UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 39, Page 6
August 15, 1996
Hands-on training; Med Scholars participate in summer practicums

     This summer, 10 students enrolled in the Medical Scholars Program
are learning about their chosen profession first hand in practicums at
a number of sites, among them the Medical Center of Delaware, the
Ronald McDonald House, the A. I. duPont Institute, the Newark
Emergency Center and the Medical Examiner's Office.
     Medical Scholars, UD students who are conditionally accepted into
Jefferson Medical College after their sophomore year, are required to
do two practicums, usually during Winter Session and in the summer.
     The students also must excel in a demanding undergraduate
curriculum of liberal arts and sciences, which can include such
courses as "Medical Ethics," "The Sociology of Health Care," "Women,
Biology and Medicine" and "The Hospitalized Child." The combination of
liberal arts and sciences, background courses related to medicine,
special lectures, group meetings and the practicums gives Medical
Scholars a well-rounded education and experiences that are invaluable
when they enter medical school, Paul Durbin, program director said.
     Students observe, learn and work with the staff at their sites,
keep a daily log and carry out research projects related to their
practicums, Durbin said. The practicum opportunities include a whole
spectrum of medical-related experiences-working with families,
preventive care, community health outreach, emergency procedures, and
observing diagnoses, treatments, rehabilitation and autopsies.
     The practicum coordinator of the program is Edie Simpson, who is
working on her doctorate in nursing; her research focuses on HIV risk
reduction strategies for African-American women. Simpson locates
potential sites and works with preceptors to develop practicum
objectives and evaluations.
     Susan Rattner, assistant dean at Jefferson, said the practicum
portion of the Medical Scholars Program gives these future physicians
an opportunity to see the big picture of health care and get a more
sophisticated view of their chosen profession. She also said that the
program introduces and prepares the students for what is taught at
Jefferson in such areas as health policy and medical ethics.
     This summer, senior Robert Young of Wilmington is at Wilmington
Hospital, under preceptor Daniel DePietropaolo, a family care
physician. Young accompanies a team of family medicine residents and
is learning how they provide care for patients, interact with them and
with each other. His research paper will focus on his experiences and
demographic information on the community that is being served by the
hospital.
     Young's first practicum was at Ronald McDonald House and the A.
I. duPont Institute, which gave him a totally different perspective on
medicine. There he worked with families who had children at the
institute and learned directly how this affected a child's parents and
siblings. He also spent time at the institute's rehabilitation
department, observing the team of doctors, nurses and therapists
helping young patients recover from accidents or illnesses.
     Young has praise for the Medical Scholars Program and the
practicums. "The two practicums were valuable because they gave me
different perspectives on the medical field and what to expect. The
general opinion is that the best doctors are well rounded, and the
program, unlike some pre-med courses, emphasizes the humanities as
well as sciences," he said.
     Anuj Parikh, a junior from Newark, has a practicum at the Newark
Emergency Center under administrator Thelma Clagett, and is learning
about all facets of emergency care. As a volunteer, he had logged in
300 hours at the Christiana Hospital, with 80 hours in the Emergency
Room. The practicum at the Newark Emergency Center, which serves a
smaller population, provided him with a more cohesive and total
picture of emergency procedures and care. He helps the nursing staff
with such tasks as keeping supplies and rooms orderly and taking
patients' vital signs, and he accompanies the doctor when he examines
patients. "I also am learning about the financial side of health care,
such as insurance, Medicaid and workmen's compensation," he said.
     Like Young, Parikh is pleased with the Medical Scholars Program.
"The program offers a unique opportunity to be admitted early into
medical school. That takes a lot of stress off and allows you to
concentrate on academics during your senior year," he said.
                                                   -Sue Swyers Moncure