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Medical Education Committee (MEC) Meeting Minutes
Present: Cheri Canon, MD, Chair, Hughes Evans, MD, PhD, Roger Berkow, MD, Ashley Evans, MD, John Wheat, MD, Cynthia Moore, BS, John
Brandon, MD, Jim Leeper, PhD, Greg Pence, PhD, Alice Goepfert, MD, Peter Anderson, PhD, Nathan Smith, MD, Laura Kezar, MD, Tom
Houston, MD, Greg Pence, PhD, Scott Plutchak, MLS, James Jackson, PhD, Patricia Aiken, MS-1, Will Williams, MS-1, William Donnellan,
MS-4, Chrystal Rutledge, MS-4, Mackenzie Dreher, MS-4,
Huntsville: Lanita Carter, PhD, Parekha Yedla, MD
Tuscaloosa: Bill Ashwander, MS-3
Date:
1/15/08
Time:
4:00 pm
Agenda Items
1. Review Rural Medical Scholars
Program
Discussion
Dr. John Wheat, Director, presented an informative review of
the Rural Medical Scholars Program (RMSP). Of note: 45%
of its graduates return to practice in primary care in rural
Alabama. The program emphasizes family medicine, which
47.5% of RMSP graduates select as their field of practice.
Cynthia Moore, Assistant Director, reviewed the Rural Health
Leaders Pipeline and the new Black Belt Health Scholars
Program designed to reach out to younger (9th and 10th grade)
students in rural Alabama, introducing them to and
encouraging them to pursue medical school and ultimately
rural medicine.
Dr. John Brandon, Medical Director, discussed the need and
the goal of the program to find and recruit students from rural
areas who have a commitment to return to their rural
communities. Once accepted to the program, their interest in
rural medicine is maintained with field trips, visits to clinics,
farms, hospitals, community health fairs, etc.
Dr. Jim Leeper, Director for Education and Evaluation,
reviewed the RMSP Pre-medical school curriculum. Of note a
significant number of the Tuscaloosa Family Medicine
Residents are RMSP graduates.
2. Early Medical Student Acceptance
Program
Dr. Greg Pence presented an update of the Early Medical
Student Acceptance Program. There are 40 students in the
program currently. 80% of the students in the program go on
to medical school. There is some difficulty in getting the best
Action Items
Target Date
Medical Education Committee (MEC) Meeting Minutes
students to stay here for medical school. The program is
becoming more competitive/attractive to recruit nationally
with its full scholarships. Slots for Optometry and Dental
students have recently been added. The need for a good
UASOM faculty mentor relationship was discussed.
3. Curriculum Update
Dr. Berkow reported that the implementation of the new
curriculum is proceeding relatively well as the first semester is
completed. The organ-based modules are under way with
completion of the Introduction to Organs module. The
Cardiovascular module has begun.
There was some discussion of the integration of the “Themes”
material into the modules. It was a little overwhelming in
Fundamentals 1 and 2. This is being reviewed and will be
worked on for better integration for future modules and years.
Will Williams, MS-1 reported that a good portion of the
students’ frustration or stress is caused by the newness of
everything and by the inconsistencies from module to module
with a new module director, with radically different ways of
doing things such as ARS, test taking, etc. However, the
students are beginning to adjust or get used to the idea that
things will be new every month or two.
Patricia Aikens, MS-1 reported that the Cardiovascular
module is being well received. The students feel like it is very
well organized and the course directors are highly visible and
available for questions, etc.
4. IMS Subcommittee update
Dr. Berkow reported that the Clinical Curriculum Committee
and IMS have reviewed proposals for the clinical portion of
the new curriculum and are putting forward the following
proposal for MEC approval:
The neurology and psychiatry clerkships will each be 4 weeks
on all three campuses (encouraged by the LCME) and the
Selective rotation on the Birmingham campus will increase to
4 weeks.
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Medical Education Committee (MEC) Meeting Minutes
Students will be allowed to take elective or acting internship
courses (4th year courses) in their third year once they
complete the core Internal Medicine and Surgery clerkships
and any clerkship which covers the content material of the
elective or AI. It is expected that any core clerkships delayed
by this should be completed by November 1st of the 4th year
curriculum.
This will be voted on by the MEC electronically.
Dr. Lester reported the IMS subcommittee is currently
accepting, reviewing, and approving “Special Topics.” This
will be an ongoing process.
5. Assessment subcommittee update
Dr. Ashley Evans reported that the Assessment subcommittee
did not meet in December. The next meeting will be in
February, and the main item on the agenda will be to discuss
the OSCE. Tom Houston will now take over the Chair
position as Dr. Evans has rotated off. We thank her for her
important service in this role.
6. Adjournment
The next MEC meeting will be held on Monday, March 3,
2008 at 4:00 pm in VH room 302.
The meeting was adjourned.
MEC Vote