Cornell University (Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College)

Founded in 1898, and affiliated with what is now NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital since 1927, Weill Medical College of Cornell University is among the top-ranked clinical and medical research centers in the country. In addition to offering degrees in medicine, Weill Cornell also has PhD programs in biomedical research and education at the Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and with neighboring Rockefeller University and the Sloan-Kettering Institute, has established a joint MD-PhD program for students to intensify their pursuit of Weill Cornell's triple mission of education, research, and patient care.

The Medical College is divided into 20 academic departments: seven focus on the sciences underlying clinical medicine; and thirteen encompass the study, treatment, and prevention of human diseases, and maternity care. In addition to its affiliation with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College and Graduate School maintains major affiliations with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Hospital for Special Surgery, as well as with the metropolitan-area institutions that constitute NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare Network. The Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College and Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University are accredited by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education of the American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Weill Medical College's educational mission emphasizes the importance of combining a strong basic foundation in the medical sciences with extensive clinical training in patient care. By promoting a true social commitment, stimulating creativity, and fostering independent thought and study, Weill Medical College continues to cultivate the best of tomorrow's leaders in the field of medicine.

The Joan and Sanford I. Weill Education Center is a state-of-the-art educational facility. Its 21 teaching rooms, each equipped with four large-monitor Macintosh computers and readily convertible into laboratories for microscopy, are ideal for small group learning. The Weill Auditorium also uses cutting-edge technology, including such amenities as modem and electrical outlets at every seat.

Computers are used prominently in the WMC curriculum, including text, anatomic and microscopic images, video, sound, animations, simulations, bibliographic searching, access to databases, etc. More than 120 terminals are available throughout the Education Center and the library.

The Weill Cornell Medical Library, composed of the Samuel J. Wood Library and the C.V. Starr Biomedical Information Center, is a completely modern information resource. It contains extensive printed materials (books and journals) as well as numerous electronic resources.

The principal teaching site for Weill Medical College is NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, one of the world's leading hospitals. The NewYork Weill Cornell Medical Center was founded in 1771 as The New York Hospital, the first hospital in New York and the second oldest in America. With the completion of the Greenberg Pavilion in 1997, the hospital confirmed its place among the most prominent and modern hospitals in the world. The presence of some 2,500 faculty members, 50 residency and clinical fellowship programs, and 500 residency positions, ensures a rich interaction between medical students, residents, and faculty. In addition, the extensive network of clinical affiliates allows students to experience all types of clinical settings, both in- and out-patient.

Clinical affiliates include New York Hospital Queens, New York Methodist Hospital, Lincoln Hospital Medical and Mental Health Center, Flushing Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn Hospital Medical Center, St. Barnabas Hospital, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, United Hospital Medical Center, and Cayuga Medical Center. Learning thus occurs in every possible type of clinical care.

During the clinical portion of their medical studies, students learn by actively providing care to patients, under the supervision of the faculty. Cornell's model for clinical learning encourages the student to analyze clinical problems rigorously, then discuss the interpretation with the faculty, then implement the clinical plan. This encourages the student to develop independent clinical skills, while safeguarding the highest level of patient care.

Students at Weill Medical College are successful by all
measures. Our experience in the new curriculum is that students learn extremely well—and that they are happy learning. In the National Residency Matching Program,
most students obtain their top residency choice, and the vast majority obtain one of their top three choices in this highly competitive program. Cornell alumni are preeminent in the profession: as scientists, as
physicians, and as academic leaders.

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Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College Medical School Location

Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College Courses

FIRST YEAR

The first year of study consists of four core basic science courses and Medicine, Patients and Society I. The core basic science courses are taught sequentially as integrated block courses on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; they are described below in the order in which they are offered. Medicine, Patients, and Society I is taught every Thursday throughout the academic.

COURSES :

* Molecules Genes and Cells : As introduced to you during orientation, the medical curriculum utilizes new learning experiences designed to maximize active student participation. Learning modalities include problem-based learning (PBL), lectures, small group discussions, laboratories and journal clubs.

* Human Structure and Function : T This course is dedicated to the study of Gross Anatomy, Histology, Embryology, Physiology of organ systems, and clinical imaging of the normal human body. These disciplines are integrated and applied to the study of the following organ systems: skin and musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, liver, biliary and gastrointestinal, kidney, urinary tract and endocrine and reproductive.

* Host Defenses : This course introduces the student to the basic concepts of abnormal human biology and is devoted to the study of General Pathology, Immunology, and the principles of Microbiology and Pharmacology.

* Medicine, Patients, and Society I : This course approaches the patient-physician relationship from the conceptual and practical perspectives. It teaches the development of a professional identity in the student; the basics of the medical history and physical examination; and connections between patients and their illnesses. The course brings together the following content areas in ways that highlight their interrelationships and connections: medical interviewing, physical and mental status examination, human behavior in illness, medical ethics, patients in their contexts, public health, risk factor assessment and intervention, biostatistics and clinical epidemiology. On Thursdays mornings, students attend introductory lectures, followed by small group seminars. Afternoons are spent at physicians' offices located at other areas Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester, and Long Island. Each student is assigned to one physician, a faculty member of the medical College who, as office preceptor, oversees the student's interaction with patients, relatives, and the office staff.

SECOND YEAR

The second year of study consists of two core basic science courses, Medicine, Patients, and Society II, and an Introductory Clerkship. The core basic science courses are taught sequentially as integrated block courses on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from late August to early April; they are described below in the order in which they are offered. Medicine, Patients, and Society II is taught every Tuesday during the same period (see Class Schedules, page 39). The Introductory Clerkship is offered just prior to the beginning of the third year clinical courses.

