-paced clinical environment, where they will learn to perform initial patient assessments and formulate differential diagnoses. They will present cases to senior residents or attending physicians, write orders, interpret diagnostic studies, and discuss patients with consultants.

A key component of the clerkship is the recognition and management of sick patients and abnormal vital signs, as well as emergent conditions. Students will develop skills in identifying and responding to life-threatening situations, ensuring timely and appropriate interventions. They will also learn to prioritize patients based on the severity of their conditions and manage multiple patients simultaneously.

Students will gain hands-on experience by performing or assisting with procedures under supervision, such as suturing, intubation, and placing intravenous lines. They will also write discharge instructions, facilitate admissions and transfers, and learn to communicate effectively with patients and their families during stressful situations.

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

The purpose of this elective is to provide support to core clerkship students transitioning into the Family Medicine clerkship. Student Chiefs will orient core clerkship students to expectations of the Family Medicine clerkship and student roles. The chiefs are the student leaders expected to be available to the core clerkship students on the Family Medicine rotation for support with knowledge and skills required to successfully complete the clerkship. Students interested in being a Student Chief need to apply and will be selected by the faculty. This elective is available for Rotations 1, 2, and 3 only.

Sports Medicine is a body of knowledge and broad area of health care which includes (1) exercise as an essential component of health throughout life, (2) medical management and supervision of recreational and competitive athletes and all other who exercise, and (3) exercise for the prevention and treatment of disease.

A physician with significant specialized training in both the treatment and prevention of illness and injury, the Sports Medicine Specialist helps patients maximize function and minimize disability and time away from sports, work, or school and is a leader of the Sports Medicine team, which also may include specialty physicians and surgeons, athletic trainers, physical therapists, coaches, other personnel, and the athlete. Students have the opportunity to see patients in the outpatient setting as well as accompany attending and fellow during training room visits. Students will be expected to attend sporting events and write up appropriate cases with the assistance of the attending.

Street Medicine is the fast-growing field of medicine dedicated to providing primary care and urgent care to people experiencing homelessness?meeting patients where they live, in encampments, under bridges, and in alleys, providing safe and effective care in the field. In this two or four-week elective, students will integrate into the Street Medicine Kalamazoo (SMKz00) team and will have the opportunity to take longitudinal ownership for the care of new and existing patients on the SMKzoo patient panel for four weeks.

Students will work closely with an interprofessional team that includes physicians, pharmacists, and social workers to provide primary care and social services to precariously housed, unhoused, and unsheltered unhoused individuals in Kalamazoo. This population has unique health needs and considerations. Students will gain skills in treating common primary care concerns as well as conditions more prevalent in unsheltered unhoused individuals. They will also gain experience in utilizing point of care ultrasound and performing ambulatory procedures in the field/pop-up clinic setting.

During this elective, students are immersed in the social determinants of health of this population, helping to coordinate care and breakdown barriers to care in order to help patients achieve their health goals. Regardless of their future career goals, students will find benefit from practicing this inclusive style of medicine during this elective. Students will gain insight into social determinants of health and inclusion medicine that is sought after by residency programs.

Ambulatory Family Medicine is an opportunity for students to participate in a busy, resident-based family medicine outpatient clinic. Students will act as entry level residents with direct supervision by senior Family and Community Medicine residents or attending physicians. Participants will perform the initial evaluation of patients, review patient records, and assimilate the information they have gathered into a complete assessment of the patient's presenting problems. Finally, students will be expected to develop a plan for each problem identified. Patients will be regularly presented to supervising physicians to finalize plans and follow-up. Students expand upon competencies they developed during the third year as they team with residents and/or preceptors to provide preventive health services as well as acute and chronic illness management. The faster pace of ambulatory care provides an environment that strengthens patient and family communication skills, rapport development, and oral presentations. The use of evidence to inform treatment and counseling of patients and their caregivers are additional competencies that are highlighted in the outpatient setting.

Advanced Hospital Family Medicine is an opportunity for students to participate in a busy, family medicine oriented, academic inpatient service at Bronson Methodist Hospital. Students will act as a sub- intern on the Family Medicine Service (FMS), comprised of and supervised by residents and attendings from the Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Participants will have the opportunity to work both days and nights on the service. While on days, students can expect to be responsible for the review, evaluation and management of 1-2 admitted patients under direct supervision. They will participate in regular daily rounds, presenting each patient under their care to the attending physician with their plan for the day. Students will be expected to present regularly on medical topics pertinent to the patients under their care. On nights, students will review and evaluate admitted patients and have the opportunity to admit patients from the emergency department.

This course can be taken as a required sub-internship or an elective. Students using the rotation as an elective may choose either two or four week experiences.

Participants will travel to Iquitos, Peru. The first two weeks will be spent in Iquitos at local hospitals and health care centers working with local physicians on inpatient and outpatient services. At least one day will be spent in the lab working with local technicians on diagnostic testing of tropical diseases. At least one day in Iquitos will be spent doing outreach clinics to the underserved population of the city. After completion of the first week the team will move to a remote location up the Amazon river to a tributary of the Yarapa river which will serve as our base. From there the team will visit 15-20 villages providing primary and urgent care to patients of all ages. Students will have an opportunity to work in our mobile lab and to work with portable ultrasonography. The team will be conducting multiple research projects and students will be able to participate in the development and implementation of those projects.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Clinical rotations in global health & education, international medicine and diseases of the tropics and resource limited areas in the Philippines.

Independent study allows the student to explore a topic of interest that is not offered within the WMed system and is closely supervised by a faculty member. Students are requested to utilize selected topics when the subject falls within one of our existing departments. This course may be taken after completing the first core clerkship. Students completing an independent study may earn up to 8 credits (one credit is equivalent to not less than 45 hours of work for the academic activity).

Students are responsible for identifying the faculty preceptor who must approve the completed elective proposal prior to submitting to year4scheduling.

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

The purpose of this elective is to provide support to core clerkship students transitioning into the Internal Medicine clerkship. Student Chiefs will orient core clerkship students to expectations of the Internal Medicine clerkship and student roles. The chiefs are the student leaders expected to be available to the core clerkship students on the Medicine rotation for support with knowledge and skills required to successfully complete the clerkship. Students interested in being a Student Chief need to apply and will be selected by the faculty. This elective is available for Rotations 1, 2 and 3 only.

The overarching goal of this elective is to introduce medical students to the foundational knowledge of addiction medicine. This elective aims to increase awareness of substance use disorders along with basics of diagnosis and medical care of persons with a substance use disorder and substance use related health conditions. This is a two-week virtual, asynchronous elective via internet modules.

Cardiac disease impacts morbidity and mortality in adults, with coronary artery disease the leading cause of death in Americans. Patients in both the inpatient and outpatient setting may have concomitant cardiovascular disease such as coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, and valvular heart disease.

Gastrointestinal diseases, both acute and chronic, are common complaints of the adult patient. Students will become more familiar with the evaluation and management of those GI conditions that have not been able to be managed by patient's primary care physician.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the population of the United States is aging at an unprecedented rate; by 2030, approximately 72 million members of the population, or nearly 20%, will be age 65 or older. Along with the aging of the population will come a great need for physicians and providers trained in the special needs of the older population, from the physical and medical changes that accompany aging to the unique psychosocial needs of older adults.

Older people over age 65 also account for more than half of the nation's hospital usage and a significant share of other medical services as well. An older patient may see an average of ~15 physician visits across various specialties and sites each year. In order to care for the unique needs of this rapidly growing audience, graduating medical students must have the knowledge and understanding of geriatric medicine. Providing effective and compassionate care in various settings and restoring health and function of older patients through various therapies is essential. Goals of care and care plans must be based on each individual patient, with an understanding that function and quality are usually the most important aspects (calling for palliative care vs. aggressive treatment).

