Welcome to the latest edition of the You said... We did... newsletter, which shares updates about how we are responding to 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 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!
There is too much variability in the quality of lectures and teaching in small groups in the pre-clerkship curriculum.
We did...
In January, Bill Rando, PhD, joined Yale School of Medicine as our inaugural director of pedagogy. We created this position to help implement the YSM Strategic Plan for Medical Education, which calls for an evaluation of the effectiveness of our current teaching methods, identification of those strategies that are succeeding, phasing out those that are not effective, and development of new pedagogies to meet the needs of students in 2024 and beyond. Paramount to these efforts is an emphasis on learning strategies that promote curiosity, critical thinking, clinical reasoning, effective communication, and collaboration, which will aid you in the development of all nine YSM competencies in preparation for the next phase of your medical training.
Bill has been sitting in on classes and meeting with many students and faculty. Feel free to pull him aside or send him an email and tell him what you think!
We also heard about wide variability in experiences in ILCE and MCE and have assembled a group to work specifically on this issue over the summer.
You said...
You want the option to take Step 1 between the pre-clerkship and clerkship phases of the curriculum.
We did...
The Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee (EPCC) voted on April 10 to approve a pilot which provides MD students with the option of taking Step 1 after the pre-clerkship period and before starting the clerkship year. Students who choose this option will be able to prepare for and take Step 1, which is now pass/fail rather than scored, during the Jan-Feb-March block. Students will be able to enroll in 6-8 weeks of study time for Step 1. In the remaining time, students will be required to enroll in elective or research block time. Two-week electives will include clinical (e.g., dermatology, ophthalmology, radiology, just to name a few) and non-clinical (e.g., biomedical ethics) options, all designed with pre-clerkship students in mind. Elective and research time completed during this period will count toward the required hours of the ATP graduation requirement. Students who do not choose this option will begin clerkships in January and continue to take Step 1 after completion of all four clerkships.
We have scheduled a panel discussion for first-year MD students on Tuesday, May 14 at 5 p.m. in the Cohen Auditorium, so you can learn more about this option and ask questions, to help you make your decision. M1s will not have to make a decision about the pilot option until the fall.
You wanted an update on our renovation plans for student spaces on campus.
We did...
We organized a lunch meeting in April so that you could review the final plans for the first-floor renovation in Harkness (e.g., game room/back of Café Med/Spinelli Lounge). Thank you for letting the project team know you want more comfortable furniture in the game room. Poster boards of these plans are now up in Café Med, so you can take a look. The renovation of the game room and back of Café Med is expected to begin in July. Once these renovations are complete this coming winter, work will begin on Spinelli Lounge. We expect the Spinelli Lounge project to be completed by March 2025.
You said...
You wanted more opportunities to meet with Medical Education leadership.
We did...
We acknowledge that current events on campus have been very stressful to many students. Students have brought many concerns to us in the past few weeks, and I want you to know that we hear you. I am working with Deans Latimore, Vazquez, and Francis to increase support and to be responsive to the concerns brought forward. Our goal is for every student to feel welcome and supported as a member of our learning community. Current events have made this very challenging. We will persevere in working with faculty and students.
We hold regular office hours (mine are every Tuesday, from 2 to 4 p.m. in my office on the third floor of Harkness (ESH300)) and have been organizing other gatherings and office hours. You also may reach out to make an appointment at any time.
Additionally, the medical educations deans have been holding informal lunches for each class and town halls to share information and get your input on issues ranging from the learning environment to the new student dashboard. Please reach out to your class leaders or to me if you would like to suggest other topics and gatherings.
Lastly, MSC and class leaders attend the monthly “Quad Deans” meeting with me, Dean Vazquez, Dean Francis, and Dean Schwartz, where they raise ideas and issues of concern brought forward by classmates, and there is a separate monthly meeting with me and Dean Brown, again, to share ideas and issues of concern.
You said...
It was difficult to get to Bridgeport for clinical rotations and you are not sure what is considered a local v. non-local rotation.
We did...
As described in the December Curriculum Update, we launched a pilot program in January 2023 to facilitate travel to YNHHS’s Bridgeport Hospital, one of Yale’s major clinical sites. The pilot program provides reimbursement for carpooling to Bridgeport Hospital. Some students have asked if they can receive reimbursement if they must travel alone to Bridgeport for night shifts. The answer is: Yes! The pilot will continue through December 2024 so that we can assess the cost of the program and advocate for a shuttle to Bridgeport Hospital, if that is more cost effective.
Additionally, we have shared with students the efforts in place to fairly distribute non-local rotations across all students. I want to clarify what is considered a local versus a non-local rotation. Read more about that here!
You said...
You wanted more support with questions related to study design and statistical analysis for your research projects.
We did...
The Office of Student Research has developed formal office hours with Dr. Alexandra Hajduk, PhD, MPH, deputy director of scientific affairs. Dr. Hajduk is an epidemiologist with expertise in quantitative and qualitative research designs, as well as biostatistics. In addition to leading the advanced workshop in Populations & Methods, Dr. Hajduk has many years of experience advising medical students and research fellows on issues related to study design and analysis. Dr. Hajduk will hold weekly office hours on Thursdays from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Please contact osr.med@yale.edu to schedule a one-on-one meeting.
Note: you will likely get more from your office hours with Dr. Hajduk if you provide her with a brief (i.e., one-half page) written summary of the objectives of your research project and your questions ahead of meeting.
You said...
Bikes were getting stolen from the bike rack outside TAC.
We did...
We coordinated with security to get a camera installed by the bike rack in early February. Since it was installed, no bikes have been reported stolen.
You said...
South Frontage Road is dangerous.
We did...
Last month I joined MD student John Havlik and several Medical Education faculty and staff testifying in support of red light and speed cameras at a New Haven Alder Committee meeting. (Thanks also to MD student Carmen Pajarillo for submitting testimony!) As described in this article, the committee members unanimously voted to recommend the mayor’s proposed automated enforcement legislation and 19 initial camera locations to the full Board of Alders. We are hopeful the full Board will vote in support of the legislation/camera locations, as well as funding, later this month.
Additionally, I wrote the mayor for an update on the infrastructure project planned for S. Frontage Road, from Howard Avenue to College Street, that will include elements such as raised crossings and a bike lane. The mayor’s team is hoping to begin the project this year.
You said...
You want a concentration in Medical Education added to the curriculum.
We did...
We launched a new longitudinal Medical Education Concentration to provide MD and MD-PhD students an opportunity to further develop their skills as educators and scholars. You can read more about it here. We are working on developing additional concentrations in Biomedical Ethics and Humanities in Medicine that could launch next academic year—stay tuned! If you are not already aware, YSM also has a certificate program in Global Health.
You said...
It is helpful to be reminded of well-being resources.
