Second Look - Yale System and Curriculum

April 14, 2021

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00:05Welcome everyone to one of the signature
00:07events of Yale School of Medicine.
00:10Second look, 2021.
00:11This is the session on the
00:13Yale System and curriculum,
00:15so joining us today are two
00:17distinguished Yale School of
00:19Medicine Deans and faculty members.
00:21Unfortunately, Dean Schwartz,
00:22the associate Dean for curriculum
00:24in the Office of Education
00:26at Yale School of Medicine,
00:28had an emergency and cannot join us today.
00:31But joining us, our Dean Jessica Illuzzi,
00:34Indian Nancy Angoff.
00:35So DNA loses the deputy Dean for education,
00:38which is also a professor of obstetrics,
00:40gynecology and reproductive Sciences.
00:42She's the director of medical Studies
00:45and Obi Guiney and the director of
00:47electives at the Yale School of Medicine,
00:49then also joining her is
00:51Dean Angerstein Nancy Anger,
00:52who is the associate Dean for student
00:54affairs at the Hill School of Medicine
00:57and Professor of Internal Medicine.
00:59So about these jeans will
01:01share their thoughts.
01:02About their roles within medical
01:04education and when you matriculate
01:06at the Yale School of Medicine Deans
01:08Illuzzi Angoff Ann Schwartz will
01:09run a series of sessions during
01:11your orientation that will give
01:13you an in-depth introduction to
01:14the Yale system and the curriculum.
01:17Of course, during second look,
01:18we have an hour so we won't be able
01:20to cover everything in the same amount
01:23of detail that we do during orientation,
01:26but our hope is that you get the
01:28essence of these sessions across and
01:30that you get to understand our mission.
01:33The Yale system.
01:34The curriculum so you can get a
01:35better sense for what it's like
01:37to be your student here.
01:38So without further ado,
01:39I would like to invite Dean
01:41Illuzzi to begin the session.
01:43Thank you, I ask her.
01:45It is an honor and a pleasure to be here.
01:48First I would like to congratulate
01:50each and everyone of you for
01:52your extraordinary achievements.
01:54We know that gaining acceptance to
01:55medical school is a reflection of your
01:58exceptional dedication and perseverance.
02:00Your commitment to learning your interest
02:03in promoting health and well being.
02:05And your commitment to caring for those of
02:08us who suffered transiently from illness
02:10and those of us who have chronic illnesses.
02:13At Yale, you will find an academic home
02:16in which you yourself will be nurtured
02:18and cared for along the exciting
02:20trajectory of becoming a physician.
02:23As you can imagine,
02:24there is much to learn and practice
02:27and experience as a medical student.
02:30Whether it's in small group sessions,
02:32practicing clinical reasoning,
02:33one on one with a faculty member
02:36and a patient, evening panel,
02:38discussions on ethics and humanities,
02:40or even gathering with your
02:42classmates to have a discussion.
02:44In all of these scenarios,
02:46you will be learning and each and every
02:49experience contributes to who you become
02:51as a physician and a care provider.
02:54So I you know we have a curriculum
02:56that is designed to embrace
02:58many approaches to learning.
03:00I like to think of it as a tree.
03:03The tree has strong roots that
03:05each student has cultivated in
03:06their undergraduate settings.
03:08And if there's a need for fertilizer,
03:10an extra water.
03:11We are here with our watering can in
03:14the form of individualized mentoring.
03:16As the tree grows,
03:17the chunk becomes stronger and
03:19wider and taller,
03:20and you learn new ways of thinking,
03:22new knowledge and skills complicate
03:24complemented by an appreciation for vast.
03:27Number of factors that impact the human
03:29experience of health and illness and then,
03:31after that reaches a certain height,
03:34you are ready to branch out into
03:36the clinical arena.
03:37You are given the opportunity to learn
03:39from each branch of medicine and test
03:42out different specialties for yourself.
03:44And of course,
03:45the tree has many branches,
03:47so the advanced training period is
03:49it time for you to explore areas
03:51and a period for you to contribute
03:53to new insights and knowledge by
03:56conducting your own research and
03:58stretching your horizon even further.
04:00So I hope you have had a chance
04:03to review our curriculum website
04:05so these curriculum were designed
04:07by many passionate faculty from
04:09multiple disciplines working together.
04:12So there you will see eight master courses,
04:15three lanja tude,
04:16Knol courses at 9 threads that are
04:19truly interwoven through the curriculum.
04:22This all occurs within the 1st 18 months.
04:25You also have an opportunity to
04:27work in the clinical setting in
04:29our interdisciplinary lanja tude.
04:31No clinical experience with PA
04:33students and nursing students to learn
04:36and practice physical exam skills
04:38and history taking and then later
04:40you have a coach in in the medical
04:43coaching experience where you learn
04:45from a clinician and see patients on
04:48a regular basis and all of this is
04:50before you start your clerkships.
04:52So after 18 months when when you feel
04:55ready you will enter the clerkship
04:57period so we have four clerkships,
05:00one of them is called the medical approach
05:03to the patient and that's 12 weeks long.
05:06The next is called the surgical
05:08approach to the patient.
05:10We have a women's and Children's Health
05:13clerkship and then a bio cycle social
05:15approach to the patient and so in these
05:18clerkships you will experience all
05:20of the core specialties and get to.
05:23Try them out for yourself to see if
05:25one of them might be the area that you
05:28would like to pursue in residency.
05:30You also develop a very strong foundation
05:33in each of these areas because we know
05:35that as a physician you need to know
05:38and be able to take care of issues and
05:41concerns that your patients present with,
05:42even if it's not in your specialty.
05:46When you enter the advanced training period,
05:49there are over 120 electives and sub
05:53internships that you can sign up for.
05:57There's only one sub internship required,
05:59and usually students do that in the fields
06:02that they are thinking of pursuing,
06:04but there's no limit.
06:06Sometimes students try out some
06:08internships in multiple specialties before
06:10they know which one fits them right.
06:13There's also an opportunity to do
06:16electives and things that perhaps you
06:18might not get to experience again, you know.
06:21So if you're going into OBGYN,
06:23this might be a great time to do
06:26an elective in infectious disease,
06:28so those are things to consider
06:30and definitely are encouraged.
