Morehouse School of Medicine


Morehouse School of Medicine FIRST YEAR

The first year begins with a five-week summer component designed to assist students in finding the most efficient way to approach the curriculum. On the basis of their performance, students may elect to, or be required to, participate in the five year program. This
decelerated curriculum allows three years to complete the first two years of the basic sciences curriculum. This five-year program is a recognized and legitimate course of study. The entire first year curriculum extends over ten and one/half months.

COURSES :

* Human Morphology : This course is an introduction to the structure and function of the human body for first-year medical students. It integrates the major topics in human cell biology, histology, embryology, and gross
anatomy. The emphases are on: (1) defining the principles of organization of cells, tissues and organs in systemic and regional anatomy, and (2) utilizing those principles to correlate structure with function. The course incorporates lecture, laboratory and small group
discussion formats. It includes complete dissection of the human body, microscopic examination of cells, tissues and organs, radiological anatomy, and demonstrations.

* Medical Biochemistry : This is a comprehensive course required for all first year medical students. Medical Biochemistry is also a core course for the predoctoral graduate program. The course covers all areas of
biochemistry and includes clinical correlations integrated into each topic. The following topics will be presented: structures of biological compounds, pH and buffers, protein structure, hemoglobin and myoglobin, enzymes (kinetics and mechanisms), intermediary metabolism and regulation, bioenergetics, lipid metabolism, membrane
structure and function, cholesterol, steroid and lipoprotein metabolism, nutrition, heme and nucleotide metabolism, molecular genetics and amino acid metabolism. The course incorporates traditional lectures,
some small group tutorials/reviews and objective-based examinations.

* Neurobiology : The basic anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system are integrated in this course. The major portion of the course is organized by systems, i.e., sensory (e.g., visual, auditory), motor,
limbic and autonomic. In the laboratory, gross and microscopic sections of the brain and spinal cord are studied.

* Medical Physiology : This is a required course for all first year medical students and focuses on the mechanisms of normal function in the human body.
Major areas covered include general, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal and endocrine physiology. Neurophysiology is introduced in this course and covered in more detail in a Neurobiology course offered by the Department of Anatomy. A combination of
formats, including lectures, written exercises, discussions, and laboratory demonstrations, is used to present basic facts and concepts as well as promote active learning and problem-solving skills in the
application of these facts and concepts. Examples of environmental adaptations and pathophysiological conditions are used to reinforce and integrate material within and across systems.

* Community Health : This unique, interdisciplinary, community-based course includes all first-year Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) students
in addition to nursing and social work students from other institutions. Faculty are multidisciplinary. The course minimizes lectures, relying primarily on a format of assigning students to small interdisciplinary groups that pursue health promotion activities in inner city communities in Atlanta. In the fall semester, students analyze the health problems of their designated community, and develop and present policy recommendations to local and state elected officials and community activists. In the spring, students develop health promotion interventions to address the community needs previously identified.

* Fundamentals of Medicine 1 :
- Clinical Preceptorship : For most students, the
Preceptorship Program is a student�s first exposure to
patient care. This experience allows students to view
the practice of medicine and the healthcare system
through the eyes of both the physician and the patient.
The course helps students learn to develop empathetic
patient relationships. Students experience the
practice of primary care medicine in several different
urban and rural settings involving Family Practice,
Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and
Obstetrics/Gynecology. The recognition of community
problems is stressed as well as the support systems
available to approach these problems.

- Human Values 1 : The first year of this 2-year course
introduces students to current ethical dilemmas and
human values issues that are explored from clinical,
public health, psychosocial, economic and cultural
perspectives.

- Biostatistics/Epidemiology : This course covers
methods including epidemic investigations, study
design, Bayes, Theorem, and hypothesis testing.
Instructional methods include lecture, discussion,
problem solving, and computer based tutorials. The
course includes computer-based tutorials.

- Human Behavior : This course covers the human life
cycle from birth to death, with a focus on normality
and adaptive behavior. It includes historical evaluation
of psychiatric nomenclature and the efforts to define
with increasing precision deviation from normality.

SECOND YEAR

The second year of the curriculum begins in early August and concludes with the United States Medical Licensing Examination, Step I (USMLE, Step I). The ten-month curriculum includes course work in clinical medicine taught in affiliated hospitals and clinics.

COURSES :

* Pathophysiology : This is a two-semester course designed not only to cover the pathophysiological mechanisms of disease, but also to develop the
students� clinical reasoning abilities. It is intended to be a year-long board review and, as such, integrates the basic sciences with clinical topics. The course is taught in case-based format where student participation and initiative are crucial to success. Student evaluation is
based on performance on board-type multiple choice examinations and class participation.

* Microbiology and Immunology : Lectures, case presentations, clinical correlations, laboratory exercises and group discussions are utilized to present the basic
concepts of immunology, virology, pathogenic bacteriology, mycology and parasitology. The agents of infectious diseases, the nature of the infections they cause, host responses and the natural and clinical
defenses against infectious diseases are studied. The goal of this course is to provide the student sufficient conceptual and practical knowledge of Medical Microbiology and Immunology to enter clinical training and future practice.

