IDM 730 - Core Topics in Medicine

This course is a two-week full-time course given during the intersession period(between Blocks 2 and 3) of the third year of medical school. During the first week, basics of medical humanities, medical jurisprudence, medical economics, and medical ethics will be related to common patient problems which the students are likely to have encountered during their clinical experiences and which important in the practice of medicine. Specific topics may vary, but will typically include -the organization and delivery of healthcare in the US, -insurance and payment mechanisms, -principles of quality improvement, -legal issues in healthcare, -medical informatics and information technology, -medical decision making, -disease management, -palliative and end-of-life care, -alternative and complementary therapies, and the application of anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, and the art to medical practice. During the second week, basic science principles which are applicable to the treatment of critically ill patients will be studied. Emphasis will be placed on derangements that can occur in homeostatic mechanisms which can lead to abnormalities of fluid and electrolyte balance, acid-base disturbances, hypoxia, and hyper- and hypo-tension. These principles will be discussed in the context of the assessment and management of critically ill patients presenting with symptoms of -cardiac pump failure, -blood loss and shock, -sepsis, -acute respiratory failure, -severe metabolic abnormalities, and -acute mental status changes and coma. While some background material will be presented through lectures, most of the learning will occur through reading and internet-based activities, workshops, simulations, and independent and small group analysis of case studies and of the literature. There may be a class fee assessed to your student account.

Credits: 1 - 2