06:32Many students also go off on
06:34international experiences and rotations,
06:36and of course,
06:37you know that you probably have heard that
06:40all students do a thesis and you know.
06:43I wonder when you first hear
06:45that you might think Oh no,
06:47you know that's a a large obligation,
06:50but all you know,
06:51medical students tend to love
06:53working on their thesis.
06:54It's an opportunity to work one on one
06:57with a research mentor on something
06:59that you are very passionate about.
07:02And in the end you're contributing to
07:04the medical literature to our knowledge,
07:06to our skills in taking care of patients.
07:10So I'm going to pause there so that
07:14Doctor Angoff can speak more about
07:16the L system and other aspects of the
07:20curriculum that she thinks are important.
07:25Good morning Ann.
07:27Welcome and I wish with all my heart that
07:31we could be in the same room together.
07:34I know you do too, although it does
07:37make it easier this way, doesn't it?
07:39Because you probably didn't
07:41have to put any clothes on the
07:43bottom half of your body's right.
07:45You can still have your pajama pants on,
07:48and I wouldn't even know it,
07:50but it does make it easier for you to
07:53be here with us an I think that's great,
07:56but I wish I could be with you.
07:59And, you know,
08:00I think that that's part of
08:02the conversation today.
08:03What does it mean to have?
08:05Do go through medical school in a way
08:08that is different from maybe what you
08:11had envisioned a couple of years ago,
08:14so we'll talk about that.
08:15But put that on the back burner
08:18and I'm more than happy to
08:20answer questions about that.
08:22I am a product of the yell system.
08:26I was a medical student here and
08:28so I'm more than happy to speak to
08:31that and I will an I really do want
08:35to talk about this system because
08:37curriculum is curriculum to be honest,
08:39that you're going to learn medical
08:42knowledge no matter where you go.
08:44But what's different about Yale is the
08:46community in which you learn that knowledge.
08:49And so we'll talk about that.
08:52But I am a big believer in stories.
08:55I think that stories.
08:56Our everything I was an English major
08:59in college and so I believe in stories
09:02and I think that what today marks
09:05an what this journey marks is the
09:07beginning of your important story and
09:10I want you to think long and hard about that.
09:13And I'm going to tell you why I
09:16believe that I'm going to tell
09:19you a little bit about myself.
09:21You might look at me and think what
09:24makes her different, but I actually AM.
09:27A product of the type of diversity that
09:31Yale values I may not look at to you,
09:35but I do represent an element of diversity.
09:39When I started medical school,
09:42I was almost 40 years old.
09:45I had two children,
09:47one was ten and one was 13 when I started.
09:52And when I left, my daughter was
09:55also graduating from high school,
09:57so I do represent an element of diversity.
10:00I came from a family where there
10:02was no thought to becoming a doctor.
10:05Nobody became a doctor.
10:07You know, my father got out of
10:09World War Two out of the army.
10:12He was a shoe salesman.
10:14He was able to go to some
10:16college courses on the GI Bill,
10:19but he never got a college degree.
10:21My mother never went to college.
10:24And her dream for herself her wished
10:26her fantasy was to have become a
10:29teacher because she thought that that
10:31was the perfect career first for a
10:33mother of a mother could be in school
10:35teaching during the day when her children,
10:38was in school and she could be home in the
10:41evening and she could be home on summers
10:43and she thought that was perfect.
10:46And so I incorporated her fantasy into me.
10:49An I thought, oh I guess that's
10:52what I need to do and they were.
10:55They were totally dedicated as I
10:57imagine your parents are to hurt
10:59their children going to college.
11:01Their children were going to
11:03achieve the thing that they could
11:06not achieve and so they ensure to.
11:08While I wasn't the first person
11:10in my family to go to college,
11:13that was my older brother.
11:16I was the 2nd an I became
11:19an English teacher Ann.
11:21I met my future husband in college
11:24and he was going to be a doctor
11:27and this was Earth shattering to
11:30me because I had always fantasized
11:34secretly about being a doctor.
11:36But for many years I said there's
11:40no way I can do that.
11:43There's no way I can do that.
11:46Nobody. It wouldn't have occurred
11:48to anyone to do that.
11:49In my family,
11:50it wasn't part of the frame of reference,
11:54but my husband was gonna do it and
11:56I became an English teacher and I
11:59taught junior high School English
12:01and put him through medical school.
12:04And then we moved to New Haven for
12:06him to do his residency in Pediatrics.
12:09An I had our first child.
12:12And three years later,
12:14I had our second child,
12:16and during that period of time I
12:19was a stay at home Mother Ann.
12:22I was awful at it, awful at it.
12:25I hate housework. I don't understand it.
12:28You do it. It gets dirty again.
12:30You make a bed, it gets unmade.
12:33You're just constantly doing it.
12:35An I hated it.
12:37An I fantasized and he would go
12:40off as an intern and I would say
12:42tell me what you did.
12:44Tell me what you did,
12:46I wanna hear what you did and
12:48he would say Oh no it was.
12:51I already did.
12:52I lived through I don't want to go
12:55through an I wanted so badly to know.
12:58But there were many reasons I
13:00thought I couldn't be a doctor,
13:02so I thought, well,
13:04what I'll get as close to medicine as I can.
13:07And so I thought I could do
13:10healthcare administration.
13:11I'll get as close as I can.
13:14I can't, you know so many reasons.
13:16I can't be a doctor,
13:17an one being that I thought I
13:19couldn't stand the sight of blood.
13:21But you know what I've come to learn.
13:23Actually in this little secret.
13:25If you feel this way, it wasn't.
13:27It was my own blood.
13:29I couldn't stand the sight of I
13:30really don't mind other people's
13:32blood that is totally great.
13:34But who knew that you know I
13:36didn't know that.
13:37And so I went to the School of
13:39Public Health an I got a degree in
13:41a Masters of Public Health, an I.
13:44Got interested in medical ethics?
13:47And I went on to become the associate
13:49chair of the Human Investigation
13:51Committee here at the medical school,
13:53which is the IRB? So if you've ever
13:56done research on human subjects,
13:58you know it has to go through an IRB.
14:01And so I'm working at this
14:03IRBM an administrator.
14:05And I'm hearing about all these
14:06fabulous things that are going
14:08on in the medical school.
14:09And I'm thinking, Oh my God,
14:11I wish I could be a doctor,
14:12but I knew I couldn't.