* Pathology : This course is a required course for medical students. It introduces the student to the study of disease and serves as a bridge between the basic and clinical sciences. The first part of the course
deals with general processes in pathology that are common to many diseases including cell and tissue reactions to injury, neoplasia, and non organ-specific disorders such as genetic diseases, immune diseases,
environmental disorders, infections, and nutritional diseases. The remainder of the course involves discussions of organ-specific disease states (systemic pathology). Specifically, the course covers causes,
pathogenetic mechanisms, morphologic and functional effects of diseases, and relates these to the patient in terms of prevention, diagnosis, natural history, course and prognosis. The course also incorporates principles relating effective use of the clinical laboratory in the diagnosis of selected diseases. An important aspect of the course is the introduction to the language of medicine and correct use of medical terminology. Teaching methods include lectures, simulated clinical case discussions, laboratory sessions utilizing fixed gross specimens, glass slides, color prints and transparencies. The case simulations allow the student to correlate clinical information with the morphology. These case vignettes also allow the student to begin to
organize clinical data from various sources in order to solve clinical problems and strengthen skills in clinical reasoning.

* Pharmacology and Toxicology : Medical Pharmacology and Toxicology is a course for secondyear medical students and graduate students. The course lectures
include: introduction to the principles of harmacokinetics (how the body acts on the drug) and pharmacodynamics (how the drug acts on the body) and a survey of major classes of therapeutic agents with emphasis on their mechanism(s) of action and therapeutic use(s), adverse effects and drug interactions. The Department also incorporates lectures, small group-sessions (patient-oriented problem solving; peerassisted learning), case studies, clinical correlation conferences and objective-based examinations into the course.

* Nutrition : Course is designed to increase student understanding of the basic nutritional principles needed for general patient care. Course content includes: nutritional assessment and support; diet and disease
trends; nutritional disorders.

* Fundamentals of Medicine 2 :
- Introduction Primary Care : The goal of the second year
Introduction Primary Care � Pediatrics is to give an
overview of clinical Pediatrics. The course features
two lectures covering interviewing skills by age,
normal findings birth to 18 years, developmental
attainments, delayed development, and common
pediatric illnesses. Additionally, the student have three
group meetings with the same preceptor using
inpatients on the practical application of interviewing a
patient/parent, physical examination and oral
presentation of the history and physical findings. The
students are not provided any medical records for the
patients prior to their interviews or physician
examination. The goal is to organize their inquiries,
which could lead them to a differential diagnosis and
assessment of appropriate organ system. They are
then requested to present the history and physical
findings obtained or recovered to their classmates. All
students are given the opportunity to examine patients
with significant clinical findings or review with the
preceptor radiographs where appropriate. The
teaching site for the inpatient experiences is Hughes
Spalding Children�s Hospital.

- Human Values in Medicine II : In the second year, social
and psychosocial issues are addressed and students
become sensitive to the medically underserved, and
begin to understand the rigorous demands of the
human medical practice.

- Psychopathology : Students are introduced to
techniques of psychiatric and psychological
assessment, to the most common psychiatric
disorders and emergencies, crisis intervention, and to
psychopharmacology. A survey of the relationship of
psychiatry and the applied behavioral sciences of
other disciplines and specialties is provided. Medical
students should become sensitized to a variety of
social and cultural problems infringing on patients and
physicians in receiving and delivering healthcare
services, such as sexual dysfunctions, substance
abuse, sexism, racism, and poverty

THIRD YEAR

The academic schedule for the third year begins in early August and ends in late July. During this twelve-month period, students must complete all of the following clerkships: Surgery, Family Medicine/Maternal Child Health, Psychiatry, Radiology, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Obstetrics & Gynecology.

COURSES :

* Internal Medicine : Students spend a two-month rotation on the medical inpatient services of Grady Memorial Hospital. The students collect the database,
formulate the problem list, devise the initial plans and follow each patient in a problem-oriented fashion. To a large extent the students have primary responsibility for their patients, working under the close supervision of house staff and faculty. Working as an integral member
of one service team consisting of an attending faculty member, senior resident, two interns and another student, each student makes rounds with the house staff, presents patients to the attending faculty and takes call every fifth night with the house staff members of the team. Each student completely works up two or three new patients per week during the two-month rotation. Student goals are to learn how to collect data,
identify and define individual components and clarify their relationship to each other, apply pathophysiologic principles to the clinical setting, organize problems for solution and follow them systematically through to their resolution.

* Pediatrics : Oriented to Primary Care Pediatrics in medically underserved settings, this required clerkship features a three-week ambulatory placement in a community private practice, Kaiser Office, or a
neighborhood health center. The inpatient section of the course includes a two-week rotation at Hughes Spalding Children�s Hospital and a oneweek service at the term nursery of Grady Memorial Hospital. Finally,
there are two community/subspecialty weeks where students spend time in either subspecialty offices or clinics. There are also three half-days weekly for case discussions, clinical simulations, and other classroom
activities. The clerkship is largely based on a national curriculum developed by the Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics and the Ambulatory Pediatrics Association.