COURSES

* Brain and Mind : The Brain and Mind course is a multidisciplinary approach to medical education that incorporates elements ranging from basic neuroscience and the gross anatomy of the head and neck, to neurological diagnosis and psychopathology. It is offered to medical students during the fall semester of their second year. Please feel free to use the drop down menu above to quickly view the course description (including the course overview, organization, assessment, guidelines, and grading policy), the faculty listing, weekly schedules, and software resources.

* Basis of Disease : This course is fundamentally a survey course on human disease. The course has been organized by organ system (modules), and within each module, several disciplines (e.g. pathophysiology, pathology, pharmacology) contribute to presenting an integrated view of clinical disorders. Basis of Disease utilizes several learning modalities including lectures, problem based learning (PBL), laboratories, small group sessions, and journal clubs.

* Medicine, Patients, and Society II : This course builds upon the principles introduced in Medicine, Patients and Society I. It teaches some of the skills of doctoring including establishing the doctor-patient relationship, taking the medical history and conducting the physical examination.

* Introductory to Clerkships : The Introductory Clerkship is a 3-week course taken at the beginning of the third year immediately prior to entering the clinical clerkships.

* Introduction to Anesthesiology : The goal of the anesthesia clerkship is to introduce the student to the wide spectrum of anesthesiology. This includes patient management in the operating room, the ICU setting and pain control. The course emphasis is on the clinical application and interaction of pharmacology and physiology.

THIRD YEAR

The third-year curriculum begins with a five-week sequence of introductory courses preparatory for the clinical curriculum that follows immediately thereafter. The first two of those weeks are dedicated to two concurrent courses, Clinical Pharmacology and Anesthesia, Ventilation and Circulation. Description of these courses can be found in the section dedicated to the educational program of the respective departments.

The final three weeks of the introductory period are taken up by the Introductory Clerkship taught by the department of Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and several of its affiliates. In July, the clinical rotations begin. These consist of 56 weeks of clerkships lasting from four to eight weeks each in all the major clinical fields, including medicine, primary care, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and general surgery and surgical specialties. These are complemented by short courses in clinical ethics, health care systems and anesthesiology. Students completing this clinical core curriculum are sufficiently acquainted with the various clinical specialties to identify their primary areas of interest, both in the clinical and basic science fields. Accordingly, they are prepared to plan an educational program for their final year in medical school that is best suited to their interests.

In the spring of the third year, each student chooses a senior faculty member as an advisor to help in planning the fourth-year program.

COURSES :

* Medicine, Patients, and Society III : A two-week course for third year students that will help to promote self-reflective and humanistic practice. The course will have a special focus on improving competency in end-of-life patient care.

* Primary Care and Clerkship : he motivation behind the creation of the new Primary Care Clerkship is largely twofold. First, public debates and attempts at health care reform have shed new light on the importance of the primary care physician.

* Medicine Clerkship : Students serve as members of the medical team on an in-patient medical service, actively caring for patients under the tutelage and supervision of faculty and house staff.

* Public Health Clerkship : The Public Health clerkship is a two-week course. Students are introduced to a series of themes/topics that are currently being debated in the health care field. This rotation relies on small group collaboration. Working in teams is an important exercise as is the coordination of written and oral communication skills. This interactive approach to learning necessitates organization, coordination, and small group peer collaboration. Students will be assigned to groups to research a specific topic and to prepare an oral report to be presented to the group at the end of the rotation. Each group will have the opportunity to visit six sites in order to obtain different perspectives on how different organizations are addressing the assigned topic. That is, one group may be assigned to research quality assessment. Six sites will be visited and it is the student’s role to ascertain how each of the six organizations/facilities is addressing quality assessment. In addition to the field trips, library research will be necessary to show an in-depth understanding of the topic.

* Anesthesia Clerkship : The Anesthesiology clerkship is a one week course taken during the third year. This clinical course builds upon the primarily didactic Anesthesiology course taken at the beginning of the third year. Most students spend the entire week at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where they are assigned to a different operating room in the Greenberg, ambulatory or obstetric operating room suites every day. A few students are assigned to Memorial Hospital for their clinical work. Under the close supervision of faculty and residents, students are actively involved in the anesthetic care of patients from all surgical services.

* Neurology Clerkship : Third year neurology is a four week rotation. Students rotate on one of the following services: NYPH-Ward and Consults, MSKCC-Ward and NYPH-Queens.

* Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship : The Obstetric-Gynecologic clerkship is a six-week course taken in the third year. There are two separate clerkships. Students assigned to the New York Hospital-Queens will spend all six weeks there, with rotations on the Obstetric and Gynecologic service. At the New York Presbyterian-Cornell Hospital, the students will spend two weeks on Gynecology, two weeks on Gynecologic-Oncology, and two weeks on Obstetrics at Lincoln Hospital.

FOURTH YEAR

During the fourth year, student correlate their preceding medical school experiences and begin to function effectively in the physician's role while sharpening their clinical skills in preparation for residency training. Students are required to complete sixteen weeks of elective courses, a four-week sub internship in either General Medicine or General Pediatrics, the Advanced Basic Science course, and four additional credit weeks in Advanced basic Science (see below).

The Advanced Basic Science course is offered during the last four weeks of the fourth year, just prior to graduation. This course, both a return to the basic sciences and "The Last Hurrah," covers the latest advances in biomedical science and technology currently applied to the practice of medicine including topics particularly germane to frontline medical practice. The Spring of 2000 course will address receptor biology, congenital disease, drug resistance, angiogenesis, cancer biology, arteriosclerosis, neurologic disease and immune responses.

The other four credit weeks consist of fulltime basic science research, a research tutorial or a teaching experience in a basic science course.

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