Welcome to the latest edition of the You said... We did... newsletter, which shares updates about how we are responding to MD student suggestions for building an even more vibrant and enriching learning community at Yale School of Medicine (YSM).
To help you track improvements, we post summaries of past You Said... We Did... updates on this YSM webpage, organized by topic. If you have questions about any update item, please share your thoughts with me at jessica.illuzzi@yale.edu. We want to ensure this is a useful resource!
Below is a list of the topics covered in this newsletter:
If international students have questions, they are encouraged to contact their OISS adviser. Dean Francis and Dean Vazquez also have been reaching out to students individually, and I want to emphasize that all of the deans, including myself, Dean Francis, Dean Vazquez, and the heads of your advisory houses are here to support you. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
You said...
You are concerned about what to do if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) came to a clinical setting.
We did...
During the Fireside Chat with Deans Brown and Latimore on February 28, they explained that students, as trainees, should not interface with ICE personnel if they come to a clinical setting. As students, you should immediately seek help from a supervisor. They also shared that Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS) and YSM have developed a protocol for this scenario. This CAS-protected webpage has helpful resources for the YSM and YNHHS communities, as well as for patients and their families, on this topic.
You said...
You wanted more opportunities for higher-quality formative feedback in the pre-clerkship period.
We did...
1. Last summer a group of students worked with Dr. Michael Green to improve the quality of the questions on self-assessments in the pre-clerkship courses. Dean Moeller is now working to integrate more USMLE-style questions into self-assessments and quizzes and hold optional group sessions to get focused feedback on the most challenging questions from faculty, starting with the upcoming fall semester for both M1 and M2.
2. During Attacks & Defenses, we piloted clinical reasoning sessions so that students could receive formative feedback about their clinical reasoning skills. Dr. Wijesekara and a team of faculty have now been offering clinical reasoning sessions in spring courses for all first-year students to receive individualized feedback about clinical reasoning skill development, and we plan to add sessions in at least one more course in the fall of 2025.
3. Dean Talwalkar has been working with each Clinical Skills instructor to improve documentation and delivery of formative feedback in the Clinical Skills arena.
4. We will continue to expand the high-engagement small-group pilot, offering opportunities for more students in both M1 and M2 classes to participate, and adding the element of high-quality feedback from longitudinal interactions with faculty trained in small group facilitation and feedback.
I hope you find these resources helpful, and please let us know how they could be even more helpful! We will be sending you a “pulse survey” on this topic in May, because we must share this data with the LCME.
You said...
You needed more space for relaxation.
We did...
We appreciate the helpful input from students on planning new relaxation space. It was exciting to have the new game room space open in December 2024, and the renovated Spinelli Lounge open ahead of schedule in early March 2025. An additional, recently renovated space for studying and relaxing also is available on the mezzanine level of Café Med, just up the stairs from Spinelli Lounge.
In November 2024, a group of M1 and M2 students met with the architectural firm planning updates and renovations in the entryway and reception area of the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library. This work is planned for summer 2025. These spaces will be open 24-7, and will include new seating, workstations, and gathering space.
You said...
In our pulse surveys, a significant number of students indicated that they wanted more guidance about residency specialties and clinical electives, and access to specialty-specific advisors.
We did...
Last summer and fall, we met with student focus groups to learn more about what would be helpful. Here is a summary of work to date:
1. Dean Francis and the heads of the advisory houses held career advising lunches and dinners for each advisory house. They also scheduled one-on-one meetings with all students at critical planning and decision-making points.
2. In the fall, each clinical department held evening events for students to meet education leaders, learn about electives in the specialty, as well as opportunities for research and other projects with faculty. We also held a panel discussion about clinical electives for rising ATP students last August.
3. In the winter, we created a new webpage, which describes a variety of events that the Office of Student Affairs organizes to help you navigate the residency application process, including upcoming Residency Information Dinners, where students gather with department chairs, program directors, and chief residents to talk about the application process. (The dinners for students applying for residency in the fall will be on Tuesday, April 29, Monday, May 5, and Thursday, May 15. You can see which specialties will be discussed on which nights here.)
4. The webpage also links to Specialty-Specific Advisors/Resources, where you can find helpful YSM contacts (including specialty-specific advisors, directors of medical education, and residency program directors), suggested electives, and information about any special application processes for each specialty. As you will see when you explore the page, there are a variety of people eager to help you if you are undecided about a specialty and are interested in learning more about it, or if you are decided about a specialty and would like tips and guidance while preparing to apply to residency in that specialty.
