Discussion Items

1. Minutes

Dr. Caspary asked that Dr. Constance’s comment regarding the balance and process of the curriculum be inserted into the discussion about content expert tutors. It was also suggested that agendas and minutes be attached to e-mail announcements, rather than just included in the e-mail. Dr. Caspary made a motion, seconded by Dr. Resch, to approve the minutes with those corrections.

2. Announcements

As part of the review of the August minutes, Dr. Kruse reiterated his request that all curriculum committees be prepared to present overviews of each year’s planned curricula for academic year 2002-3003 in December 2002.

Mr. LeBlang reported that the Medicine and Law day for first-year medical and law school students was successful.

Dr. Distlehorst reports that the Mentored Professional Enrichment Experience presentations demonstrated high level work by students.

3. EPC Subcommittees:

3.1 Educational Value Unit Task Force Update

Dr. Kruse reported that revised questionnaires have been distributed to faculty, but that the group had not yet met to review the data.

3.2 Genetics

Dr. Kruse announced the following roster of members for this subcommittee: David Steward (Chair), Peter Borgia, Kimberly Espy, Michael Schneider, and David King. He asked that suggestions for additional members be sent to him before the next EPC meeting so that this group can begin to meet.

3.3 Faculty Development

Dr. Kruse announced the following roster of members for this subcommittee: Amber Barnhart, Linda Distlehorst, Tracy Lower, Nata Young, Don Caspary, and Regina Kovach. A chair has not been named. He asked that suggestions for additional members be sent to him before the next EPC meeting so that this group can begin to meet.

3.4 Information Technology

Ms. Cameron announced that the subcommittee is now up to 14 members, which provides a broad representation of the School of Medicine: David Resch (chair), Terri Cameron (staff), Rodney Curtis, George Dunaway, Gary Dunnington, Janek Koirala, Scott MacGilvray, Claudia McIntrye, Dean Naritoku, Rhona Kelley, Regina Kovach, Akshay Sood, Michael Shanahan, and Jeffrey Suzewits. The current focus is on a needs assessment survey, which is being sent to all faculty and students to provide the basis of a strategic plan for the subcommittee and as a tool for planning a technology fair that the IMPC has asked the group to schedule.

3.5 Program Evaluation

Dr. Kruse announced the following roster of members for this subcommittee: Janet Albers, Amber Barnhart, Beth Dawson, Linda Distlehorst (Chair), Timothy Koschmann, Regina A. Kovach, Theodore LeBlang, Jeffrey M. Lehman, and Steven Verhulst. This group is basically composed of the members of the C2000 Program Evaluation group. The group will meet in the near future to review data that continues to be collected as part of the Program Evaluation plan distributed to all curriculum committees last spring.

4. USMLE Results

Dr. Dawson and Ms. Holloway presented detailed retrospective data regarding aggregate performance for USMLE Steps 1 and 2.

There was much discussion as to whether the Class of 2003 should be given aggregate data regarding their performance on the exam this summer. Dr. Constance expressed concern regarding sharing data that would allow individual student performance to be determined, and said that he would prefer to wait until national data was available next spring before making announcements to students. The consensus was that students should be given the type of information that Dr. Kruse and Dr. Distlehorst shared with department chairs and year directors, and Dr. Constance said that he would schedule a meeting with students to share the information.

5. Online Self Assessment System

Dr. Resch provided an overview regarding the online self assessment system, which was developed to help students gauge their achievement of faculty learning objectives and practice for USMLE computer-based exams. The biggest problem students encounter in using the software is the limited number of questions assigned to cases.

Dr. Wade reported that questions are distributed on paper in Year 1.

6. Vertical Integration

Discussion of this topic was postponed.

7. Committee Reports

7.1 Year 1 Curriculum Committee

Dr. Wade reported that students appear to be progressing through the curriculum smoothly, although they are dealing with the death of one of their classmates. Faculty attrition is a major concern to Carbondale faculty.

7.2 Year 2 Curriculum Committee

Dr. Distlehorst reported that Co-Chairs have been appointed to each segment, with a Basic Scientist and a Clinician assigned to each segment. Subcommittees have been established for Basic Science Chairman, Year 2 Structure, Student Progress, and Assessment subcommittees.

7.3 Year 3 Curriculum Committee

Dr. Kovach reported that the Year 3 Committee has been focusing its attention on Basic Science Integration in Year 3. Other issues addressed at the last meeting included Class of 2003 USMLE Step 1 performance and guidelines for educational research. She asked for clarification regarding the type of program evaluation data the EPC would like to receive regarding Year 3. The consensus was that summative data regarding the six questions from the program evaluation subcommittee would be sufficient. Dr. Kovach also reported that she had been discussing the possibility of trying again to insert Neurology into Year 3 and asked for guidance from the EPC as to how flexible the timeline for Year 3 could be. This issue will be a major agenda item at the October meeting.

7.4 Year 4 Curriculum Committee

Dr. Lower reported that Luann White has been hired as the Registrar for Years 3 and 4 and that the electives course processes are being reviewed. All Year 4 students have taken the Clinical Competency Exam, and the CCX Committee has scheduled a special meeting.

7.5 Four-Year Doctoring Streamer

This report was postponed until the October meeting.

8. Other Business

9. Next Educational Policy Council Meeting: Monday, October 8, 2001, 1:30 to 3 pm.

	Minutes