The geriatrics elective offers students an opportunity to evaluate geriatric patients with a variety of medical problems. Students will have the opportunity to provide comprehensive and team-based care to older adults, as well as have more focused problem-based encounters. Through this unique experience, the medical students will be equipped with a body of knowledge and experiences to carry forward into future professional endeavors (e.g. residency).

Hematologic and oncologic diseases cover a wide array of conditions in adult patients. In this rotation, the student is exposed to the types of patients referred to these specialists for further evaluation and management.

Infectious diseases is a broad field that encompasses the evaluation and management of acute infectious processes as well as the management of patients with chronic infectious processes such as human immunodeficiency virus. Infectious disease specialists play a role in public health, hospital infection control programs/policies and are the champions of antibiotic stewardship.

Nephrologists play a vital role in the hospital setting as they see patients with renal issues on the critical care, medicine and surgery services. They also oversee inpatient hemodialysis. In the outpatient setting, they diagnose and manage patients with a variety of renal diseases and oversee outpatient chronic dialysis therapy.

Physical medicine and rehabilitation is a medical specialty where clinicians may have both an inpatient and outpatient practice. Their focus is on enhancing and restoring functional ability and quality of life to patients with various impairments or disabilities. Many patients who are cared for by a PM&R physician (aka physiatrist) have neurological disabilities such as brain injury (non-traumatic and traumatic), spinal cord, stroke, multiple sclerosis, polio, and other musculoskeletal problems. On this rotation, students will have the opportunity to care for patients in an inpatient setting. These settings are also referred to as "high intensity" rehabilitation settings in that a patient can expect to spend at least 3 hours per day participating in their rehabilitation. Physiatrists work as part of a multidisciplinary team to meet the needs of the "whole" patient in achieving maximal recovery.

Pulmonary medicine focuses on the evaluation and management of acute and chronic lung disease. Many pulmonologists have additional expertise in critical care medicine and sleep medicine. The student will gain familiarity with understanding with disorders of the lungs, upper airways, thoracic cavity, and chest wall seen in either the inpatient or outpatient setting, depending on their elective site and preceptor.

Nutritional sciences is a broad term encompassing the multi-disciplinary outreach of nutrition form the biological sciences to the social and physical sciences. Nutrients play a role in maintenance and disruption of normal biochemical and physiologic processes in a number of disease conditions, including the development of types of malnutrition. Nutrients may impact drug metabolism and drug-nutrient interactions, as well as nutrient-nutrient interactions. From a population/public health perspective, food availability and the composition of those foods can play a role in the overall health of a community. Physicians are uniquely positions to incorporate nutritional sciences into their own scholarly activities and clinical practice.

This elective allows the student to design their own curriculum with potential applications to either basic medical and/or clinical sciences. The student will work closely with the course director or other faculty member to derive their program of study, identify specific objectives, attend relevant WMed lectures/conferences, and pre-determine the summative tasks to be accomplished to fulfill the objectives of the elective. In addition, general basic clinical nutrition readings will be assigned.

Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life and providing comfort to people of all ages with serious, chronic and life-threatening illnesses. While many think of "hospice" as being synonymous with palliative care, it is not as hospice primarily serves the patient whose life expectancy is less than 6 months. During this elective, the student will observe the spectrum of palliative care, from helping families and the patient understand and cope with the diagnosis of a serious illness that may or may not be able to be cured, with end-of-life discussions including goal setting, with symptom relief management to offer comfort, and with the transition to hospice care when appropriate. A palliative care service is a multidisciplinary team consisting of the physician, advanced practice provider, and medical social worker. Chaplain services as well as rehabilitation and nutrition specialists may be consulted if needed to fulfill the overall care plan. At Bronson, their program is called "Advanced Illness Management".

Sleep medicine is a subspecialty devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of sleep disturbances and disorders. Disordered and disturbed sleep are associated with up to 1/3 of fatal motor vehicle fatalities as daytime sleepiness is a common symptom. Abnormal sleep can be associated as well as impact chronic medical conditions such as hypertension, obesity and mood disorders. Chronic obstructive sleep apnea, sleep deprivation, insomnias, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome and hypersomnias may be treatable. Sleep Medicine is a multidisciplinary specialty and physicians who seek certification may be internists, pulmonologists, pediatricians, neurologists, or otolaryngologists.

This elective will teach basic point of care ultrasound skills for use in primary care and hospital settings including emergency room, inpatient medicine, and critical care through an on-line curriculum using text and videos and will include a two hour ultrasound lab each day. Modules will include: 1) Ultrasound Physics, 2) Gall Bladder and liver, 3) Kidneys and Bladder, 4) Aorta, pancreas and spleen, 5) Lung and Pleura, 6) Echocardiography, 7) Basic Musculoskeletal US. 8) Thyroid, Cardotids and Lymph nodes, 9) Eyes, Skin and Basic Venous US. An optional module with lab is US guided procedures. Optional modules without associated labs include OB, Gyn, Breast, Testicular Pediatrics, and Tropical Medicine. The ultrasound labs will involve scanning of student volunteers enrolled in the elective. To optimize the scanning experience of everyone enrolled in the elective most students should anticipate volunteering to be scanned by their colleagues at each 2 hour lab. Volunteering is not required and modesty will be optimized. Since most students are young and relatively healthy the lab will be focused on acquisition of images rather than interpretation. Learning the interpretation of images will be from reading and videos.

The Ambulatory Medicine elective occurs in a clinical environment in an outpatient clinic setting. Students will gain a foundation for the principles of primary care including differential diagnosis, periodic health examinations, screening for disease, psychosocial aspects of health and illness, nutrition and medicine.
Students will actively participate in discussions of common ambulatory problems. Students will work closely with an attending physician and can assume responsibility for clinical decision making at a level appropriate to his/her experience

This elective will combine management of psychiatric conditions and medical management of comorbid conditions in the psychiatric inpatient setting. The integration of psychiatric and medical management in the inpatient setting creates an opportunity for students to continue developing integration strategies across disciplines. Significant interprofessional collaboration will be involved.

Advanced Hospital Medicine provide the opportunity for students to assume greater responsibility for patient care of the hospitalized patient, with oversight from supervising residents and attending physicians. Students expand upon competencies they develop during the third year as they care for one to two patients at a time. Additional expectations include responsibility for developing management plans, writing orders, patient handovers and transfers of care, recognizing the policies that support patient safety, and developing competency in procedures that they will perform independently as residents. Fourth year students also assist in teaching third year students.

Hospital medicine is a growing professional track for internal medicine physicians. The Society for Hospital Medicine defines a hospitalist as a physician "who engages in clinical care, teaching, research, or leadership in the field of general hospital medicine. In addition to their core expertise managing the clinical problems of acutely ill, hospitalized patients, hospital medicine practitioners work to enhance the performance of hospitals and healthcare systems." The M4 selective in hospital medicine exposes the student to the medical problems commonly seen in hospitalized adult patients and permits the student to have a greater role in the evaluation and management of these patients than they had during the M3 clerkship.

This rotation offers students the opportunity to accelerate their learning by spending a four week block in the intensive care unit. The rotation provides the student the opportunity to diagnose and treat of a wide range of clinical conditions common among critically ill patients. Students will enhance their knowledge and skill in caring for the sickest patients in the hospital. The Clinical site utilized for the Pediatric Advanced Critical Care is the pediatric ICU at Bronson Children's Hospital. Students will be paired with interns and residents, and will participate in the ICU in a dedicated fashion; the intent is for students to function as a "subintern" and will result in a high level learning experience.

