Syllabi: The Patient Is Why I’m Here

INSTITUTION: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine

PRESENTERS: John D. Engel, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs, Executive Associate Dean, and Professor of Behavioral Sciences, and Joseph Zarconi, M.D., Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine and Associate Dean for Clinical Education.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Martin Kohn, Ph.D., Director of the Human Values in Medicine Program (email: mfk@neoucom.EDU)

ENROLLMENT: BS/MD; selective; limit: 15 SEMESTER: Spring 2000
April 19, 26, May 3, 10 (Wednesday mornings 8:00 a.m. - 12 noon)

ENROLLMENT LIMIT: 15

LEARNING GOALS:

To develop a detailed understanding of what it means to be a professional

To develop an anthology of useful materials on professionalism which can be shared with other
medical students

To understand the impact of professional behavior on patient care

METHOD OF INSTRUCTION: Small group discussion

COURSE DESCRIPTION: What is a profession? What does it mean to behave as a professional? Has the conduct of professional behavior changed throughout the history of medicine?

These questions are at the core of the practice of medicine and will provide the background to critically examine the physician-patient relationship. Case studies, historical descriptions of the ideas and practice of ethnically diverse and prominent men and women physicians such as Hippocrates, William Osler, S. Weis Mitchell, Meg Handy, Li Tama, and David Satcher, literature and film will be used to examine the impact of professional behavior on the care of patients and the recapitulation of the profession. In addition, students will have the opportunity to develop an anthology on professionalism which will be distributed to NEOUCOM students as well as students in other Ohio medical schools.

OUTLINE:

What is a Profession?

Physician Views on the Practice of Medicine

Caring: Physician and Patients Collaborating

REQUIREMENTS: Attendance, participation in discussions, and brief writing exercises

READING LIST:

Sullivan, W.M. (1995). Work and Integrity. New York: Harper

Various films and short pieces of literature

HVM CREDITS: 4