14:14Anyway, I went to a meeting with
14:16another woman with a with a group
14:18that did IRB work and I sat next
14:20to this woman and she said to me,
14:22what would you do if you could do anything?
14:24And I said, I'd be a doctor and she said,
14:27why don't you?
14:28And I said I can't and she
14:30said why can't you an?
14:31I said I'm too old it costs too much money.
14:35I've got two kids and I've never
14:37taken a science course in my life.
14:40And she said you haven't given
14:42one reason why you can't.
14:43There's only one reason why you can't,
14:45and that's if you can.
14:47And you don't know because you didn't try.
14:51And I thought, Oh my God,
14:53and I went home and I told my husband I
14:56want to go to medical school and he said,
14:59I think that's a great idea.
15:00I've always known it.
15:02You should do it.
15:03And I literally spent the weekend crying,
15:05thinking you know, can I do this?
15:07Is this possible?
15:08Is this is,
15:09you know,
15:10can I and that more Monday morning
15:11I called the Dean of admissions
15:13the then Dean of Admissions
15:15of the medical school.
15:16And I said in my tool and
15:18he never asked my age.
15:20But he said we can't
15:22discriminate based on age.
15:23You need a full year biology Plus
15:24Lab in a full year of Chemistry plus
15:26lab and a full year of organic plus
15:28lab in a full year physics plus lab.
15:30And he told me about this program at
15:32Yale University that allowed people to
15:34do that who were not degree students.
15:37You had to apply at the time was
15:39called the Special Students Program.
15:41You took regular courses just
15:43with everybody else.
15:44But I was working full time.
15:46But my car literally drove
15:48itself to Science Hill.
15:49For those of you went
15:50to Yale as an undergrad.
15:52You know where Science Hill is.
15:54My car, literally, you know, boom.
15:56And at that time I think still there
15:58was five hour parking, so I could just.
16:01Park there, go to class.
16:03Come back, do my work here.
16:06It took 3 1/2 years but I did it.
16:10And I was accepted to Yale off the wait list.
16:13Very proud of that.
16:15None of you are off the wait list.
16:19You got in the first shot.
16:21But I love.
16:24This school because of that they took me.
16:29They allowed me to learn the secrets.
16:33And why do I tell you this?
16:37Because I believe with all my heart
16:40that my deep desire and belief
16:44that I couldn't become a doctor.
16:48Enabled me to enter into the position I'm in
16:52now as associate Dean for Student Affairs.
16:55With every. Belief in you and your dream.
17:03That this is about getting you
17:06to what you hope to achieve an.
17:10We used to say. Our mission,
17:13which has changed recently, but it used
17:17to say that we educate and inspire.
17:20Scholars and future leaders.
17:22But I feel very strongly that it isn't.
17:27We that tell you.
17:28What you're going to be a leader in?
17:32You tell us. And then we help you get there.
17:37And have we helped get to these places?
17:40I mean, look around you.
17:42There are people very
17:44much in the world today.
17:47Doing the important work of leadership
17:50in medicine of changing the world.
17:52And so you tell us,
17:55and that's what Yale has to offer.
17:58It's a University.
18:00It has a huge University around it.
18:03And it offers the opportunity to sample
18:08from this enormous smorgasbord that is Yale.
18:14And then you come back and
18:16say I want more of that.
18:18I want more of that and that's
18:21what we help you achieve,
18:24but I have to say that it's not for everyone.
18:29Now think carefully about this.
18:32Think very carefully about this.
18:34It's not for everyone,
18:36and it may not be for you,
18:39and I want you to dig deep inside yourself
18:43and think do I need external benchmarks?
18:46Do I need to know how I'm
18:49doing every step of the way?
18:52Do I need a grade?
18:54Do I need to know that I'm better than the
18:59person sitting next to me on this quiz?
19:03Do I need to know where I am at every
19:06step of the way because this is hard when.
19:10When the the inspiration when the
19:15when the impetus to succeed comes
19:19from within and not from without.
19:24It can be hard for some people.
19:27And it also can be disruptive insofar as
19:32some people can drive themselves too hard.
19:37You can, if you're a hard driver.
19:40It can be a double edged sword.
19:44And so I ask you to think
19:46very carefully about this.
19:48For me it was perfect.
19:50You know that the lack of
19:52competition you know well.
19:53Believe me,
19:53I was not going to be competition for anyone.
19:55You know, I was an English major or just,
19:58you know, taking my first science courses.
19:59You know when I entered my.
20:02Chemistry course I mean my God,
20:04I didn't know the periodic
20:05table from the kitchen table,
20:07so I mean I was not at all
20:09a threat to anyone,
20:11but I couldn't have made
20:13it without my classmates.
20:14I mean they were so good to me.
20:17They taught me and that
20:19is the Yale community.
20:21That is why even this entering
20:23class last year, the class of 2024.
20:26Andrew in pictures like you Can you
20:28imagine this is how they entered in pictures.
20:31Like you,
20:32they didn't get to sit next to each other.
20:34They didn't get to chat up each other.
20:36You didn't get to say what was your major.
20:39They didn't get to say what
20:40research have you done.
20:42They didn't get to say where are you from?
20:44I mean it was in pictures like you and yet.
20:48They built community.
20:50And yet they came together because that
20:54is what Yale values and values community.
20:59It values individuals.
21:01But not to the detriment of the community.
21:08And so the yell system.
21:11If you ask a million people,
21:13you'll get a million answers.
21:16To me it was that the value of community,
21:20but the responsibility to that community.
21:23The responsibility to give back
21:26the responsibility to contribute.
21:29And it isn't about.
21:32You know getting the grade.
21:36It's also the responsibility to yourself.
21:40You know, do I come to class?
21:44Do I become part of this small group
21:47discussion, or am I going to go off
21:51and just pursue something that interests me?
21:54Sure, pursue what interests you.
21:57I've already said that's important,
21:59but not to the detriment of community.
22:03And that to me is the oil system,
22:06and it's fragile.
22:08It's very fragile.
22:10You know, we've heard a lot of
22:13talk this year about democracy.
22:16And I think we're all very,
22:19very aware of how fragile democracy is.
22:23And how easily it can be
22:25corrupted and broken,
22:26and I think that's the same
22:28for the Yale system.
22:30So think hard about is this the right
22:33place for you and ask a lot of questions.