Students will be expected to participate on rounds, will continue to perfect the gathering and synthesis of data, and expand on their ability to make diagnoses and develop care plans. The student will be expected to gather a history based upon interview of patients/families, evaluate laboratory and radiographic material, and generate differential diagnoses and management plans. They will also be expected to improve their documentation skills by writing patient notes in the electronic medical record.

This is a 4 week block rotation, and will correspond to the calendar set forth by the Western Michigan University School of Medicine. This varies on the time of year and the rotation site. The medical ICU consists of patients with primarily medical diseases affecting the major organs.

This rotation offers students the opportunity to accelerate their learning by spending a four-week block in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit at Bronson Hospital. The rotation provides the student the opportunity to diagnose and treat of a wide range of clinical conditions common among critically ill patients. Students will enhance their knowledge and skill in caring for the sickest patients in the hospital. Students will participate in the ICU in a dedicated fashion; the intent is for students to function as a "sub-intern" and will result in a high-level learning experience. Students will be expected to participate on rounds, will continue to perfect the gathering and synthesis of data, and expand on their ability to make diagnoses and develop care plans. The student will be expected to gather a history based upon interview of patients/families, evaluate laboratory and radiographic material, and generate differential diagnoses and management plans. They will also be expected to improve their documentation skills by writing patient notes in the electronic medical record.

Students will work with a medical educator to understand the research process. In addition to discussions with faculty members, students will read books and articles on a research topic of their choice and design a research plan. The students will present their research to the Medical Education Department for approval. Once approved, the students will execute and complete the research.

Student will propose and research a topic of their choice related to physicians as educators under the guidance of a medical educator. In addition to discussions with faculty members, students will read books and articles on their topic and design a teaching module on the subject of choice and medical education research. On completion of this elective, students will be able to design a teaching module from objectives to assessment. This elective requires prior approval.

A team consisting of medical students, a librarian, and a clinical faculty member locate, synthesize, and summarize the current COVID literature in order to provide relevant and useful resources for the WMed community. The librarian searches for the latest published literature and collects relevant articles. The students read, synthesize, and summarize these articles into a more digestible format; currently, students are writing and updating synthesis papers on a variety of topics related to COVID-19, including various drug treatments, other therapeutics, and management. The team also maintains the COVID-19 Developments LibGuide, which contains relevant information on the COVID-19 pandemic, including links to general COVID-19 resources and treatment guidelines, as well as student synthesis papers that are updated as new literature is published. Also included in the guide is a section on COVID-19 Hot Topics, which identifies a COVID-19 topic that is popular in the news or social media.

Canopy Learn, the Canopy Medical Spanish training course teaches English-speaking providers the skills needed to communicate effectively with Spanish-speaking patients. With a modular lesson design, this elective can be taken at your own pace. Each level is approximately a 12 to 15-hour commitment. Students are expected to complete three consecutive levels within an elective week.

Many health-related entries have not been translated into Spanish or vice versa into English. Of those entries that have been identified by WikiProject Medicine, some are lacking content, mistranslated, contained jargon instead of plain-language, or only appropriate for a subgroup of Hispanic populations. Medical students are familiar and often use Wikipedia as an information source. Students are provided an online orientation created by Wikipedia to learn how to select the appropriate resources to enhance and cite references. The student identifies through the WikiProject Medicine portal either an English to Spanish or Spanish to English entry that requires editing to improve the quality of health information for the consumer. The quality of the entry is assessed by the instructor with input from the WikiProject Medicine community.To successfully complete the elective, students Spanish reading and writing skills should be at least a Reading 2+/Writing 2+ (Limited Working Proficiency, Plus) on the Interagency Language Roundtable Scale (http://www.govtilr.org).

I this course, you will join the community of Wikipedia editors. In collaboration with WikiEdu and WikiProject Medicine, you will select a medical topic to add to, edit, or create. The average page view for these pages are 50k page views per month. As such, you're engaging in global health and your work will be translated into over 120 languages! It is important to remember this project is not about the length of your work - it is about the quality of the information. Wiki is a crowdsourced encyclopedia so only secondary literature may be used and we're looking for clear, plain language statements that come from recently published (less than 5-10 years old) high-quality evidence.

During this longitudinal elective, advanced students will have the opportunity to serve as near peer facilitators and develop new curriculum content within various aspects of the curriculum. Students will have opportunity to support clinical skills attainment as part of POM-CS, participate in developing resources, facilitate large and small group discussions as part of basic science courses and labs, and orient students as they transition through various levels of the curriculum. This is a recommended add on course for students selected to be student chiefs, as well as those interested in enhancing their skills in medical education.

Student may register for a maximum of 8 credits. Each credit = 45 hours of work. Students will need to identify a faculty mentor within each course they wish to facilitate.

Through this study abroad experience, students will be integrated into an international, cross-cultural experience in the areas of medicine and health care. The WMed-UMinho program will provide students with a collaborative, in-person, learning experience with Portuguese medical students. Students will have 5-6 hours of classroom instruction per week plus 20 additional hours of other medical training (labs, research labs, ambulatory or hospital clinics, hospital service, migrant and immigrant healthcare, screening clinics). Students will also participate in a weekly seminar focusing on EU healthcare systems and health management and leadership as well as cultural programming. All learning experiences will be in English. Students elect to participate in this opportunity.

Program estimated cost:
$2,200 (1 month lodging in Portugal; public transportation pass; cultural activities)
Airfare, meals, and incidentals are at the student's expense.
Accepted students are eligible to apply for up to $1000 in International Travel Scholarship from the Office of Financial Aid.
50% deposit due by April 1, 2024; final payment due by July 1, 2024.
Program Eligibility:
Full-time WMed Class of 2025 student in good standing.
Submit copy of valid passport by May 1, 2024.
Application deadline: January 17, 2024

Through this highly competitive study abroad experience at Seoul National University College of Medicine (SNU), students will participate in an international, cross-cultural experience in the areas of medicine and health care at a top 100 World University. The WMed-SNU program will provide students with a collaborative, in-person, learning experience. Students will have 4 weeks of clinical elective placements for visiting international medical students. Elective placements are undertaken at SNU's affiliated hospitals, and successful applicants will be given opportunities for the duration of the program to gain experience of a variety of both clinical and laboratory experiences under the supervision of medical doctors at professorial level. All learning experiences will be in English. Students elect to participate in this unique opportunity.

Program estimated cost:
$3,000 (1 month lodging; public transportation pass; cultural activities)
Airfare, meals, and incidentals are at the student's expense.
Accepted students are eligible to apply for up to $1000 in International Travel Scholarship from the Office of Financial Aid.
50% deposit due by April 1, 2024; final payment due by June 1, 2024.
Program Eligibility:
Full-time WMed Class of 2025 student in good standing.
Submit copy of valid passport by April 1, 2024.
Application deadline: January 17, 2024

This elective is designed to provide senior medical students with a comprehensive experience in clinical teaching, grading, and enhancing clinical skills. Through a longitudinal approach, students will engage in various teaching methods, receive feedback, and develop proficiency in clinical evaluations. The goal is to prepare students for the transition to residency by refining their teaching abilities and clinical skills.

This elective is designed to provide senior medical students with a comprehensive experience in clinical teaching, grading, and enhancing clinical skills. Through a longitudinal approach, students will engage in various teaching methods, receive feedback, and develop proficiency in clinical evaluations. The goal is to prepare students for the transition to residency by refining their teaching abilities and clinical skills.

