Medical Students Subcommittee

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison began its institutional self-study in preparation for the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) reaccreditation process in fall 2008.

The following members make up the Medical Students Subcommittee:

• Patrick McBride, MD, MPH (Co-Chair)
• John Harting, PhD (Co-Chair)
• David Allen, MD
• Nicholas Cozzi, PhD
• Patricia DeMarse
• Eugene Foley, MD, FACS
• Carl Getto, MD
• Sharon Greuel
• Cynthia Haq, MD
• Gloria Hawkins, PhD
• John Kryger, MD
• Mary Landry, MD
• Jane McGann, BA
• Gwenevere McIntosh, MD, MPH
• Jacob Prunuske, MD, MSPH
• Amy Schrader
• Christopher Stillwell, MA
• Erik Stratman, MD
• Sarah Van Orman, MD
• Eliot Williams, MD, PhD
• Carla Bouwkamp, Med 2
• Michelle Buelow, Med 3
• Brittany Busse, Med 4
• Amrik Ray, Med 1

Questions Addressed by the Medical Students Subcommittee

(Note: The self-study task force or group responsible for developing the report on medical students should review the results of the student analysis and the school's most recent AAMC Medical School Graduation Questionnaire data, in addition to the material contained in the medical education database.)

A. Admissions

1. Critically review the process of recruitment and selection of medical students, and evaluate the results of that process. Is the size of the applicant pool appropriate for the established class size, both in terms of number and quality? How are the medical education program's selection criteria validated in the context of its mission and other mandates?

2. Evaluate the number of students of all types (medical students, residents, visiting medical students, graduate students in basic sciences, etc.) in relation to the constellation of resources available for teaching (number of faculty members, space, clinical facilities, patients, educational resources, student services, etc.).

3. Describe the school's successes in broadening diversity among medical school applicants. How well are the school's programs to enhance the diversity of the medical school applicant pool functioning?

4. Evaluate whether the acceptance of transfer students, or visiting students in the school's affiliated teaching hospitals, affects the educational program of regular students (i.e., in the context of competition with the school's own students for available resources, patients, educational venues, etc.).

B. Student Services

5. Comment on the levels of student attrition and academic difficulty in relation to the medical education program's admission requirements, academic counseling efforts, and remediation programs. How effective is the program's system for early identification of students in academic difficulty? Describe the counseling and remediation systems that are in place, and evaluate their effectiveness.

6. In the context of data from the Student Self-study and the most recent AAMC Medical School Graduation Questionnaire, evaluate the effectiveness of the systems in place for career counseling, residency preparation, and the selection of elective courses.

7. Evaluate the level of tuition and fees in relation to the size of graduates' accumulated debt, and to the level of financial aid needed and available. Describe the efforts in place minimize student indebtedness. Comment on the effectiveness of these efforts? Comment on the adequacy and availability of financial education and debt counseling programs.

8. Evaluate the adequacy and availability of student support in the following areas:

• Personal counseling and mental health services, including their confidentiality and accessibility
• Preventive and therapeutic health services, including immunizations and health and disability insurance
• Education of students about bodily fluid exposure, needle stick policies, and other infectious and environmental hazards associated with learning in a patient care setting

C. The Learning Environment

9. How effective are the medical school and its clinical partners in assuring an appropriate learning environment for medical students? Summarize successes and challenges in supporting positive and mitigating negative influences on students' acquisition of defined professional attributes.

10. Comment on the effectiveness of school policies for addressing allegations of student mistreatment, and for educating the academic community about acceptable standards of conduct in the teacher-learner relationship.

11. Evaluate the familiarity of students and course and clerkship directors with the school's standards and policies for student advancement, graduation, disciplinary action, appeal, and dismissal. Review the adequacy of systems for providing students with access to their records and assuring the confidentiality of student records.

12. Assess the adequacy and quality of student study space, lounge and relaxation areas, and personal storage facilities. Do available resources for study contribute to an environment conducive to learning?