5. The advisory houses continue to recruit and welcome new faculty, residents, and alumni affiliates. These individuals are eager to meet with you and help you learn about careers in their specialty. Their names are listed on the advisory house webpages. Please reach out!
I hope you find these resources helpful, and please let us know how they could be even more helpful! We will be sending you a “pulse survey” on this topic in May, because we must share this data with the LCME.
You said...
You said you wanted the Yale Shuttle to go to Wooster Square in the evening, now that more people live in that neighborhood.
We did...
In coordination with the YSM deputy dean for finance and administration, we raised this issue last year with the Yale Transit Office and engaged in numerous discussions with them about the importance of extending the shuttle to Wooster Square in the evenings. I am grateful to the student advocates who raised this concern and helped explain to the Transit Office why the change was needed. The new evening shuttle route, Orange East, with multiple stops in Wooster Square, launched on Sunday, March 30.
I also was pleased to see that the Yale Shuttle Weekend Grocery Line has begun operating on an alternating weekly schedule to expand shopping options. On one weekend it will follow its original route to Trader Joe’s in Orange, and on the alternate weekend it will go Hamden Plaza, featuring Aldi, ShopRite, and Walmart. You can see more details on the Yale Shuttle website.
I also want to share a new city/state-subsidized transportation option, Via ride shares, which operate in certain neighborhoods in the city, including Fair Haven, where a Key Food Supermarkets is located. The cost is $1.75/ride, equivalent to the CT Transit bus fare. The cars are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.
You said...
You said you were confused about how reimbursement for travel to Bridgeport Hospital for clinical rotations works, and why it is limited to Bridgeport Hospital.
We did...
The second- and third-year student budget includes $3200 for travel to clinical rotations. However, given the significant number of MD and PA students traveling to Bridgeport Hospital each day, in January 2024, we launched a pilot program to subsidize and incentivize ride-shares to this site. We want to remind you of information previously shared about how reimbursement works:
When two or more MD and/or PA students share an Uber or Lyft ride to and/or from Bridgeport Hospital for a clinical shift, they can submit receipts for reimbursement. Reimbursement for night shift rides is available for individual students. Also, carpools in student-owned cars are eligible for reimbursement of mileage (currently 65.5 cents per mile). As a reminder, Bridgeport Hospital does not charge students for parking.
Reimbursement procedure:
Save your receipts and include them in the reimbursement request.
Reimbursement requests must include:
• Name of student submitting payment for trip.
• Names of students who shared the ride.
• Starting location, any pickup locations, and the ending destination.
• Total cost of transportation (Uber/Lyft tips should be limited to 15%).
• Clerkship rotation, e.g., OB/Gyn, Psychiatry, etc.
• Date and starting/end time of travel.
To reduce administrative burden, receipts and requests should be submitted in aggregate at the end of each month to Matthew Costa from the Business Office.
We anticipate that you will receive reimbursement, either by check or Zelle, within four weeks of submission.
You said...
You wanted to be reminded about how to report mistreatment, harassment, or other unprofessional behavior.
We did...
On February 11, we held a town hall for students on the learning environment, where we discussed how to report these concerning behaviors. For those who could not attend, I want to remind you about the online "Report a Professionalism Concern" button on many YSM webpages. It is monitored by the YSM Office of Academic & Professional Development (OAPD) daily and is a quick and easy way to share a concern. If you need a new “blue card” with information about reporting concerning behavior (including a QR code to the OAPD website), I have placed extras on the counter outside my office on the third floor of Harkness Hall.
Additionally, the YSM policy and procedure on mistreatment and harassment provides detailed guidance on where and how to report any mistreatment, harassment, or other unprofessional behavior that does occur. Confidentiality is a high priority, as is dealing with each incident in ways that are respectful and constructive. If you have questions, I encourage you to speak with me, Dean Francis, the head of your advisory house, or members of OAPD, DICE, or SHARE. These are always good places to start if you don’t know what to do about a particular situation.
You said...
You are tired of receiving so many surveys!
We did...
We are creating a survey oversight committee, to ensure different offices within Medical Education coordinate better when they send you surveys. The committee will have student representation, both to ensure we coordinate with Medical Student Council, and also to get feedback on the best timing for surveys and other issues. This initiative will include improving the questions asked on surveys, using uniform/user-friendly formats, and ensuring the data collected is organized and accessible.
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