In the midst of the intense board exam preparation period, maintaining mental well-being is paramount for medical students to perform at their best. In this one-week elective, medical students preparing for board exams will delve into the art of literature review to identify holistic approaches to stress management, mindfulness techniques, and resilience strategies to navigate the challenges of exam preparation with focus, calm, and resilience.

This elective is designed to prepare students for Student Chief Electives or the Clinical Skills Med Ed Elective I and II in year 4. It focuses on the foundations of medical education, teaching theory, and pedagogy. Students will engage in five 4-hour in-person sessions, 4 hours of individual prep work, and a final deliverable presentation/teaching session. The course aims to build foundational skills in educational pedagogy, lesson planning, clinical teaching, and evidence-based teaching strategies.

WMED recognizes that the development of behaviors consistent with medical professionals is a longitudinal process. Professionalism is continually evaluated throughout all four years of the curriculum. Course/clerkship directors are required to document each student's professional behaviors and to include an assessment of the student's professionalism and engagement which will contribute to the final grade in the longitudinal Professional Development course, as well as clerkship grades. Each course/clerkship has outlined the engagement and professionalism expectations to be assessed. Once students begin clerkships, the Professional Development course focuses on the cultivation of lifelong habits that are critical to credentialing, complying with occupational health requirements of medical providers, completion of course evaluations, and activities that will translate into maintaining medical staff privileges. The grade matrix reflects these expectations. This process facilitates longitudinal tracking of behavior to identify concerns, as well as areas of commendation. Repeated professionalism concerns are referred to the assistant dean for Clinical Competency and IPE. Commendations are tracked as a component of the Professional Development grade and potential inclusion in the student's MSPE. In addition to the formal assessments of professional behaviors as part of a courses/clerkship, all faculty and staff, at any time, may provide confidential feedback regarding the behavior of any medical student utilizing the online Medical Student Feedback Form (MSFF).

WMED recognizes that the development of behaviors consistent with medical professionals is a longitudinal process. Professionalism is continually evaluated throughout all four years of the curriculum. Course/clerkship directors are required to document each student's professional behaviors and to include an assessment of the student's professionalism and engagement which will contribute to the final grade in the longitudinal Professional Development course, as well as clerkship grades. Each course/clerkship has outlined the engagement and professionalism expectations to be assessed. Once students begin clerkships, the Professional Development course focuses on the cultivation of lifelong habits that are critical to credentialing, complying with occupational health requirements of medical providers, completion of course evaluations, and activities that will translate into maintaining medical staff privileges. The grade matrix reflects these expectations. This process facilitates longitudinal tracking of behavior to identify concerns, as well as areas of commendation. Repeated professionalism concerns are referred to the assistant dean for Clinical Competency and IPE. Commendations are tracked as a component of the Professional Development grade and potential inclusion in the student's MSPE. In addition to the formal assessments of professional behaviors as part of a courses/clerkship, all faculty and staff, at any time, may provide confidential feedback regarding the behavior of any medical student utilizing the online Medical Student Feedback Form (MSFF).

The prevalence and incidence of disease varies according to biological and social categories. Yet not all differences in prevalence and incidence of disease are a health disparity. This course will introduce students to the foundational theories of health disparity and the social determinants of health. Learners will then identify those disparities and social determinants that fall within the scope of the practice of medicine.

The concept of social justice relates to the appropriate distribution of resources. Often, however, what constitutes just distribution of health care resources is assumed. There are a variety of foundational theories of social justice, each of which may imply a distinct distribution of health care resources. This course will introduce learners to the foundational theories of social justice in health care and evaluate the different implications they have for how society arranges health care resources.

Whether a difference in health condition is inequitable depends on, among other things, whether that condition is a disease and whether its distribution and/or treatment are just (i.e., distributed according to the correct theory of social justice). This course will identify those differences in health conditions and their treatments that may be unjustly distributed and analyze those interventions which may effectively repair the potential injustice.

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

A theoretical understanding of ethical principles relating to health care is essential for all physicians. However, the application of these principles to actual situations of ethical conflict requires a different type of educational experience. In this course, the students will work closely with WMed clinical ethicists as they conduct ethics consultations, engage in ethical research and analysis, meet with patients and teams, and work with hospital ethics committees.

This selective course is designed for students who are interested in psychiatric ethics. This may be due to an interest in either advanced application of medical ethics or psychiatry as a medical specialty. As a specialty, psychiatry frequently encounters ethical dilemmas. Some of these are shared with other medical specialties while others are unique to psychiatric practice because of the nature of mental illness. Students interested in taking this selective should be prepared to respectfully engage in challenging discussions about the ethical care of psychiatric patients.
The course will consist of two components. Part of the rotation will be spent observing the ways in which involuntary treatment proceedings occur throughout the community in the form of adult and juvenile drug and mental health courts. Additionally, there will be directed readings and small group discussion discussing ethical issues relevant to psychiatry and doing ethical case analysis. Students will need to prepare before class by completing assigned readings and individual activities (or tasks) in order to participate in class. The first day of the elective will discuss the mechanics of the course, expectations, and general overview of the topic. Finally, the students will be expected to complete a capstone project on a topic relevant to psychiatric ethics.

This course will examine the theoretical and practical implications of the modern healthcare system through the lens of critical race theory. CRT is a theoretical framework that seeks to unmask and illuminate structural and societal implications of race and racial disparities in the current healthcare system. After completing some required background readings, students will be permitted to explore any aspect of the issues raised and produce a basic research project.

A detailed inquiry into the theory, practice, and history of the narrative form in the context of the modern medico-industrial complex. Through the humanities and humanities-based analysis, students will be afforded the opportunity to develop their own creative skills, but also be able to gain new avenues to better connect with their patients. After completing some required background readings, students will be permitted to explore any aspect of the issues raised and produce a basic research project.

America has been described as a 'death denying culture'. Dying in America is a complex process. Legal, cultural, and medical barriers often prevent patient from dying in the manner, at the time, and in the location of their preference. A detailed inquiry into the physiological, legal, and social process of death and dying. This course will allow students to delve deeply into the philosophical and legal issues involved in death in America and across cultures. After completing some required background readings, students will be permitted to explore any aspect of the issues raised and produce a basic research project.

The patient's preferences are more important than the physician's. Informed consent respects autonomy. IRBs protect human subjects. Rational humans have full moral status. Eugenics is wrong. Physician-assisted suicide and abortion are controversial topics. Animal models have led to the successful development of important treatments. Cancer research is a worthwhile aim.
Bioethics is rife with conventional wisdom. This aim of this elective is to think creatively about the underlying assumptions of bioethics, then challenge them. Do rational humans really have full moral status? Do IRBs really protect human subjects?

Catholic Healthcare Ethics has played a significant role in the development of secular bioethics and continues to influence medical practice, at times controversially, in Church-owned and operated healthcare facilities and hospitals. This course will allow students to delve deeply into a current area of debate within Catholic Healthcare Ethics. After completing some required background readings, students will be permitted to explore any aspect of the issues raised and produce a basic research project.

"The past is never dead. It's not even past." - William Faulkner

The history of the field of medicine is the story of its current state. In this elective, students will develop a research question related to an area of individual interest, develop a bibliography, and stake a historian's position. After an initial period of inquiry and investigation, the student will produce a paper on their chosen topic relating to a particular period, movement, or figure in the history of medicine.

This course is a two-week elective for fourth-year medical students designed as experiential learning in organizational leadership. The student will be assigned to an executive in one of Kalamazoo's healthcare organizations to explore concepts on leadership, attend an executive meeting and discuss leadership and management issues related to the meeting, organization and healthcare in general.

