Curriculum Committee Meeting - September 18, 1996

Members Present

Rooks, Burchfield, Cheong, Christensen, Davidson, Koroly, Ledbetter, Myser, Normann, Small, Zavelson

Ad Hoc Members Present

Bottom, Harris, McElroy, Meakin, Rathe, Romrell, Schmidt, Stevens, Suter, Watson, Wright

Guests

Nancy Evans, Coordinator, Advancement Alumni Affairs; Renee Buchannan, Dean's Staff, Florida Physicians Magazine

Members Not Present

Alguire

Ad Hoc Members Not Present

Copeland, Duerson, Genuardi, Grinenko, Hurt

This was the "inaugural meeting" of the Committee with comments by Dr. Watson and an overview by Dr. Rooks. Dr. Watson expressed satisfaction over the road the Curriculum Committee had travelled since January 1990, by assuming educational leadership for the College and introducing significant changes. Now the Curriculum Committee should focus on the following issues:

• finding the right blend of basic and applied disciplines
• making the patient problem the conceptual and physical reality for student learning
• producing the "complete" physician
• introducing the student to the managed care environment
• establishing an effective evaluation system

The members of the Curriculum Committee are the College's educational experts and should, as is feasible, keep up with developments in the field. Dr. Watson also announced that the Chair of the Committee, Dr. Larry Rooks, has been appointed Medical Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Professor, a professorship partially endowed by the medical alumni.

Larry Rooks welcomed new members of the Committee. Patrick Alguire, M.D., Josepha Cheong, M.D., Richard Christensen, M.D., Daniel Ledbetter, M.D., and Catherine Myser, Ph.D.

General Overview

Larry then presented his views of "where we have been, where we are, where we are going and how." There is a long list of "good news" or major decisions the Curriculum Committee has made, some of these as innovation efforts, others not so innovative, and some born out of necessity. What has the Curriculum Committee and the educational leadership done? The Curriculum Committee has revitalized itself and has asserted its leadership role; PIMS has been put on the right track; mission-based budgeting is beginning to reward the educational effort of the faculty; the Harrell Professional Development and Assessment Center has been established; the College of Medicine Educational Center (COMEC) will be a reality. Critical support to our program is provided by the Area Health Education Center.

Several major themes have guided the Curriculum Committee in its work. First, some of the recommendations of AAMC's GPEP (General Professional Education of the Physician) Report; then the concept that we should provide the education for the students to become "complete physicians" at every level of their development, which is the same as saying that throughout the four years the basic science knowledge base and the clinical skills should be complementary to each other and not competing with or separated from each other. Finally, the Curriculum Committee also should have the "Principles of Education Program Planning and Implementation" (see item 4 of the original packet sent to the CC membership) in mind when going about its work.

There are some major environmental problems that create some level of uncertainty, such as the economic and organizational upheaval in the health care system and its impact on the organization and financing of medical schools. Despite this uncertainty, the Curriculum Committee will proceed with forward looking program planning along the following lines:

• consolidate our gains, e.g. refine the "clinical presentation" list; strengthen the "Essentials of Patient Care" during the first two years
• develop an effective evaluation system
• continuously revisit and consolidate the role of the basic sciences as an integrated component of the four years
• keep the membership informed of important educational developments elsewhere

1. Information Sharing and Communication
   • selected articles will be distributed for reading with brief presentations and discussion at some of the meetings
   • a Listserv user group will be established over email. This will allow rapid communication from the chair to the membership and their response to the chair and all the members. Meeting announcements and minutes will be disseminated over Listserv.
   • A site has been created on World Wide Web with the following URL: <http://www.med.ufl.edu/work/cc/>. Meeting agendas and minutes and corresponding documents will be posted with appropriate links to additional information. The membership list can be used conveniently to send email to those whose email address is underlined.
2. There will be two standing subcommittees:
   • evaluation subcommittee (Parker A. Small, chair)
   • neurobehavioral sciences subcommittee (Richard P. Schmidt, chair)

   At this time one task force will be appointed to address the fourth year program and other task forces may be created as the need arises.

   • Parker Small requested that a suggestion of his be presented for vote. The chair consented. The motion was that the Curriculum Committee pass a resolution that no medical students would be allowed to begin their clerkship unless they have demonstrated the skills of blood drawing. Because of serious objections from some members, the motion was withdrawn. It will be brought up at a later meeting.
   • The meetings of the Curriculum Committee are scheduled for the first and third Wednesday of each month and are held 7:30-9:00 a.m. in Room M112 unless otherwise indicated as follows:
     • October 16 (Room 1222 - Faculty Conference Dining Room, Shands)
     • November 6 and 20 (Room 1222)

   Next meeting:

   • October 2 at 7:30 in Room M112. The agenda and supportive materials will be sent prior to the meeting.

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    Updated: September 20, 1996
     Author: margie mcgarva/msm@dean.med.ufl.edu