Minutes

Educational Policy Council Meeting

July 9, 2001

Carbondale:  Lindegren 310/Springfield:  Lincoln Conference Room

 

Present:

Terri Cameron, Staff

Linda H. Distlehorst, PhD

George Dunaway, PhD
  for Donald A. Caspary, PhD

Paul J. Feltovich, PhD

Sharon K. Hull, MD

Jerry A. Kruse, MD

Theodore R. LeBlang, JD

Tracy K. Lower, MD

David S. Resch, MD

Michael F. Shanahan, PhD

Sandra L. Shea, PhD

John Tomkowiak, MD

David R Wade, PhD

Absent:

Amber Barnhart, MD

Erik J. Constance, MD

Clint Farris, Class of 2002

Regina A. Kovach, MD

Matthew Lavery, Class of 2003

Joelle Lipcamon, Class of 2004

Dean K. Naritoku, MD

Susan Thompson Hingle, MD

 

Discussion Items

1.         Minutes

Dr. Resch made a motion, seconded by Dr. Dunaway, to approve the June 11 minutes with the following correction:  under Item 4, the Technology report was given.  In addition, the written report for Year 1 has been received and will be added as an Appendix to the June minutes.  The motion was approved with one abstention.

2.         Announcements

2.1     Telemedicine Visiting Professor

Dr. Feltovich announced that IMPC was hosting a telemedicine information day on July 10.  Dr. Maximillian Stachura from the Medical College of Georgia, will give a presentation in the West Auditorium at 8 am and will meet with faculty and groups the remainder of the day.

3.         EPC Subcommittees:

3.1     Educational Value Unit Task Force Update

Dr. Kruse announced that the group reviewed the data from the last survey at its July 2 meeting and identified additional items for inclusion and revised some of the values assigned to items.  Will be sent to faculty for an additional review.

3.2     Genetics

Dr. Dunaway volunteered to serve on the committee.

3.3     Faculty Development

No report was given in Dr. Caspary’s absence.

3.4     Information Technology

Dr. Resch reported that Dr. Dunaway, Dr. Dean Naritoku, and Dr. Scott MacGilvrary McGilvray had volunteered to serve on the subcommittee and had attended the last meeting.  The group is still gathering data and beginning to develop a list of resources. 

3.5     Program Evaluation

Dr. Distlehorst will be convening the Program Evaluation Subcommittee in the near future to review data and make plans for the future.

4.         Committee Reports

4.1      Year 1 Curriculum Committee

Dr. Wade reported that the Year 1 Remediation had been successfully completed by the three students involved.  Sixty-nine students are progressing to Year 2.

4.2      Year 2 Curriculum Committee

Dr. Tomkowiak reported that the Faculty Council had approved the Year 2 Committee appointments and that that group would be meeting later in the day to begin to implement proposed changes to the curriculum.  The curriculum will be similar to the curriculum mounted last year, but with noted problems addressed and corrected.  The Year 2 Committee members are:  Pamela Moriearty (Steven Verhulst will serve in this capacity while Dr. Moriearty is on sabbatical), John Fisk, Peter Borgia, Mokenge Malafa, Maureen Francis, John Dietrich, Rhona Kelley, Amber Barnhart.  Dr. Dunaway suggested that a Pharmacology representative be added to the committee, since all of the other major disciplines were represented.  Dr. Tomkowiak responded that the current Year 2 Operating Paper did not allow for discipline-based representation, but that he could ameliorate the situation by revising the operating paper to include an additional “at-large” member.  There was much discussion as to the level of clinical participation in curriculum administration versus basic science participation.  Dr. Tomkowiak made it clear that there was no intent to diminish the importance of students learning the relevant basic science content or faculty participation in the curriculum.  The committee is currently composed of four basic scientists and five clinical faculty; if a Pharmacologist is added, there will be five basic science department representatives.  Each segment will have a design committee composed of consultants, which will include basic science expert resources.  In response to concerns about recommendations that are not being currently implemented in the curriculum, Dr. Tomkowiak explained that there were only 38 days left before students arrive, and that the committee would spend the coming year reviewing the recommendations and working with other year committees to implement a curriculum that is integrated across the year and integrated within the four-year curriculum.  There was much discussion as to how clinical experiences and resource sessions will be implemented. 

 

In continued discussion regarding follow-up regarding recommendations for Year 2, it was suggested that all four years of the curriculum report on planned changes early in 2002 to allow adequate implementation time.

 

4.3      Year 3 Curriculum Committee

Dr. Distlehorst reported that clerkship orientation had been held earlier in the day, as well as a training session on using the personal digital assistants (PDAs) in clerkships.  Dr. Kruse reported that Dr. Kovach had met with the Dean to discuss plans for Year 3 and that Dr. Kovach will make a report at the next meeting.  Efforts continue to implement increased basic science content in Year 3.  Dr. Distlehorst noted that this is also a major issue for Year Directors’ meetings, as part of the vertical integration discussions.

4.4      Year 4 Curriculum Committee

The Year 4 Committee has not met since the last EPC meeting.

4.5      Four-Year Doctoring Streamer

Dr. Hingle reported that the Doctoring Committee has been focusing on the teaching elective, which has 13 students this year.  The major focus for the year is on integration within the curriculum segments.

5.         Other Business

Dr. Kruse reported that a report on USMLE Step 2 scores, with comparisons to MCAT scores, was being developed and would be presented as soon as the Class of 2001 scores are received.

6.         Next Educational Policy Council Meeting:  Monday, August 13, 2001, 1:30 to 3 pm.