2015-2016 Syllabus
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I.
Self and Culture
II.
4th Year Elective (self-directed)
III.
Continuous
IV.
Leila E. Diaz, MA, MEd and Bobbie Ann White Adair, MA
Name
Email
Elective Director
Leila E. Diaz
ldiaz@medicine.tamhsc.edu
Phone
Office location
Office hours
Campus
254-724-4903
MEC 410 (Temple)
By appointment
Temple
Elective Co-Director
Bobbie Ann White
bawhite@medicine.ta
mhsc.edu
Coordinator
TBD
TBD
254-724-6480
MEC 410 (Temple)
Temple
a. Other participating faculty (may include in Appendices)
V. Course Description (from HSC Course Catalogue) and Overview
http://www.tamhsc.edu/education/catalog/
Self and Culture is an elective for individuals that want to explore their own and others ideas
about culture and its role in Medicine. Culture has many implications and could never be defined
in a one to three week elective, so our goal is to assist students in understanding the importance
of broad culture and help them understand their own perceptions and how they apply it to their
role as a physician. This elective aims to promote self-awareness to enhance professional
understanding and compassion for everyone. Our educational objectives are broken into three
timeframes: Level 1 (Level A), Level 2, and Level 3. We anticipate students may be interested in
varying timeframes and we want to be flexible, hoping that this flexibility will allow us to reach
the majority of our students as we think this content is important for everyone and their
development as professionals. THIS COURSE CAN BE TAKEN AT ANY CAMPUS AND IS
FULLY ONLINE.
Students are able to select 1, 2, or 3 weeks of the course. There will be three corresponding
levels (Level A, Level B, Level C). If multiple weeks are selected, students can schedule them
consecutively or split them up.
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2015-2016 Syllabus
*Housing will not be provided.*
VI. Course Objectives and Evaluation Method

See COM Competency Based Learning Objectives below.
Evaluation Methods
a. All modules are graded for completeness and thoroughness within the subject.
b. All modules are pass/fail.
c. If an assignment is not completed fully, the course director will contact the student to fix and
resubmit.
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
(COM Competency Based Learning Objectives: http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/academicaffairs/curriculum/objectives/)
Course Objective:
COM Competency
Based Learning
Objectives
Evaluation:
Taught
(T)
and/or
Evaluated
(E):
Describe their “culture”
PROF4
E
Graded Exercise
Define the differences between
acculturation and assimilation, emic
and etic, religion and spirituality,
culture and ethnicity
PROF 4
E
Graded Exercise
Reflect on how their individual
worldview affects interpersonal
relationships.
PROF 4
E
Graded Exercise
Improve self-awareness and identify
biases that may influence the clinical
care provided.
PROF4
E
Graded Exercise
Recognize and appropriately address
gender and cultural biases within
healthcare delivery while considering
the health of the patient, and that
patient's perceptions of healthcare.
PROF4
E
Graded Exercise
Commit to personal accountability for
understanding cultural and behavioral
PROF4
E
Graded Exercise
(Example shown)
PBLI2
PBLI1
ICS3
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2015-2016 Syllabus
aspects of healthcare and build
effective communication strategies
that promote mutual respect and
reduce intercultural conflicts,
misconceptions, or misunderstandings
in the healthcare setting.
Develop an understanding of the
manner in which the people of diverse
cultures and belief systems perceive
health and illness and respond to
various symptoms disease and
treatments
Identify behavioral and social factors
related to culture and health and the
impact of healthy literacy
Explore the role of diversity in
medical education.
Recognize the issue of racial and
ethnic disparities in healthcare and the
role of stereotype threat.
Devise strategies to enhance skills
toward the provision of care in the
culturally aware practice.
PROF 4
E
Graded Exercise
PROF 4
E
Graded Exercise
PROF 4
E
Graded Exercise
PROF 4
E
Graded Exercise
PROF 4
E
Graded Exercise
ICS3
PBLI 1
VII. Attendance Policy
Students are not required to be on any specific campus. All modules can be completed in a self-directed
fashion.
VIII. Policies and Procedures (generic information for all campuses)
Assignments must be completed in Level order (ex. Level A, then Level B, etc; if a student
registers for only one week, they must complete the Level A modules). The levels must be taken
in order depending on the number of weeks registered for.
Weekly modules deadlines are as follows:





June - July: deadline Aug 15
August - December: deadline Jan 31st
January - February: deadline March 15th
March and April: deadline 2 weeks after the last scheduled week
May (if applicable): deadline Monday before commencement
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2015-2016 Syllabus
Example 1: If you schedule one week of Self & Culture in June, one week in November, and one
week March 6-12, your deadlines are as follows:
· June: Week 1 Modules (1.1-1.4) due by August 15th
· November: Week 2 Modules (2.1-2.4) due by January 31st
· March 6-12: Week 3 Modules (3.1-3.3) due by March 26th
Example 2: If you schedule two weeks together in August and one week in February, your
deadlines are as follows:
· August: Weeks 1-2 Modules (1.1 – 2.4) due by January 31st
· February: Week 3 Modules (3.1-3.3) due by March 15th
If a student has scheduled to take a week(s) that overlaps months, the deadline will pertain to the
month the last day of the week falls under. Students should contact the instructor with any
questions prior to the deadline.