22:37I don't doubt for a minute that
22:40you all have other options.
22:43And So what I want for you is
22:45for you to find the right place.
22:48And it doesn't have to be this place.
22:51But if you do decide that this
22:53is the right place.
22:55Then as Doctor Lucy mentioned to you,
22:58we will support you.
23:00We will create a safety net around you.
23:05And we will get you to where you want to go.
23:10We will help you fulfill
23:13your goals and your dreams.
23:16And with that I'm going to stop
23:18and see if you have any questions,
23:21but you know,
23:22I can't even see all of you on this page,
23:26but I would love to know if you could
23:29put it in the chat if anyone is older.
23:32And what do I mean by older?
23:34I don't know, you know,
23:36let's say over 30 that would be a
23:39really good one. I'd love to see it.
23:42And if anyone has children I'd love
23:44to know that. So put that in the chat.
23:47And let's open it up to questions.
23:50I ask a.
23:51So what I'd like everyone to do is
23:54it's time for questions and we have left.
23:56As you can see, about half hour
23:59for questions so that you can
24:01have them answered by the DN.
24:03So please submit the
24:04questions directly to me.
24:05You should be able to do that via
24:08the host track function and then
24:10we can have them directly answered
24:12by Deans and Usean Angoff as well.
24:14So this session usually has
24:16many questions that follow.
24:18Because you want to know more about
24:19the rail system and the curriculum,
24:21so please,
24:22this is your opportunity to engage the Deans.
24:24Don't hesitate and we can
24:26get the conversation moving.
24:30So while the questions start coming in,
24:32maybe I'll ask a question
24:34of both of the Deans.
24:36How do you see these next few
24:38months starting into August,
24:40as this particular group comes in?
24:42Any thoughts that you can share about their?
24:45Pedagogy, they're learning their
24:47opportunities specifically
24:48with regards to the pandemic.
24:53You want to
24:54start Jessica on the shore and
24:56then we know that you're on the
24:58health and Safety Committee,
25:00so we're going to hear from you as well.
25:03Yeah, so our goal obviously is to get
25:06everyone back together as soon as we can,
25:09because we know how much we cherish
25:11learning and working together.
25:12And the faculty as well.
25:14Really do love to be with you
25:16in the classroom and the small
25:19group sessions in the hospital.
25:21So our goal is to get everyone
25:23back together as soon as possible.
25:25And it seems like every day we're
25:28getting more and more good news
25:30regarding our ability to have
25:33everybody vaccinated coming in.
25:34We were able to vaccinate all
25:37of our students very early in
25:39the pen in the pandemic.
25:41I should say,
25:43when the vaccine became available,
25:45because all of our students do
25:47have patient facing parts of the
25:50curriculum starting in the first year.
25:52So all of our students were
25:55vaccinated very early.
25:56That being said,
25:57we still had to have many of our
26:00sessions spread out or even on zoom
26:02still because of University rules.
26:04I'm not part.
26:05I'm going to let
26:07Nancy speak about a little more.
26:09Sure, yes, so you know there is
26:12a great deal of optimism that
26:14we can come back in the fall.
26:17But it's still going to be a mixed
26:20bag because some people will be
26:22vaccinated and some people won't be an.
26:25You know that idea of community that I
26:28discussed really extends to the University,
26:30and so even though we were able to get
26:33the medical students vaccinated Ann,
26:35and the reason for that behind that
26:37was because they were participating
26:39in the clinical arena because
26:41they were participating.
26:43Whether they were in their
26:45clerkship year or beyond their
26:46clerkship year in their electives.
26:49They were also working in the free clinic.
26:53They were also working doing
26:55blood pressure screening and
26:57glucose testing in the community,
26:59so they were engaged in medical care
27:02and that was the governor actually said
27:06that the first wave of people who could
27:10be vaccinated included health care
27:12students who were engaged in clinical care.
27:16Because we we really rely on you.
27:20And so we're very fortunate,
27:22but the fact is that not everybody
27:25at the community at the University
27:27is vaccinated a lot.
27:29Most people aren't yet,
27:30and in the fall we don't know.
27:33It'll be a mixed bag,
27:35probably.
27:35And so we do not make exceptions
27:38for those people who are vaccinated.
27:40Yet at this point everybody behaves the same.
27:43I love seeing Travis wearing his
27:45mask because we do expect everybody
27:48to be wearing masks when there.
27:51You know with anyone else and social
27:53distancing and all the stuff that
27:56has kept us safe over the past year,
27:59so the hope is yes,
28:01that we will be able to start up in the fall.
28:05But we don't know for sure because there's
28:08a lot of time between now and then,
28:11and you know,
28:12things change.
28:13And like from week to week things change.
28:16You know last week things were
28:18looking so great and then spring
28:21break happened and I don't know
28:23whether that or the variance or what.
28:26But you know,
28:27things are getting a little worse
28:29again and you know we have to
28:32always be vigilant and we have to
28:35take care of one another so we're
28:37hopeful we're optimistic,
28:38but we don't know for sure.
28:41Thank you Dean Angoff.
28:42So we're ending illuzzi as well.
28:44Not the questions are coming in now,
28:46so I'm going to try to cure ate
28:48all of them and let's try to
28:50get as many as we can answer.
28:52So this is a question
28:53about Community leadership.
28:54What does that look like for
28:55a student of the Yale system?
28:58Community leadership.
29:02Uh oh gosh. I mean Jessica,
29:05you should talk to this too.
29:07Our students are.
29:10Equal partners we rely on you you know.
29:14Yesterday we had this wonderful
29:17talk from Beverly Shears,
29:19who is the thread director
29:22of the HealthEquity thread.
29:25It was wonderful and you know,
29:28she talked about how the teachers
29:31are learners and the learners are
29:35teachers and there's no difference.
29:38I have to say that.
29:42That I've learned so much from
29:44our students in so many ways,
29:47but you're not all wise and knowing,
29:50and there are some things that
29:53I have to offer you to an that's
29:57what it means to be a leader I
30:00think is to be respectful of one
30:04another and to enter into the
30:07conversations fully and wholeheartedly.
30:09Uh, respectfully, so that your voice.
30:11Is known and participating,
30:14participating in all levels,
30:16participating in the curriculum
30:18being present, being helpful.
30:21Being constructive?
