Welcome to the second edition of the “You said... We did...” newsletter!
As I said in my initial newsletter, I will be communicating with you on a regular basis, responding to student suggestions for how we can build an even more vibrant and enriching learning community for the MD Program at Yale School of Medicine (YSM). I plan to include a handful of topics in each update, so that each update is concise and easy to read.
To easily track improvements, we will post all past You Said, We Did updates on the YSM LCME webpage, organized by topic. If you have questions or feedback about any update item, or the format of this newsletter or the webpage, please share your thoughts with me at Jessica.Illuzzi@Yale.edu.
Below is a list of the topics covered in this newsletter:
We recently created a directory of faculty who have indicated interest in mentoring YSM students, which is available for review in the OSR offices on the second floor of Harkness. Please stop by Monday through Friday (9:00 am – 5:00 pm) to peruse the information, or email OSR (osr.med@yale.edu) to schedule a one-on-one meeting with the associate deans of student research during their weekly office hours (Chaudhry: Wednesdays, 12:00 -1:00 pm; Herzog: Tuesdays, 12:00 -1:00 pm) or at another mutually convenient time. Additionally, detailed information about other ways to find a mentor is on OSR’s website. This includes the online Directory of Faculty Research Interests, which you can search by name, department, key words, or Medical Search Headings (MeSH).
You said...
We should clarify the medical school's student mistreatment policy and the processes to report such mistreatment.
We did...
Preventing mistreatment, addressing lapses in professionalism, and having a transparent and supportive reporting process is a priority at YSM. We recognize that the process only will be effective, and you only will have confidence in it, if we do a better job providing you information about how and to whom you can share concerns and complaints about mistreatment, professionalism, or bias AND how the school addresses them. The Office of Academic and Professional Development (OAPD) receives these reports.
How can you report a concern?
1) You can report a professionalism/mistreatment concern in real time, using this link, which we have embedded in five locations on the MD Program webpage, including toward the bottom of the Curriculum homepage.
2) At the end of every curricular experience (course, clerkship, elective), you have the opportunity to complete an evaluation, which includes reporting any mistreatment, harassment, or bias you experienced or observed. Your reports are confidential and anonymous and are not visible to anyone who is evaluating you.
3) You may ALWAYS contact your course/clerkship/elective director, advisor, or any medical education dean if you have a concern that you would like to discuss. We will respect your confidentiality and discuss ways to approach or address your concerns.
What happens when you report a concern?
1) Reports to the OAPD are responded to within two business days. OAPD’s first action will be to set up a time to talk with you about the concern and discuss options on how to respond to the concern, keeping in mind that confidentiality is often an important consideration. While OAPD’s purview is professionalism among YSM faculty, if your concern is not about a faculty member, OAPD staff will work with you to direct your concern to the group that can best address it. This OAPD summary provides additional information on how professionalism concerns are handled at YSM.
2) Reports embedded in curricular evaluations are reviewed on a quarterly basis by the Office of Curriculum and OAPD. The responsible department is required to produce an action plan in response to each report. In collaboration with Deputy Dean for Professionalism and Leadership Robert Rohrbaugh, Deputy Dean Illuzzi follows up with the chairs of each department to monitor progress in addressing issues of professionalism and conduct in the learning environment.
Deans Illuzzi and Schwartz are establishing a new subcommittee of the Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee (EPCC) to regularly review reports of harassment, mistreatment or bias in the learning environment, departments’ responses, and outcomes and to provide recommendations to the EPCC. Students interested in joining this subcommittee should contact Dean Schwartz (Michael.Schwartz@Yale.edu).
You want a better understanding of how student activity fees are spent, and more autonomy in how to spend student interest group funds, including the ability to buy durable goods.
We did...
Below is a list of how student activity fees are used. Dean Francis presented this information to the Medical Student Council (MSC) officers on October 31, and to the full MSC at their December 5, 2022 meeting.
Student activities fees support:
Special events such as: White Coat Ceremony; Match Day; and Commencement
Social events sponsored by individual classes
Events planned by the Social Committee and the Committee of Well-being of Students
70 different student interest groups’ events and activities
Approved student conference travel through respective interest groups and through the Office of Student Research
Many aspects of student life including, but not limited to: peer tutoring; Spinelli Lounge; career lunches; residency dinners; Yale-Harvard Game tailgate; Hunger & Homelessness Auction; spring formal; and Grubhub vouchers during COVID
Additionally, we have provided student interest groups with more autonomy in how they spend their funding, including the ability to use their entire funding for food at events if desired and enabling them to purchase a variety of non-electronic durable goods, such as art supplies and sporting equipment. We have identified storage space for such durable goods, which had been a limiting factor in the past. Finally, we want to note that we have not reduced funding for student interest groups; and if a student interest group is concerned that their funding does not meet their budgetary needs, they should reach out to Jill Aulenti (Jill.Aulenti@Yale.edu)in the Office of Student Affairs with a detailed budget request/proposal.
You said...
You need more places to relax on campus.
We did...
We worked with the Medical Student Council (MSC) to improve Spinelli Lounge including: purchasing a new ping pong table, a full-sized refrigerator, and two microwaves; adding a coffee station and a water station; replacing all the furniture, including the rug; painting the room; and adding more outlets and computer tables for comfortable studying. We are working with vendors to get Zoom Room installed, which will allow you to have Zoom meetings in the room, as well as wirelessly share content from your iPads for student group meetings or just to stream movies to the TV. This is the same set-up as the Beaumont Room.
Additionally, Dean Illuzzi took the YSM facilities and design team on a tour of student spaces, including the mezzanine, gym, Spinelli Lounge, and additional spaces in Café Med. They are preparing a rendering of proposed renovations for students to view and provide feedback!
You said...
You needed more private spaces on campus to conduct interviews or other important calls.
We did...
Two rooms in the Admissions Office area on the second floor of Harkness are now available for you to use for interviews or other important calls. If you want to reserve one, please contact Deanna Calvert (Deanna.Calvert@Yale.edu).
Additionally, the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library installed a privacy pod (a Zenbooth Solo) on a trial basis in the Morse Reading Room. The privacy pod has sound dampening acoustics that prevent conversations inside the booth from being heard outside, and vice versa. The Zenbooth can be used for personal phone calls or Zoom meetings on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you’ve used the privacy pod, the library is interested in hearing your feedback (positive or negative). Your input will help inform whether additional privacy pods might be acquired for the library. We also are considering putting one in Café Med if there is interest!
If you need a refresher on Office of Student Affair’s practical tips to boost your home internet and to create space for interviewing at home, you can access this information at this link.
You said...
The eight ball is missing from the pool table in the mezzanine.
We did...
We purchased a replacement eight ball, so that people can enjoy a complete game of pool. Although we recognize that this space and the pool table is sorely in need of an update!
Again, I look forward to your questions or feedback.
Sincerely,
Jessica Illuzzi, MD, MS
Deputy Dean for Education Harold W. Jockers Professor of Medical Education