The Skilled Observer in Art and Science demonstrates how artists and scientists use intuition, cognitive processing, and skills in pattern recognition to reveal the connective tissue that makes complex systems work. We live in time when science is distrusted, and art is mystified. The Skilled Observer in Art and Science explains why acumen in these areas is essential. It places emphasis on the neuroscience of human activity by looking at how art and science intersect in the biological sciences, physics, chemistry, mathematics, geoscience, medicine, and architecture.

The appropriate provision of medicine often depends on how we understand the mind. This is true not only of psychiatry, but also of treatments that require information about the patient's conscious states. Which interventions are wanted/needed/appropriate depends in large part on what we understand about the relevant mental states and processes. More generally, whether a given state or process is pathological depends in large part on our understanding of the mind.

This elective will offer students the opportunity to explore in detail the ways in which our understanding of consciousness and the mind inform medical practice.

Public health ethics are often viewed as requiring foundational principles that are distinct from those of medical ethics. In particular, public health ethics requires greater consideration of the role the state has in the provision of medicine and greater emphasis on collective and public goods. These considerations will become even more applicable and relevant has public health crises associated with pandemics and climate chance increase in severity and frequency.

This elective will offer students the opportunity to explore in detail the foundational principles of public health ethics, and the implications these principles have for public health interventions.

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

The purpose of this elective is to provide a learning experience for the advanced clerkship students with special interest in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The main goal of the advanced clerkship Obstetrics and Gynecology student chief is to provide support to core clerkship students transitioning into the Obstetrics and Gynecology.

This elective is designed for 4th year medical students interested in pursuing Obstetrics and Gynecology. It is particularly relevant for students who may wish to consider subspecialty training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI). This elective will allow the student to focus on REI problems exploring in depth the diagnostic evaluation and treatment approaches to those problems. The course will involve one-on-one patient care with our Reproductive Endocrinologists. In addition, the student will spend a brief time in the andrology, endocrine, and in vitro fertilization laboratories to provide a better understanding of laboratory contribution to diagnosis and treatment. Students will also participate in pelvic ultrasound and surgical care of patients. Didactic training from the Reproductive Endocrinologists will be given. Students will prepare a presentation on a clinical topic or an interesting case and present it at the end of the elective.

This clerkship is designed for fourth-year medical students interested in pursuing Obstetrics and Gynecology residency training, and is particularly relevant for students considering subspecialty training in gynecologic oncology or minimally invasive surgery. This clerkship allows the student to focus on gynecologic oncology problems, with in-depth exploration of the diagnostic evaluation and treatment approaches through one-on-one patient care with our oncologists. Students participate in inpatient, ambulatory, and surgical care of patients through didactic and bedside teaching. Students prepare a presentation on a clinical topic or case, with the presentation at the end of the clerkship.

This clerkship is designed for fourth-year medical students interested in pursuing Obstetrics and Gynecology residency training. This clerkship allows the student to focus on female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery problems, with in-depth exploration of the diagnostic evaluation and treatment approaches through one-on-one patient care with an FPMRS specialist. Students participate in inpatient, ambulatory, and surgical care of patients through didactic and bedside teaching.

This elective is designed for 4th year medical students interested in pursuing Obstetrics and Gynecology. This elective will allow the student to explore the ins and outs of labor and delivery and give them the opportunity to manage patients in labor. The course will involve one-on-one patient care with Certified Nurse midwives as well as OBGYN physicians. In addition, the student will spend time in triage. Students will also be part of the surgical team for patients who required surgery. Didactic training from the attending physicians in labor and delivery will be given. Students will prepare a presentation on a clinical topic or an interesting case and present it at the end of the elective.

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Designed for the 4th year medical student that has a strong interest in the musculoskeletal system and is not pursuing a career in orthopaedic surgery. This course will emphasize orthopaedic outpatient clinics. Students will not be required but will have opportunities to be in the operating room and/or take evening call. Students will work closely with assigned faculty members that are fellowship trained in different subspecialties of orthopaedic surgery. Students will learn musculoskeletal history taking skills, the details of a musculoskeletal physical examination, interpretation of radiographs and advanced imaging techniques, treatment options with an emphasis of when to refer to an orthopaedic surgeon. There will be a lectureship series given by the faculty.

Designed for the 4th year medical student with a potentially strong interest in pursuing orthopaedic surgery or other field focused on the musculoskeletal system as a career. This elective will allow students to revisit and delve deeper into extremity anatomy with a focus on surgical approaches and relevance to clinical practice. The course would be in the anatomy lab with guidance from both anatomy faculty and orthopaedic surgical faculty. The course will include dissection, hands on learning from the cadavers in the lab including practicing surgical approaches, didactics, and time for students to prepare a presentation on a clinically important anatomic topic to give at the end of the course.

Advanced hospital selectives provide the opportunity for students to assume greater responsibility for patient care of the hospitalized patient, with oversight from supervising residents and attending physicians. Students expand upon competencies they develop during the third year as they care for one to two patients at a time. Additional expectations include responsibility for developing management plans, writing orders, patient handovers and transfers of care, recognizing the policies that support patient safety, and developing competency in procedures that they will perform independently as residents. Fourth year students also assist in teaching third year students.

Designed for the 4th year medical student with a potentially strong interest in pursuing orthopaedic surgery as a career. Patient care involvement will be both in the outpatient clinics and operating room. There will also be opportunities to be involved with emergency department and in-patient consultations. Students will be required to take evening call and will be paired with a resident. Students will have opportunities to work with a variety of faculty that are fellowship trained in the different subspecialties of orthopaedic surgery. There will also be opportunities to work closely with orthopaedic residents. Students will learn musculoskeletal history taking skills, the details of a musculoskeletal physical examination, interpretation of radiographs and advanced imaging techniques, treatment options including both nonoperative and operative management, surgical approaches to include both soft tissue and bone handling techniques, and implant specifics. There will be a lectureship series for students given by the faculty. A fundamental knowledge of musculoskeletal anatomy will be important.

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

The Anatomic Pathology elective is intended for medical students in their fourth year and provides broad experience in general diagnostic techniques. Students will have opportunities for one on one teaching while rotating in anatomic pathology (surgical pathology cytopathology) and clinical lab (microbiology, hematology, blood banking). In anatomic pathology students will learn about routine histologic examination, use of special stains and immunohistochemistry, and personalized cancer care via molecular diagnostic testing.

By familiarizing the student with forensic pathology, to include scene investigation, clinical history, and autopsy findings, this 4-week elective rotation will enhance the student's ability to establish clinicopathologic correlations. Emphasis will be placed on the development and use of observational and deductive skills, and on self-directed independent study. This elective will also provide an orientation to basic forensic medicine through observation of and active participation in forensic autopsies, death scene investigation, educational resources available through the WMed Library, didactic instruction, observation of courtroom testimony when available, a presentation, and written autopsy reports. The student will receive focused instruction on Michigan Compiled Law as it pertains to physicians and the Medical Examiner's Office in addition to training in proper death certification. The student will be exposed to the related and overlapping fields of anthropology, criminal justice, odontology, and toxicology. The student's mastery of the material will be assessed through daily teaching rounds and a presentation to be given at the conclusion of the rotation.

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

The purpose of this elective is to provide a learning experience for the advanced clerkship students with special interest in the field of pediatric and adolescent medicine. The main goal of the advanced clerkship pediatric student chief main is to provide support to core clerkship students transitioning into the Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine clerkship.

Pediatric Endocrinology is a primarily ambulatory 4th year elective based at the WMed Pediatric Subspecialty Clinic on Oakland Drive. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in consultations at the Bronson Children's Hospital in downtown Kalamazoo, MI. Students may spend two or four weeks in our active academic pediatric endocrinology program. The site available is WMed Pediatric Subspecialty Clinic.

