MSIV Instructions

MLC III: Introduction and Guidelines for Students (2008-2009)
Co-Directors: Paul F. Shanley, M.D. and Sara Grethlein, M.D.
Associate Directors: John Epling, M.D. and Tom Poole, Ph.D.
Coordinator: Karen C. Kelly (kellykc@upstate.edu)

General information

The course will run from July 15, 2008 to May 1, 2009.

On-campus sessions will be held weekly on Tuesday evenings from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in Room 103 Weiskotten (teleconferenced to the Binghamton Clinical Campus) except on weeks with holidays or those otherwise designated.

What does this course consist of?

The course is designed to supplement the growing clinical experience students have gained through clerkships and clinical electives by offering a return to a more fundamental scientific and mechanistic approach to problems in medicine. The focus will be on the promise and limitations of research in medicine through reading and critiquing of primary reports of clinical and basic science studies.

The articles will be read and discussed with the rest of the class each week (during on-campus sessions), with the format for the course similar to that of the MLC I and MLC II courses.

In general, each week is a self-contained unit comprised of:

The main paper - which is a report of clinical or translational research
A perspective piece (editorial or short review of the subject)
A report of some concrete event (patient case or news release) that makes the reason for studying the subject more obvious or compelling

The following are the objectives that students will be asked to demonstrate on the quizzes and written assignments with respect to the readings:

Knowledge of the relevant background concepts in the basic sciences
Knowledge of what is established and what the question is with respect to the clinical issue being addressed
Ability to translate the findings of the study and the state of knowledge in the field (as represented in the editorial pieces) into lay language appropriate to communication with patients
Ability to critically assess the information presented in terms of the conclusions drawn by the authors
Ability to appropriately apply the findings to specific clinical problems
Ability to suggest further research questions stemming from the study results
Awareness of the ethical issues raised by the investigation (e.g., conflicts of interest, patient safety, informed consent, etc.)
Attitudes of curiosity, skepticism, humility in the face of the unknown and intent to pursue a career of lifelong diligent questioning and learning.

What are the grading and attendance policies?

Grading will be based on quizzes and written assignments about the readings.

Completion of 16 sessions is necessary to complete this requirement.
For Syracuse and Binghamton campus students, attendance at 12 on-campus sessions is required, with the option to complete the remaining 4 sessions online.

Grades will be based on your top 16 session scores (i.e., you can drop your lowest score(s) if you attend more than the required 16 sessions). Passing for the course is set at 70%, High Pass at 80% and Honors at 90%.

You will be allowed to have printed copies of the readings (and any other typewritten material) available to you during the quizzes, so highlight and make notes on them as you read. In turn, the quizzes will be tightly timed so that it will not be possible to read the papers in real-time (well-annotated copies of the readings should prove very helpful though).