30:22I think that's what it means.
30:27Thank
30:27you Dean. I
30:28got any lousy.
30:29For those of you seeking.
30:32Other types of leadership opportunities.
30:34We have multiple student interest
30:36groups and affinity groups.
30:38We have a medical student Council,
30:41so there's so many opportunities to get
30:44involved in different types of organizations.
30:47Haven Free Clinic comes to my mind as a
30:50fascinating opportunity for leadership.
30:52That clinic is completely run by the students
30:56from the finances down to the supplies
30:59for getting care providers there I mean.
31:02An amazing enterprise.
31:06And then we also have our
31:08greater community in New Haven,
31:09and so I hope some of you were able to
31:12attend the panel with Community leaders.
31:14That's one of the things that's
31:16so great about.
31:17New Haven is that it's a city,
31:20but it's actually.
31:21It's a very livable and accessible city,
31:23so you can get involved in different
31:25activities within the city.
31:26Just like all of our.
31:28I guess our first and second year students,
31:30who who organized this mass
31:32vaccination outreach campaign to
31:33different communities in New Haven.
31:35And they did that by engaging with leaders.
31:38In New Haven and themselves,
31:39you know,
31:40being leaders in that respect and the
31:42amount of outreach that they've done is
31:45really a model for the rest of the country,
31:47and so that's one of the things that's
31:50really neat about the size and scope of
31:52New Haven and Yale School of Medicine.
31:55It's like a family,
31:56but with enormous numbers of opportunities.
31:58Yeah,
31:58I'd like to
31:59say one other thing.
32:01I think that a lot of people come
32:03here with that vision of themselves.
32:05You know, I want to be a leader.
32:08I want to be a policy maker.
32:10I want to be.
32:12And I think that's great,
32:14but first you have to learn to be a doctor.
32:18And so you this is critical
32:21because people can fall off track.
32:24You know you look at our graduate like Vivek
32:27Murthy who's now been just made again.
32:30The surgeon General of the United States.
32:33Or you look at someone
32:36like Marcella Nunez Smith,
32:37who is our one of our academic
32:40advisors who's now gone on to become.
32:43You know, this major force in the Biden
32:47administration looking at Equitable.
32:49Healthcare distribution and
32:51you want to be them?
32:54But what you have to recognize is
32:57first they went to medical school
33:00and first they became good interns,
33:03and then they became really good residence.
33:06And then both of them,
33:08I believe,
33:09went on and became really good
33:13Chief residents.
33:14And so you don't come to medical
33:18school thinking I'm gonna be them
33:22now you come to medical school
33:25thinking I am going to become
33:29the best medical school graduate.
33:32And then you can go on and be.
33:35Vivek Murthy and Marcella Nunez Smith.
33:38We hope for you.
33:40Terrific
33:41Dean, affinity, easy. Thank you so much.
33:43So now we have a question on some of
33:45the finer grained details are taking
33:47classes from other departments while
33:49being a dedicated medical student.
33:50How does one go about that?
33:52For example English,
33:53lower art and then also if you
33:55could comment on how the jail system
33:57allows students to pursue the
33:59intersections of medicine and art?
34:00Yeah, so I'll just
34:02speak to that a little bit
34:03because we're happy for you to
34:05take courses at other schools,
34:07and it's not that hard to do.
34:09Will help you do it,
34:10but not the first semester.
34:12And that speaks to what I just said.
34:15You come here to go to medical school
34:17if you want to go to law school,
34:19go to law school.
34:20We will help you do a joint MD JD
34:23if that's what you want but you
34:25don't do it in the first semester.
34:27So if it's something you're interested in,
34:29we're more than happy to discuss it with you,
34:31but we'd really like you to
34:33see what is the workload here.
34:351st and dedicate yourself to that.
34:37Yeah, I'll just say that you know I
34:38used to be on the admissions committee.
34:41I haven't been on the admissions
34:43committee for years.
34:44But when I was I had a favorite
34:47question and this is what I would ask.
34:50I would say OK if I were to say to you
34:54right now, you're admitted you're in.
34:56But you can't come here for two years.
35:00What would you do for those two years?
35:02And I'd get students.
35:04That said, to me,
35:05things like Oh no,
35:06I'm ready now I have to go now I'm ready
35:10now and I'd say but you can't come for two
35:13years what would you do for those two years?
35:17So if there's a thing that you feel
35:20in your heart, you need to play out.
35:26Play it out now.
35:29Don't force yourself to do this
35:32unless you're ready to do this.
35:35This is hard.
35:38This is hard.
35:41But it's wonderful.
35:44But you have to be ready.
35:47And so if your dream is to do law school.
35:51Think about law school.
35:54If your dream is to.
35:57Work in government.
35:59Think about doing that before.
36:02If you want to take courses again,
36:05it's definitely doable,
36:06as long as it's not interfering with your
36:09curriculum with your mandatory curriculum.
36:12And then there are joint
36:14degree opportunities.
36:15We have people who are doing joint MD JD's.
36:19We have people are doing joint MD,
36:22MBA's join, MD, MPH.
36:24We even have the one could do and MD
36:28JADEV MD MD IF there are opportunities,
36:31but that's not the first semester.
36:34That comes after you have gone
36:38through the medical curriculum
36:40in a way that is contribute Tori.
36:43As I talked about earlier and wholeheartedly.
36:48And if you've done that,
36:49then the University is here for you.
36:55I would add you can hear in Doctor
36:58Angoff's wise advice that we probably
37:00have experienced some students
37:02who have arrived who immediately
37:04wanted to be doing something else
37:07other than being a medical student,
37:10and that can be very challenging.
37:12It could be very difficult to get through,
37:16you know, or I shouldn't say,
37:18get through to enjoy the 1st 17
37:21months of medical school, I mean.
37:24It is so much fun to learn medicine
37:27you're learning about how the human
37:29body works in such great detail.
37:32You're learning the cutting edge innovations
37:34that are happening in the field of medicine.
37:37You are learning about the disparities in
37:39health outcomes and what contributes to that.
37:42You're and you're.
37:43You're thinking about different things
37:45that maybe you can do to work on
37:48some of these issues in the future.
37:50But if you try to do everything at once,
37:53you will end up often.
37:55Not enjoy it right?