The student will join the Bronson Children's Hospital Pediatric hematology-oncology unit that is the tertiary care center for blood disorders and cancer for children and adolescents in Southwest Michigan. As a member of the pediatric hematology-oncology team, the student participates in evaluating outpatients, rounding on the inpatient hematology-oncology service and performing inpatient consultations. Selected procedures may be performed (lumbar punctures and bone marrow aspirations). The pediatric hematology-oncology faculty will provide the student with a study outline and reading materials. Independent projects may be arranged. The sites available are WMed Pediatric Clinics.

Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine is primarily an outpatient experience, but student will participate in all Pediatric activities including Morning report and resident block conferences. The student will have ample opportunity to interview patients, perform physical examinations and discuss management of the most common pulmonary disorders. The student will participate in inpatient rounds and consults on patient admitted at Bronson hospital. They will have opportunity to observe a multidisciplinary team during the Cystic Fibrosis and Ventilation clinics. The student will observe bronchoscopy and spirometry or other pulmonary function testing. Emphasis is also placed on general pediatric issues: growth, immunization, risk of smoking or exposure to tobacco smoke, and infection control, patient education, safety and planning of care. The sites available are WMed Pediatric Subspecialty Clinics.

The student will be working with the Bronson Children's Hospital Pediatric Cardiology Faculty in both the inpatient, consultative, and ambulatory clinic settings. Bronson Children's Hospital serves as the tertiary care referral center for Southwest Michigan.

The prevalence of allergic disease and asthma have increased over the past two decades, particularly in developed countries. This can vary with age, disease and geographic location. Additionally, with more sophisticated diagnostic and treatment techniques, more and more patients with immune deficiencies are being identified and living longer than ever before. Allergy and immunology involves the management of disorders related to hypersensitivity or altered reactivity caused by release of immunologic mediators or by activation of inflammatory mechanisms, as well as disorders of immune deficiency. Understanding the pathophysiology for allergic inflammation and immune dysfunction is crucial to best assess patients and make recommendations regarding testing and treatment. This rotation will expose students to a variety of patients with diseases involving altered immunity or hypersensitivity. For these diseases, the student will learn how to initiate diagnostic evaluation and therapy, and learn to recognize other diseases in which altered immunity plays an important role.

The student will see new and established patients in the outpatient clinic with the allergist. On occasion, an inpatient consultation may be required. This will be discussed as the situation arises. During this rotation, the student will participate in all Department of Pediatrics didactic activities including Morning Report, resident block conferences, and Grand Rounds. The student will have opportunity to interview patients, perform physical examinations and discuss management of allergic and immunologic disorders such as asthma, rhinitis, food allergies, eczema, recurrent sinopulmonary infections, primary immune deficiencies, and more. The student will observe spirometry or other pulmonary function testing and allergy skin prick testing.

This two-week elective will provide the student with an opportunity to review the literature and participate in the clinical care of patients with disordered eating and eating disorders. Students will attend clinic 3 times weekly with Drs. Cabral and Gibson at the Oakland Drive campus and accompany faculty if there are inpatient consults. While on the rotation, students will be tasked to contribute to patient and parent education materials or develop eating disorder prevention materials that could be presented at the community level. In the past, we have had opportunity to present to elementary and middle school classes, but uncertain whether this will be available to students as we establish "new normals" post pandemic. We are also happy to explore opportunity for students to spend time with eating disorder professionals in the community to get a broader sense of the roles, responsibilities, teamwork and communication required to effectively care for this patient population within interprofessional teams.

Ambulatory clerkships provide the opportunity for students to assume initial responsibility for the evaluation of patients in the ambulatory setting. Supervision will be provided by faculty preceptors in the academic setting as well as community private practices. Students expand upon competencies they developed during the third year as they team with residents and/or preceptors to provide preventive health services as well as acute and chronic illness management. The faster pace of ambulatory care provides an environment that strengthens patient and family communication skills, rapport development, and oral presentations. The use of evidence to inform treatment and counseling of patients and their caregivers are additional competencies that are highlighted in the outpatient setting.Ambulatory Pediatrics is an outpatient pediatric rotation that utilizes the WMed Pediatric Clinic as well as a community pediatric office as potential clinical sites. Fourth year students who have successfully completed all Year 3 required clerkships are eligible to register for this course. During this rotation, students will focus on understanding the normal progression of growth and development from infancy through adolescence. Students will also develop their diagnostic and management skills of common acute pediatric complaints, with a focus on respiratory, abdominal and dermatologic problems, as well as common behavioral and mental health disorders. Faculty will all have appointments in the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

This 1 week elective that creates an opportunity for the student to serve as a Medical health Officer for Pretty Lake Camp, a local camp that serves underprivileged children in Kalamazoo County. Choose 1 week from the offered summer camp dates. This elective is designed for approximately 40-45 hours per week depending on the camp session. This elective will include a wide range of activities including camper intakes and an opportunity to participate in range of services to accomplish objectives.

This goal of this rotation is to increase resident and student training in the prevention, identification, diagnosis, treatment, and referral of services for mental and behavioral health conditions seen within pediatric populations. Learners will also have exposure to the role of psychologists/mental health professionals within medical settings and working with primarily medical presenting concerns.
Residents and students will get further exposure to clinical and didactic training experiences through sites within our Division of Pediatric Psychology and a variety of external sites providing services to children and adolescents experiencing a wide variety of mental and behavioral health concerns.

Advanced hospital selectives provide the opportunity for students to assume greater responsibility for patient care of the hospitalized patient, with oversight from supervising residents and attending physicians. Students expand upon competencies they develop during the third year as they care for one to two patients at a time. Additional expectations include responsibility for developing management plans, writing orders, patient handovers and transfers of care, recognizing the policies that support patient safety, and developing competency in procedures that they will perform independently as residents. Fourth year students also assist in teaching third year students.

Advanced Hospital Pediatrics is a hospital based pediatric rotation that utilizes Bronson Children's Hospital as its clinical site. This center is the tertiary care referral center for pediatric disorders in Southwest Michigan. Fourth year students who have successfully completed all Year 3 required clerkships are eligible to register for this course. During this rotation, students will focus on the development of patient management skills as they assume primary responsibility for patient care.

Faculty for this rotation are the Bronson Children's Hospital Pediatric Referral Service.

This rotation offers students the opportunity to accelerate their learning by spending a four week block in the intensive care unit. The rotation provides the student the opportunity to diagnose and treat of a wide range of clinical conditions common among critically ill patients. Students will enhance their knowledge and skill in caring for the sickest patients in the hospital. The Clinical site utilized for the Pediatric Advanced Critical Care is the pediatric ICU at Bronson Children's Hospital. Students will be paired with interns and residents, and will participate in the ICU in a dedicated fashion; the intent is for students to function as a "subintern" and will result in a high level learning experience.

Students will be expected to participate on rounds, will continue to perfect the gathering and synthesis of data, and expand on their ability to make diagnoses and develop care plans. The student will be expected to gather a history based upon interview of patients/families, evaluate laboratory and radiographic material, and generate differential diagnoses and management plans. They will also be expected to improve their documentation skills by writing patient notes in the electronic medical record.

This is a 4 week block rotation, and will correspond to the calendar set forth by the Western Michigan University School of Medicine. This varies on the time of year and the rotation site. The medical ICU consists of patients with primarily medical diseases affecting the major organs.