If the deadline dates are not adhered to, the instructor may elect not to award credit for the entire
Level resulting in not passing the course.
IX. Learning Materials and Activities
Course materials are available online 24/7 via Blackboard.
Textbooks (Required and Recommended Resources)
N/A
X. Grading and Remediation Policies
The final course grade will be based on the following:
Completed Exercises
Pass
Fail
100
100%
GRADING SCALE
70-100
69 and below
XI. Course Schedule (may include in Appendices if available)
Students are able to select 1, 2, or 3 weeks of the course with three corresponding levels (Level
A, Level B, Level C). If multiple weeks are selected, students can schedule them consecutively
or split them up.
The process for completing the assignments must be completed in order (ex. Level A, then Level
B, etc; if a student registers for only one week, they must complete the Level A modules). The
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levels must be taken in order depending on the number of weeks registered for.
XII. Patient Encounter Logs: (N/A if this does not apply)
N/A
XIII. Important Legal Information and Policies
a. TAMHSC E-mail Access and FERPA
TAMHSC is communicating all official information to students through the students’ TAMHSC e-mail
accounts. Please check the account frequently during the semester for updates.
This course is supported with web-based and/or e-mail activities. In order to take advantage of these
additional resources and participate fully in the course, you have been assigned an e-mail address by the
Texas A&M Health Science Center. This e-mail address is for internal use only, so that faculty may
communicate with you and the entire class. By registering for this course, you are agreeing to allow your
classmates to have access to this e-mail address. Should you have any questions, please contact the
Office of the Registrar at 888-523-2905.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), which the HSC complies fully, is
intended to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the rights of students to inspect and
review their education records and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading
data through informal and formal hearings. Students also have the right to file complaints with the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office of the Department of Education in Washington, D.C.,
concerning alleged failures by the HSC to comply with the act.
b. Students with Disabilities
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides
comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation
requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for
reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an
accommodation, please contact the Disability Services Office at 979-845-1637 or visit the website
http://disability.tamu.edu/. Any student with a disability who needs accommodation should inform the
instructor at the beginning of the course.
c. Professionalism and integrity Statement (Academic Honesty and Plagiarism)
All TAMHSC students are required to comply with the student code of conduct and the academic
integrity and honesty standards published in each component’s Student Handbook. Disciplinary action
will be taken in accordance with the policies of each component. Students found guilty of Academic
Dishonesty will receive an “F”/Unsatisfactory in the course.
As commonly defined, plagiarism consists of presenting as one's own the ideas, words, writings, etc.,
which belong to another. In accordance with this definition, you are committing plagiarism if you copy
the work of another person and turn it in as your own work, even if you should have the permission of
that person. Plagiarism is one of the worst academic violations, for the plagiarist destroys the trust among
colleagues without which academic communication cannot be safely conducted.
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d. Mistreatment of Students
The College of Medicine is committed to providing a positive learning environment in which students can
meet their academic goals based on mutual respect in the teacher/learner relationship. Both parties must
be sensitive to the needs of others and differences in gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, age or
disability. As outlined in the Standards of Conduct in the Teacher-Learner Relationship, belittlement,
intimidation and humiliation are unacceptable for effective learning and undermine self-esteem. Breaches
involving student mistreatment may result in a faculty or staff member being sanctioned or the loss of
faculty and/or staff appointment. The College of Medicine internal policy for dealing with claims of
student mistreatment or unprofessional behavior is described here. This policy addresses student
mistreatment involving College of Medicine employees. However, we realize that a student may
experience mistreatment from residents, affiliate staff, or patients. These instances will be discussed in
Section V of the document. Please access the policy at http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/dean/policies/studentpolicies/mistreatment-of-students.html for more information regarding reporting, resolution of claims,
appeals, and responsibilities. To report mistreatment via College of Medicine telephone hotline, dial
1(855)-397-9835. To report via web page, click http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/dean/policies/studentpolicies/form.html
e. Exposure and Occupational Hazard
The Needle Stick Policy for Medical Students may be accessed at:
http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/dean/policies/student-policies/needle-stick-policy.html
Note: More information is available on the aforementioned topics to all students in the online course
catalog and or on the College of Medicine website.
XIV. College of Medicine Competency Based Learning Objectives
College of Medicine Competency Based Learning Objectives can be found under the Office of Academic
Affairs website:
http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/academic-affairs/curriculum/objectives/
XV. Principles and Guidelines for Curriculum Development
Principles and Guidelines for Curriculum Development can be found under the Office of The Dean
website:
http://medicine.tamhsc.edu/dean/policies/pdf/curriculum-principles-guidelines.pdf
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