Academics

Second Year Courses

Courses are organized by the quarter in which they are taught. Follow the links on each course name to obtain a brief description of the content.

The course is taught by Dr. Scott Mendelson.  This intensive course starts by introducing the student to neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. With the vocabulary afforded by that introduction in hand, students will then learn the general principles of perception, followed by focused treatment of vision, hearing and verbal communication, pain, and equilibrium. Students will then learn the key components of voluntary motor control including the motor unit, reflexes, gait, posture, praxis, cerebellar and basal ganglia function, and gaze control. The course wraps up with a consideration of neural contributions to homeostasis and a consideration of how the brain informs the practice of medicine. 

The course consists of daily lectures, 8 laboratory exercises, 6 review sessions, a midterm and a final. In addition, the ophthalmology and neurology exams will be taught in collaboration with Clinical Skills.

At the conclusion of this course, students will be prepared for the boards, the neurological part of CPPT, and most importantly for understanding the neural contributions to disorders of all organ systems.

When: September 19, 2022 - October 18, 2022

Human Behavior in Health and Illness This course is designed to give 2nd-year medical students an overview of behavioral science principles that inform medical practice.  The course is taught by Dr. Michael Marcangelo.  The emphasis in the course is on normal behavior and the biological, psychological, and social factors that influence it. It is intended to be a big-picture view of a complex field, focusing largely on elements that shape health behaviors in general. In addition, students are taught aspects of behavior that can go awry, leading at times to poor coping with circumstances (including physical illnesses) or even to the onset of mental illnesses. The course should provide enough behavioral science material (psychological models of the mind, behavioral neurobiology, development through life cycle, sleep, sexuality, adaptation to illness, and normal v. psychopathology) to prepare students for the Psychiatry module of Clinical Pathology and Pathophysiology and for their clinical clerkships.

When:  September 19, 2022- November 1, 2022

Class meets twice per week for a two hour session.

Pharmacology is taught by Dr. Peter O'Donnell.  The course introduces the student to the principles of pharmacology, focusing primarily on basic science, but also providing reference to clinical applications. Course content is intended to provide a comprehensive and integrated overview for the student in preparation for the therapeutics component integrated into Clinical Pathophysiology and Therapeutics (CPP&T). There are also optional review sessions conducted by the teaching assistants.

The class meets daily for the first seven weeks of the autumn quarter. Exams are multiple choice.

When:  September 19, 2022 - November 2, 2022

Clinical Skills 2A & 2B: Like CPP&T, Clinical Skills 2A & 2B (Physical Diagnosis) meets for 1.5 quarters. The course introduces students to the technical skills of physical diagnosis (PD). Aspects of the course common to all groups begin with lectures, scheduled Tuesday and Thursday. The need for this to be personalized to each student's level of experience requires small group settings. All students are assigned to fourth year medical students who meet once per week in the University of Chicago Hospitals. Students are required to write up patients seen, usually taking one to three hours to complete. All students also attend additional evening sessions scheduled throughout the two-quarter sequence. These sessions allow small groups to assemble to cover topics like the gynecological exam, the ophthalmologic exam, rheumatology, etc. Workshops on cultural competencies, geriatrics, and advanced communication topics are also included in the course.

Evaluation includes a written review of systems, a complete physical exam on a child, a healthy adult, a standardized patient, and performance of an oral patient presentation.

Clinical Pathophysiology and Therapeutics I & II (CPP&T) is a comprehensive 1.5 quarter sequence. This course introduces students to the clinical pathophysiology and therapeutic modalities of selected diseases that are linked to the following 10 physiological systems: hematology, pulmonary, renal, cardiovascular, endocrine, ob/gyn, skeletal, gastrointestinal, hepatic, and CNS/neonatal. In addition, a psychopathology module has been integrated into the course. Class meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, for seven hours each day. The material is presented as lectures, laboratory exercises, and discussions. The exams are multiple choice.

The course is taught by Dr. Scott Stern and Dr. Aliya Husain.

Clinical Skills 2A & 2B: Like CPP&T, Clinical Skills 2A & 2B (Physical Diagnosis) meets for 1.5 quarters. The course introduces students to the technical skills of physical diagnosis (PD). Aspects of the course common to all groups begin with lectures, scheduled Tuesday and Thursday. The need for this to be personalized to each student's level of experience requires small group settings. All students are assigned to fourth year medical students who meet once per week in the University of Chicago Hospitals. Students are required to write up patients seen, usually taking one to three hours to complete. All students also attend additional evening sessions scheduled throughout the two-quarter sequence. These sessions allow small groups to assemble to cover topics like the gynecological exam, the ophthalmologic exam, rheumatology, etc. Workshops on cultural competencies, geriatrics, and advanced communication topics are also included in the course.

Evaluation includes a written review of systems, a complete physical exam on a child, a healthy adult, a standardized patient, and performance of an oral patient presentation.

Clinical Pathophysiology and Therapeutics I & II (CPP&T) is a comprehensive 1.5 quarter sequence. This course introduces students to the clinical pathophysiology and therapeutic modalities of selected diseases that are linked to the following 10 physiological systems: hematology, pulmonary, renal, cardiovascular, endocrine, ob/gyn, skeletal, gastrointestinal, hepatic, and CNS/neonatal. In addition, a psychopathology module has been integrated into the course. Class meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, for seven hours each day. The material is presented as lectures, laboratory exercises, and discussions. The exams are multiple choice.

The course is taught by Dr. Scott Stern and Dr. Aliya Husain.

Spring Study Period

The first six-weeks of the spring quarter is designated for second-year students to use for Independent  Study for the USMLE Step 1 exam.  There is no formal coursework.

The 2023 deadline for taking Step 1 is Sunday, April 30th.  The last five-weeks of Spring quarter is protected time for students to work on scholarly projects.

Spring Block

The main goal of the Spring Block is to provide protected time for students to work on scholarly projects. The Spring Block begins in early May, at which point students should have already taken USMLE1; the Spring Block ends in early June, before third-year clerkships begin. During this 5-week block, students are able to work with their mentors to execute a concrete plan of action for accomplishing project relevant responsibilities. The expectation is that students are working full-time on their scholarly projects throughout the duration of the Spring Block.

The Spring Block kicks off with an information session to describe details regarding the Progress Report and e-Poster assignments. Various other events are hosted by the S&D Team throughout the Spring Block to supplement student learning (e.g., year-off student panel).

During the Spring Block, students will:

1) Conduct work on a mentored scholarly project

2) Regularly attend Track Leader meetings to report on project progress

3) Complete and submit a required Progress Report and e-Poster

To assist students in fulfilling these expectations, the S&D Team holds a series of optional sessions and Office Hours throughout the Spring Block.