This required rotation offers students the opportunity to accelerate their learning by spending a four-week block in the intensive care unit. The rotation provides students the opportunity to diagnose and treat of a wide range of clinical conditions common among critically ill patients. Students will enhance their knowledge and skill in caring for the sickest patients in the hospital. The clinical site utilized by the Advanced Neonatal Pediatric Critical Care is the Pediatric ICU at Bronson. Students will be paired with interns and residents, and will participate in the ICU in a dedicated fashion; the intent is for this rotation to be a "subinternship" and be a high-level learning experience.

Students will be expected to participate on rounds, continue to perfect the gathering and synthesis of data, and expand their ability to make diagnoses and care plans. Students will be expected to be able to gather a history based upon interview of patients/families, evaluate laboratory and radiographic material, and generate differential diagnoses and plans. They are expected to improve their documentation skills by writing patient notes in the electronic medical record.

This is a 4-week block rotation and will correspond with the Western Michigan University School of Medicine calendar.

Profession of Medicine 8 is a two-week course during the spring of the fourth year of medical school, and serves as a capstone review of medical ethics. The course consists of a series of student-presented and faculty-supervised clinical pathological conferences. Each presentation addresses actual medical ethical dilemmas that students have encountered during their medical school courses and clerkships. Students and faculty then lead small group discussions outlining the various ethical principles and approaches to these ethical dilemma.

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

The purpose of this elective is to provide support to core clerkship students transitioning into the Psychiatry clerkship. Student Chiefs will orient core clerkship students to expectations of the Psychiatry/Neurology (PSYC/NEURO) clerkship and student roles. The chiefs are expected to be available to the core clerkship students on the PSYC/NEURO rotation for support with knowledge and skills required in the clerkship. Students interested in being a Student Chief need to apply and will be selected by the faculty.

Students work directly with YWCA of Kalamazoo and their programming. Students perform initial evaluations and help manage clients throughout the programming (this may include home visits, attending group sessions, visiting different sites the YWCA oversees, etc). The main site available for this rotation is YWCA in downtown Kalamazoo.

Advanced hospital selectives provide the opportunity for students to assume greater responsibility for patient care of the hospitalized patient, with oversight from supervising residents and attending physicians. Students expand upon competencies they develop during the third year as they care for one to two patients at a time. Additional expectations include responsibility for developing management plans, writing orders, patient handovers and transfers of care, recognizing the policies that support patient safety, and developing competency in procedures that they will perform independently as residents. Fourth year students also assist in teaching third year students.

Students work directly with a faculty psychiatrist, usually a psychiatry resident, and a multi-disciplinary team in an inpatient setting with older adult patients. Students perform initial evaluations and help manage patients throughout their hospitalization (if desired, the student may participate in the ECT Service). The site available is Borgess Medical Center.

Advanced hospital selectives provide the opportunity for students to assume greater responsibility for patient care of the hospitalized patient, with oversight from supervising residents and attending physicians. Students expand upon competencies they develop during the third year as they care for one to two patients at a time. Additional expectations include responsibility for developing management plans, writing orders, patient handovers and transfers of care, recognizing the policies that support patient safety, and developing competency in procedures that they will perform independently as residents. Fourth year students also assist in teaching third year students.

Students work directly with a faculty psychiatrist, usually a psychiatry resident, and a multi-disciplinary team in an inpatient setting with older adult patients. Students perform initial evaluations and help manage patients throughout their hospitalization (if desired, the student may participate in the ECT Service). The site available is Borgess Medical Center.

Discuss the role of drug interactions, adverse effects of medications, and poly-pharmacy in the patient's psychiatric presentation.
Develop the capacity to perform cognitive assessments on these patients with delirium and or dementia.
Demonstrate the ability to perform a neurological screening exam, and know when it is appropriate to order neurodiagnostic tests.
Demonstrate the ability to provide supportive therapy for patients in the general hospital setting.

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

This is an overview of diagnostic radiology. Students will rotate through general radiology and the different subspecialties (gastrointestinal, neuroradiology, mammography, interventional radiology, musculoskeletal, and emergency radiology). Students will participate in the daily reading of images and in the performance of procedures. They will operate during the rotation as part of a team consisting of physicians, physician assistants, radiology physician assistants, nurses, and technologists.

During the elective, the students will choose what rotations they would like to participate in. They will participate in interpretation of images and performing procedures with the staff radiologist. Students will be on the rotation for approximate ten hours per day, some of which may be night shifts. Students will be expected to present an interesting case at the end of the elective. Students will attend all departmental conferences.

This elective is geared toward students who are planning a career in Radiology, Oncology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Surgery, or have general interest in Women's Health. Students will participate in reading sessions and receive instruction in the basics of breast imaging including screening and diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasound and breast MRI as well as the types of breast interventional procedures performed in the specialty. In addition, they will participate in the departmental and interdepartmental conferences. This rotation is at Detroit Medical Center (DMC) Sinai-Grace Hospital (Detroit, Michigan) and at DMC Huron Valley-Sinai-Hospital (Commerce, Michigan).

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

The purpose of this elective is to provide support to core clerkship students transitioning into the Surgery Clerkship. Student Chiefs will orient core clerkship students to expectations of the Surgery clerkship and student roles. The chiefs are expected to be available to the core clerkship students on the Surgery rotation for support with knowledge and skills required in the clerkship. Students interested in being a Student Chief need to apply and will be selected by the faculty.

The ophthalmology rotation is designed for students who are interested in an ophthalmology or primary care residency. They will manage patients as independently as possible with oversight from an attending surgeon. They will be assigned to an ophthalmologist. They will gain operative experience as well as have increased responsibilities managing patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting.

The neurosurgery rotation is designed for students who are interested in a neurosurgery, general surgery, orthopedic surgery or primary care residency. They will manage patients as independently as possible with oversight from an attending surgeon. They will be assigned to a preceptor at either Borgess or Bronson. They will gain operative experience as well as have increased responsibilities managing patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting.

The otolaryngology rotation is designed for students who are interested in a general surgery, ENT or primary care residency. They will manage patients as independently as possible with oversight from an attending surgeon. They will be assigned to an otolaryngologist at either Borgess or Bronson. They will gain operative experience as well as have increased responsibilities managing patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting.

The urology rotation is designed for students who are interested in a urology, general surgery or primary care residency. They will manage patients as independently as possible with oversight from an attending surgeon. They will gain operative experience as well as have increased responsibilities managing patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting. They will be assigned a faculty mentor/preceptor at their assigned hospital.

The vascular surgery rotation is designed for students who are interested in orthopedic vascular, general surgery or primary care residency. They will learn to manage both arterial and venous disease under the supervision of a vascular surgeon. They will gain operative experience as well as learn to manage patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting. They will be assigned a faculty mentor/preceptor or group.

The wound care rotation is a 2 week rotation designed for students who are interested in a primary care or general surgery residency. They will manage patients as independently as possible with oversight from the attending surgeon or wound care nurses. They will be assigned to the wound care clinic and wound care nurses at Bronson. They will gain operative/procedural experience as well as have increased responsibilities managing patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting. At the end of the rotation students should be able to place and troubleshoot a wound VAC as well as ostomy appliances.

The surgical skills rotation is designed for students who are interested in any type of surgical residency. They will participate in a number of skills sessions and group learning activities designed to prepare them for life as a surgical house officer.

The rural general surgery rotation is designed for students who are interested in a primary care or general surgery residency. They will manage patients as independently as possible with oversight from the attending surgeon. They will be assigned to the general surgery service at Allegan Borgess General Surgery. They will gain operative experience as well as have increased responsibilities managing patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting

The colorectal surgery rotation is designed for students who are interested in a general surgery or primary care residency. They will manage patients as independently as possible with oversight from an attending surgeon. They will be assigned to the colorectal surgery service at either Bronson or Borgess. They will gain operative experience as well as have increased responsibilities managing patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting. They will be assigned a faculty mentor/preceptor.