37:57And we want you to enjoy being a first
37:59year medical student and getting
38:01to know each other and learning
38:04the language of medicine, right?
38:06If you don't learn the language,
38:08you know the terms of the foundations.
38:10It's very hard.
38:11It's harder in the 2nd and the
38:143rd year and the 4th year,
38:16so we want you to have a really
38:19strong foundation.
38:19Yeah, and you know, we, I agree 100%.
38:22We have flexibility,
38:23enormous flexibility, but most of it.
38:25The 1st 17 months you have to engage with.
38:29You have to learn that language and then
38:31there's a year of being in the hospital.
38:34You have no choice about that.
38:36You've got to do it.
38:38You step through the clerkships.
38:39But after that in the advanced training
38:42period which is about 1617 months long,
38:44there's enormous flexibility to fill
38:46it up with weight in ways you want.
38:49And also there's the 5th year option.
38:51So for those of you who are not
38:54MD PHD's you know there is.
38:56Option for a tuition free 5th year and and
38:59so there's lots of room for flexibility,
39:02but it's not in the first semester.
39:04If you if you.
39:05If you want flexibility in the first
39:08semester, then don't start yet.
39:10And the other thing I want there
39:12was one other thing I wanted to say.
39:15But anyway,
39:16it slipped my mind if I think of it,
39:19I'll say it.
39:20Yeah no problem.
39:21Thank
39:21you to you both.
39:23So this question goes to
39:24something that was discussed.
39:26A bit before dinner.
39:27If you said that you know
39:29sometimes you can drive yourself
39:31too hard within the jail system.
39:33So one of the students wondered,
39:35could you elaborate a little bit more
39:37about what you meant and what you said
39:40there happy to and I just thought of the
39:43thing I wanted to say because it was
39:45in response to the question about art.
39:48I just wanted to say we have a robust
39:50humanities and medicine program here.
39:52Robust, so you know,
39:54there's lots of room to explore interest in.
39:56Art literature, music.
39:58Anna Reisman is the director of that program.
40:02If you want to contact her,
40:05this is a very exceptional program.
40:10That website and contact her.
40:12She's very passionate about it
40:14and many students engage. Yeah
40:16so, and you can do your thesis in
40:19those areas, humanities and medicine.
40:21I did my thesis in bioethics.
40:24I did my thesis in 19.
40:26You know I graduated in 1990 and
40:28I I was going through the early
40:31AIDS epidemic and I wrote about.
40:34Do physicians have an ethical obligation
40:37to care for patients with AIDS and.
40:40Who knew that that same question would
40:43come up during the covid pandemic, so.
40:48What did I mean by that?
40:51So you are all strivers.
40:53That's what's gotten you here.
40:55You are all strivers but one
40:59thing I also know is that probably
41:03a good 3/4 of you if not 100%.
41:06Also feel somewhat of the impostor syndrome.
41:12And that you all are both driven.
41:17And doubt it.
41:18I am driven to be the best I can.
41:23But do I belong?
41:26Am I worthy?
41:28That's a terrible combination,
41:31and so you come in with that need
41:36to prove yourself.
41:38And you're never sure if you
41:42are proving yourself.
41:43And that's the thing that I say you
41:47know is something that you need to
41:51have a better understanding of.
41:54So the drive is good,
41:57but not to the point where you.
42:01It's exclusionary of self care.
42:05So learning how to care for yourself,
42:08learning how to be good to yourself.
42:12Learning how to forgive yourself.
42:14How do you forgive a patient who starts
42:17smoking after they stopped smoking
42:19because you told them to stop smoking
42:23but now they've started smoking again?
42:26Do you say screw it,
42:28you're outta here or do you say I forgive
42:32you were gonna work on this together?
42:36First you need to learn
42:38how to forgive yourself.
42:39You're not going to be perfect.
42:42You're not going to be perfect.
42:45And if you're driven for perfection at the
42:49same time you've got this deep self doubt.
42:53That never goes anywhere good.
42:55So it's learning how to be in touch
42:59with that, and tempering that,
43:01asking for help if you need help.
43:05That's what Yale is about. We're here.
43:08Were all around you were here.
43:12And there are people to help.
43:15So that's what I meant.
43:18Thank
43:19you, I guess I would add, you know,
43:22could you kind of thinking like how come
43:25we don't have compared orders for students?
43:28I mean we care that you are learning and
43:31moving on your own trajectory and some people
43:34move faster than others on trajectory's.
43:37But that's OK. And you know,
43:39that's why our exams are anonymous.
43:42That's for you to know and you
43:45to be satisfied with, right?
43:47No one else is.
43:48No one else is going to come to you and say,
43:51oh, you got a great score on that
43:53exam because I know how you did.
43:55And of course,
43:56if someone struggles and isn't able to
43:59reach the passing threshold on an exam,
44:01that's where doctor engulfs talking about.
44:03Like we have people here to help,
44:05and you know,
44:06and then you get to take it again.
44:09So it's a very you know.
44:11I mean, in a way,
44:13that's that's what's wonderful about
44:15the whole system is that there's
44:17nothing punitive about struggling for
44:18a little while in one of the courses,
44:21like our goal is to help you master
44:24that material and be ready to move on.
44:27And you know,
44:27some people take a little more
44:29time than others in some courses,
44:31and that's OK.
44:33We don't, you know we're not pass fail.
44:36We're past pass. It's not bad.
44:41Failed fancy beans, so
44:42this this dovetails into a few
44:44questions we've received regarding
44:46this particular topic as well,
44:47which is the advising and counseling.
44:50And how do you maneuver all
44:52of these resources available?
44:53So two part question perhaps,
44:55what's the type of feedback
44:56that students receive through
44:58the preclinical coursework?
44:59And then what are the advising and
45:01counseling resources that can help
45:03students maneuver everything that is
45:05available through the Yale system?
45:07If you could speak to
45:09that Jessica, you start with the. Feedback OK
45:12yeah, so in the preclinical period
45:15the the ways to have more one on one
45:19or verbal feedback is to participate
45:21in our smaller group sessions where
45:24we engage in thinking and clinical
45:27reasoning together and we're
45:29approaching patient cases together.
45:31Those are perfect opportunities for
45:34you to participate in conversations
45:37and then be able to talk with your
45:40faculty member about how you're doing.