* Obstetrics/Gynecology : Obstetrics and Gynecology spans the entire age range of the female patient and is extensively health-oriented with emphasis on prevention of illness and on surgical and obstetrical techniques.
Students participate actively in the prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care of normal and abnormal obstetrical patients. They are actively involved with the diagnosis and treatment of minor and major gynecological problems in the outpatient department and on the
hospital wards. Students are also exposed to the different obstetrical and gynecological subspecialties, including maternal fetal medicine, oncology, reproductive gynecology and infertility.

* Psychiatry : Seven-week rotation during the third year. Emphasis is on the clinical application of principles of psychiatry and aberrant behavior learned in the first two years. Students are assigned rotations at Ridgeview Institute, a psychiatric service facility, Fulton County
Mental Health Centers (FCMHC), an outpatient community mental health facility, and Atlanta Regional Hospital, a public psychiatric facility. Ridgeview, FCMHC, and Atlanta Regional Hospital offer a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders in both inpatient and outpatient
settings. Clinical responsibilities include performing admission histories and psychiatric examinations, formulating psychodynamic aspects of the case, psychiatric differential diagnosis and actively participating in the psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacologic treatment and management of patients. Students attend and participate in rounds and ward teaching conferences as well. Students will also
participate in group therapy to gain further insight into the psychiatric problems of patients and their families. A clinical case teaching conference is held with an attending physician on a weekly basis. This
conference is to demonstrate interview techniques, discuss differential diagnosis, and to allow for in-depth discussion of psychodynamics of selected patients. A lecture series addresses clinical aspects of the
diagnosis and treatment of the major psychiatric disorders. Some selected topics are interviewing skills, nosology, emergency psychiatry, behavioral medicine, psychopharmacology, suicide substance abuse and forensic issues.

* Surgery : Third Year Clerkship in Surgery is a required eight-week rotation offered for all students who successfully complete all Basic Science requirements. The rotation is under the guidance of Morehouse School of Medicine, Department of Surgery�s clinical faculty at Grady Memorial Hospital. Emphasis is on the use of basic science principles, while developing clinical diagnosis and management skills. Students are expected to participate fully in the diagnosis, treatment, and
management of patients on the surgical teams, including in-house call. Didactic lectures, conferences and rounds are mandatory. Participation in the operating room is under the supervision of residents and faculty attending. Mini rotation in pediatric surgery, urology, and
otorhinolarynogology give students subspecialty experience. Students participate in a suture workshop during the first week of the Clerkship. The didactic lectures/ workshops will cover General Surgery and its
subspecialties. MCQ computer administered exams are given as a part of the student evaluation.

* Family Medicine : The Family Medicine/Maternal and Child Health clerkship is a required eight-week clerkship. It is designed to meet the educational objectives in Family Medicine, Pediatrics, and Obstetrics & Gynecology. The student will have the opportunity to evaluate acute and chronic medical problems that frequently occur in the community. Even though the emphasis is on the development of effective clinical skills in the ambulatory patient care setting, experiences in the direct care of patients on family medicine hospital services, including labor and delivery, are also provided. Students are assigned a prenatal patient and expected to participate in delivery. Sites may include the Morehouse Family Practice Center; offices of practicing family physicians; community health centers; Southwest Hospital and Medical Center, where students serve as sub-interns. Providing healthcare for senior citizens, adolescents, and obstetrical patients is strongly emphasized.

* Radiology (an integrated curriculum) : Integrated into the Grady-based clerkships in medicine, surgery and Ob/Gyn, this is a general introduction to radiology including small group sessions on indications for diagnostic imaging, including plain film, CT, MRI and sonography.

FOURTH YEAR

The academic schedule for the fourth year begins in early August and ends in late April. During this nine-month period, students must complete the remaining two clinical rotations, i.e., Rural Primary Care and Ambulatory Medicine, in addition to a minimum of five
clinical electives. The electives program, which must be approved for each student in order to ensure a balanced program, may include electives at other LCME accredited medical schools.

COURSES :

* Ambulatory Medicine : This is a one-month required clerkship. The course aims to provide the student with a positive experience in primary care of adults, with role modeling by faculty staff, as well as a firm grounding in the body of general internal medicine knowledge. Emphasis is placed upon data collection and integration and differential diagnosis skills. Staff physicians supervise the students in the clinical setting and MSM faculty teach the didactic sessions. There are no lectures; the course is taught in problem-based format.

* Rural Primary Care : This ambulatory training experience focuses on common primary healthcare problems in non-urban settings. The goal of this course is to introduce students to the comprehensive primary care of rural populations and the analysis of rural health problems. Additionally, students are required to complete a Special Study Project that focuses on a unique rural health problem, or the rural aspects of a larger problem.

* Elective Rotations

MEDICAL SCHOOL PHOTOS

Morehouse School of Medicine

MEDICAL SCHOOL INFORMATION


School name: Morehouse School of Medicine
Address: 720 Westview Drive S.W.
Zip & city: GA 30310-1495 Atlanta
Phone: 404-752-1500
Web: http://www.msm.edu/


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