This oral maxillofacial surgery elective is a 2 or 4 week elective focusing on oral and maxillofacial surgery, dental issues, and anatomy.

This elective in global health is part of an ongoing collaboration between the departments of Surgery at WMed and JFK Memorial Medical Center in Monrovia, Liberia. This experience in a low resource healthcare setting has multiple opportunities that can be customized to individual interests. This rotation can last up to 4 weeks. The participant will be part of a team designed to offer expertise in patient care and experience in medical education. Participants will likely be given tasks to advance our collaborative relationships that can include research, identifying areas of need, or providing education to Liberian medical professionals. Participants typically gain perspectives that result in gratitude for the US system of health and provide awareness of the depth of medical need worldwide.

Advanced hospital selectives provide the opportunity for students to assume greater responsibility for patient care of the hospitalized patient, with oversight from supervising residents and attending physicians. Students expand upon competencies they develop during the third year as they care for one to two patients at a time. Additional expectations include responsibility for developing management plans, writing orders, patient handovers and transfers of care, recognizing the policies that support patient safety, and developing competency in procedures that they will perform independently as residents. Fourth year students also assist in teaching third year students.

The advanced general surgery rotation is designed for students who are interested in a general surgery residency. They will manage patients as independently as possible with oversight from the general surgery chief resident and an attending surgeon. They will be assigned to the general surgery service at either Borgess or Bronson. Assistance with teaching 3rd year students will also be expected. They will gain operative experience as well as have increased responsibilities managing patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting.

Advanced hospital selectives provide the opportunity for students to assume greater responsibility for patient care of the hospitalized patient, with oversight from supervising residents and attending physicians. Students expand upon competencies they develop during the third year as they care for one to two patients at a time. Additional expectations include responsibility for developing management plans, writing orders, patient handovers and transfers of care, recognizing the policies that support patient safety, and developing competency in procedures that they will perform independently as residents. Fourth year students also assist in teaching third year students.

The advanced pediatric surgery rotation is designed for students who are interested in a general surgery, pediatric or primary care residency. They will manage patients as independently as possible with oversight from an attending surgeon. They will be assigned to the pediatric surgery service at Bronson. They will gain operative experience as well as have increased responsibilities managing patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting. They will be assigned a faculty mentor/preceptor but will work with everyone on the pediatric surgery team.

Advanced hospital selectives provide the opportunity for students to assume greater responsibility for patient care of the hospitalized patient, with oversight from supervising residents and attending physicians. Students expand upon competencies they develop during the third year as they care for one to two patients at a time. Additional expectations include responsibility for developing management plans, writing orders, patient handovers and transfers of care, recognizing the policies that support patient safety, and developing competency in procedures that they will perform independently as residents. Fourth year students also assist in teaching third year students.

The surgical oncology rotation is designed for students who are interested in a general surgery or primary care residency. They will manage patients as independently as possible with oversight from an attending surgeon. They will be assigned to the surgical oncology service through West Michigan Cancer Center. They will gain operative experience as well as have increased responsibilities managing patients in the inpatient and outpatient setting.

This rotation offers students the opportunity to accelerate their learning by spending a four week block in the intensive care unit. The rotation provides the student the opportunity to diagnose and treat of a wide range of clinical conditions common among critically ill patients. Students will enhance their knowledge and skill in caring for the sickest patients in the hospital. The clinical sites utilized for the Advanced Trauma and Surgery Critical Care are the ICUs at Bronson Hospital and Ascension Borgess Hospital. Students will be paired with interns and residents, and will participate in the ICU in a dedicated fashion; the intent is for students to function as a "subintern" and will result in a high level learning experience.

Students will be expected to participate on rounds, will continue to perfect the gathering and synthesis of data, and expand on their ability to make diagnoses and develop care plans. The student will be expected to gather a history based upon interview of patients/families, evaluate laboratory and radiographic material, and generate differential diagnoses and management plans. They will also be expected to improve their documentation skills by writing patient notes in the electronic medical record.

The advanced trauma and critical care surgery rotation is designed for students who are interested in a general surgery or other surgery subspecialty residency. They will manage patients as independently as possible with oversight from the general surgery senior resident on service and an attending surgeon. They will be assigned to the trauma/critical care surgery service at either Borgess or Bronson. Assistance with teaching 3rd year students will also be expected. They will gain operative experience as well as have increased responsibilities managing patients in the inpatient critical care and trauma bay settings. They will be assigned a faculty mentor/preceptor at their assigned hospital.

Transition to Residency Course provides a summation of the Clinical Applications phase of the curriculum, and is designed to ensure the preparation of graduating students for residency. The course is designed to help the medical student understand their new role as a resident in the specialty of their choice. The course will include topics on professionalism, communication, risk management, life skills and using informational resources for evidenced-based clinical decisions, the students will also follow their specialty track with procedure training and clinical topics designed to introduce the student for their future patient population that they will be caring for in residency. It includes classroom didactics, small group case discussions, interactive role play, and simulation for procedural skills.

Students may develop an individualized research plan of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Students may develop an individualized course on a topic of their choice under the direction of a faculty member. Students should work with a faculty member to submit the form Elective Proposal to Educational Affairs at least eight weeks prior to the projected start date. This elective requires prior approval.

Addressing professional, personal, and patient well-being is paramount in providing and sustaining effective health care. The topic of well-being in medicine is multi-faceted, offering opportunities to examine key health influences at both an individual and organizational level. For physicians, this topic has implications for quality of life in the workplace, effectiveness of patient care, and utilization of personal well-being tools across the domains of emotional, physical, social, and spiritual health. This elective offers an overview of wellness topics in patient care and physician-wellness advocacy as springboards for students to identify relevant content areas of interest for deeper exploration.

The integration of spirituality into the practice of medicine holds many opportunities for deepening the meaning and impact of health care relationships for providers and patients alike. At the same time, multiple obstacles exist to practically implementing whole-person care in the ways encouraged in scholarly writings and training programs. This elective offers students an overview of existing resources and current research in this area, and invites them to reflect on their own values and interests in engaging in medical practice in a way that promotes mind-body-spirit well-being.

This elective, as part of the Well-Being in Medicine track, is designed for the third-year medical student in clinical rotations. It is a student-to-student longitudinal group, led by fourth-year students under the supervision of the elective director, that is intended as a safe space for students to process real or hypothetical situations they may encounter in the clinic. Students will be exposed to content from the literature on emotional awareness/intelligence, mindfulness, and resilience/vulnerability and practice well-being skills in these domains in the context of real-life clinical scenarios. The short-term goal is to help students to navigate challenging emotional terrain during their initial clinical experiences while maintaining their own sense of well-being. The long-term goal is to engage students in developing well-being and resilience skills that will serve them throughout their clinical practice, as well as in their personal lives.

Engaging in wellness during the preclinical years is foundational for developing healthy habits and behaviors for success during the clinical years. Wellness is a broad term, and this elective intentionally focuses on content that enhances self-reflection, connection to the profession of medicine, as well as the development of healthy boundaries between one's personal and professional life. Topics explored will include various wellness themes within the medical profession, especially those about mission, purpose, and self-care during clinical rotations. At the center of this discussion will be the evidence-based impact of compassion in medicine and how we as future physicians can be more intentional in our interactions with patients, especially in choosing to be compassionate. In addition to a required reading, students will have the opportunity to self-guide their experience with a selection of their own topics from a pre-made list.
Weeks offered:
January 13, 2025
Feburary 24, 2025