45:43If you have questions or concerns
45:45you know often that's a situation
45:47where a student might just stay
45:49after and be like you know what I
45:51didn't really get what you guys were,
45:53what the what the group started
45:55going off on over here.
45:57Can you help me figure that out or guide
45:59me to some other resources, right?
46:02And then there's also a series
46:04of self assessments that students
46:05can engage in along the way,
46:07which we encourage students to
46:09do so that they can kind of help
46:11self determine if they need.
46:13Further assistance in that respect.
46:17And then I would add,
46:18you know,
46:19there's always the opportunity for
46:21meeting with your advisor and maybe
46:23Doctor Angoff is going to talk
46:25talk about that a little bit more,
46:27but that's another opportunity
46:28where you can review how things are
46:31going in the curriculum with your
46:32advisor and same clinical skills.
46:34You're going to be working
46:36individually with faculty,
46:37so you'll be able to get that
46:39one on one feedback
46:41along the way. Yeah, yeah,
46:42the the self assessments are very
46:44important that there are quizzes and
46:46self assessments that you can take
46:49that nobody else knows how you do and.
46:51Yeah, they're really for you to
46:53gauge you know how you're doing.
46:56The advisor system every student is
46:59assigned randomly when they get here to
47:01one of six academic advisors I mentioned
47:04before that Marcella Nunez Smith is
47:06working with the Biden administration.
47:08She was one of the academic advisors she's
47:11had to step down now that she's very busy.
47:14She's actually our
47:16commencement speaker this year.
47:18US, but there are six amazing faculty
47:22members who, so each of each student
47:25is assigned to one of the six,
47:28and they are here to really guide
47:31you academically professionally.
47:33If there any kinds of professional breaches,
47:36what types of professional
47:38breaches could there be?
47:40Well, there could be a HIPAA
47:42violation that's sort of the kind
47:45of thing that sometimes happens.
47:47They're here for academics,
47:49professionalism.
47:50And then careers as you get closer to
47:53making decisions about your residency,
47:55what electives should you take?
47:57What subies should you take?
47:59And then they're also here to direct you
48:02to the other people in the community
48:06that you would need to help you.
48:09So if you go in and you say I have developed
48:12this amazing interest in neurosurgery,
48:15they know who in the neurosurgery
48:18Department to send you to who?
48:20Is the tried and true person so
48:23that you're not getting information
48:24from a resident who you know
48:27has an end of one you know I,
48:29this is what happened to me.
48:31That's all they know.
48:33So you're going to be sent to the
48:36people who really know the stuff,
48:38and that's where your advisor comes in.
48:40Same thing with research.
48:41You know we have a research office which
48:44is just fabulous led by Doctor Chaudhry
48:46and Doctor Hertzog Fabulous Fabulous People.
48:49But an they they will be able to help.
48:52With research advisors,
48:53but so can your research mentors.
48:56I should say I'm making distich
48:58tinction between advisor and mentor.
49:00Not everybody does,
49:01but I do.
49:02I think that a red visor is
49:04somebody who knows the ropes.
49:06That's a sign this person knows the ropes.
49:09Tried and true,
49:10they're going to get you where
49:12you're going and they're gonna
49:14know who else to send you to.
49:17They know the rules.
49:18They know the offices,
49:20they know the structures.
49:21A mentor is someone you pick yourself.
49:24That's somebody who represents something
49:26that you might want to pursue yourself.
49:29It could be a research topic.
49:31It could amend it,
49:32or it could be somebody who
49:35lives life a certain way.
49:37It could be somebody you know.
49:39We have robust organizations for
49:41people with with faith traditions.
49:43It could be.
49:44How do I combine medicine
49:46with my faith tradition?
49:48You might pick a mentor in that area.
49:51How do I combine medicine
49:53with being apparent?
49:55You pick a mentor in that area.
49:57Going to multiple mentors and those
50:00are people that you pick because they
50:02represent something you want more
50:05help with or you want to live your
50:07life like or you just like them.
50:10But an advisor is somebody who
50:13keeps you on the path and you will
50:16have both. Thank
50:17you Dean's so this question again
50:19dovetails very well with that,
50:21which is so a few students had this question.
50:24They are fans of the
50:25flexibility of the Yale system,
50:27but sometimes life gets in the way.
50:29So what are the safety Nets or
50:32support that's available if students
50:34get a little bit last fall behind?
50:36And then tide into that.
50:37What are the Wellness initiatives
50:39and efforts for the Yale School
50:40of Medicine students?
50:41For instance,
50:42counseling workshops,
50:43things of that nature.
50:45Yeah we have. Well every every
50:47I'll start with Wellness first.
50:49First. We have a very active
50:51student committee on well being.
50:53We call it well being here which I like
50:56but committee on well being of students.
50:59So we have very active committee
51:01that plans all kinds of events and
51:04I think that's probably one of the
51:06reasons why the first year class
51:09this year became so close and so
51:11engaged because there were so many
51:14activities that were planned for them.
51:17But we also, you know,
51:19yell has what's called the Yale Health Plan.
51:22Yale Health is what it's called.
51:25It's a freestanding HMO type of health plan.
51:28And every you get to pick it as
51:31your major health insurance or
51:33because many of you are under 26,
51:36you can pick a different
51:38major health insurance.
51:39You could pick Aetna or Blue Cross or be on
51:43your parents or your spouses or whatever.
51:47But regardless of what your
51:49major health insurance is,
51:52which would cover hospitalization
51:54and specialty care,
51:56every yell student just by
51:58virtue of being a Yale student,
52:02is eligible for certain services
52:04or gets certain services at Yale
52:08Health and those services are
52:10mental health and counseling.
52:13Primary care.
52:14GYN care for women and acute care.
52:18So there's a 24 hours acute care center.
52:21Anybody wakes up in the middle
52:23of night with a terrible stomach
52:26ache that's open to anyone.
52:28Doesn't matter what your major
52:30health insurance carrier is.
52:32And so mental health and
52:34counseling is very important.
52:36And every student has access to it.
52:39And you can imagine in the pandemic
52:42there is an overwhelming need.
52:44And so it is highly used. But Dean.
52:48Brown is also thinking about and.
52:50Actually it's in planning is there
52:53will be people that will be more
52:56dedicated to medical students
52:57that will be more locali placed,
53:00but that won't be for long term visits.
53:04That will be for, you know,
53:06something comes up and somebody
53:09needs more immediate counseling.
53:10But long term one will be
53:13going to Yale Health.
53:15And if anybody has an on going.
53:18Relationship with a counselor.
53:20Therapist, psychiatrist, especially.
53:21If one is on medication.
53:24When one comes here,
53:25they should be checking in with
53:28yell health earlier rather
53:30than later in order to get
53:32those prescriptions continued.
53:37Well I just wanna say what I think
53:39I just wanted to say we are so into
53:42destigmatizing this this isn't this is we.
53:44We just want you to take care of
53:46yourself so you know this is not a Oh
53:49my God I need to keep this a secret.
53:52This is a. You take care of yourself
53:54an you know we have services here.
53:57Use them. Go ahead, Jessica.
53:59So I would
54:00just add. Yeah, I've been
54:02speaking with Dean Brown about her
54:04initiative and Wellness as well,
54:05and so it looks like we're going to
54:08have at least three individuals with
54:10social worker, a Wellness counselor,
54:12and a licensed psychologist who
54:14are dedicated to the School of
54:16Medicine and very accessible.
54:17So that's you know something
54:19that will be starting.
54:20Probably this summer,
54:21and so any of you who join us
54:24would have access to that.
54:26And so, just to answer the question,
54:28if you have like something you know,
54:30a crisis happens in your family and
54:32you just need to talk it out and
54:34try to figure out what resources
54:36are there for you to access.
54:38If there's illness, you know,
54:39like there's there's going,
54:40there is a safety net to help help you.
54:43Through these times,
54:44we want you all to succeed,
54:46and so we're here to help through
54:48the tough times as well.
54:50Thank you Dean, so I'm hoping I know
54:52I want to be respectful of your time.
54:55I'm hoping we can get two more
54:57questions in if that's OK if you can.
54:59If you can allow us that so this
55:00question is about the opportunities
55:02available for medical students to be
55:04involved in the curriculum or teaching.
55:05Perhaps you can comment,
55:06or even on the teaching and Learning Center.
55:10Sure,
55:11yeah. So we are very fortunate
55:13to have the School of Medicine,
55:16teaching and Learning Center.
55:18It is a hub where both students
55:21and faculty engage in, you know,
55:23methods of teaching evaluation pedagogy.
55:26We have a student interest
55:28group in medical education,
55:30so these are these are students who
55:32probably are thinking themselves of
55:35becoming physicians in the future who will
55:38participate in medical student education.
55:41And the other opportunities
55:42are on our curriculum.
55:44Committees and our advisory committees
55:46that review all the feedback we get
55:49from our courses from our clerkships.
55:51Students are always involved in
55:53changes that we make to our curriculum,
55:56and in fact, most of them are,
55:59you know, arising from student feedback,
56:01so we're very,
56:03very keen to constantly evolve our
56:05curriculum to kind of meet the needs
56:08of our students and really excited to
56:10receive feedback and have students.
56:13As involved as they would like to be.
56:18Dean Angoff, did you want it?
56:20Any thought so I should be?
56:22I think that's great. Yeah, terrific.
56:24So I think this last question will be
56:27a good final question to ask you both.
56:29I want to add that lots of students
56:31thanking you all feel perspectives
56:33and excellent suggestions.
56:35In fact, this particular student,
56:36her quote was you are pouring
56:38out wisdom for free to you both,
56:40so thank you both for that.
56:42But this question is to both of you,
56:45perhaps delizie.
56:46And then the nanga.
56:47Could you elaborate?
56:48On the deep questions to ask
56:50yourself before deciding on Yale,
56:52how would you suggest getting
56:54beyond what you think you know
56:56about yourself and those answers
56:58and the truth about yourself?
57:01Wow wow I would say.
57:06The students that I have seen
57:09thrive at Yale are those that.
57:12Really love learning for
57:13the sake of learning, right?
57:15So you know and you kind of you
57:17might read something and think I
57:19want to learn more about that.
57:21And then you find yourself like
57:24looking up other material,
57:25whether it's on the Internet
57:27or in other resources.
57:28To learn more about that topic.
57:30And then you're eager to share it
57:32with others, because honestly we can.
57:34You can learn more from your fellow students.
57:37Even then, from the lecture, right?
57:39If you are engaging in these
57:41conversations all the time.
57:43So I would say it's really
57:45a love of learning.
57:46If you're someone who just kind of
57:48studies for the sake of taking the
57:50test that is coming up in 30 days,
57:53you know,
57:53and you're just kind of like I'm just
57:56going to study and then I'm going to
57:58take this test and I'm going to forget it.
58:01That's not really the old system, right?
58:03The L system is learning how to
58:05think and explore and imagine,
58:06you know.
58:07Coming up with new questions
58:09that have not yet been answered.
58:11You know those are the people who
58:13really thrive in the Yale system.
58:17So my answer is going to be
58:20very short and that is I don't
58:22know who asked that question.
58:24But I think that that
58:26person may be ready to come.
58:29It's the asking of the question.
58:33Nobody here can answer it.
58:36It is the asking of the question and the
58:40willingness to ask yourself that question.
58:43That means you're ready to come because
58:45you will keep asking questions and
58:48you will keep examining the answers
58:50and you'll be contributing in the
58:53ways that Doctor Illuzzi just said.
58:55That you will you know you.
58:58It is the students that make the system.
59:02It is the buying in.
59:04It is the I am coming because I
59:08can be part of something bigger.
59:11And that's what matters.
59:15Well,
59:15on that wonderful note,
59:17I would like to thank both of you again.
59:20Deans illuzion anger for joining us today,
59:22giving one plus hour of
59:24your time to join us today.
59:26So thank you again.
59:27Thank you very much for
59:29giving us the time today.
59:30So I'd like everyone feel
59:32free to unmute yourselves.
59:33Feel free to show your virtual appreciation
59:36for the Deans for joining us today.
59:38You've probably seen as
59:39you scroll through the log.
59:41Lots of claps and things of
59:43that nature as well.
59:44So thank you again.
59:46For making the time,
59:47I think this is an excellent session.
59:49A terrific session with lots of why.
59:51Why is words of wisdom just pouring
59:53out for free as the student said
59:55so at this point I will conclude
59:57the meeting so we will end the
59:59meeting now for a brief break.
01:00:01Please re join the meeting.