Minutes

Review the minutes of the December 2, 2002 meeting.

MOTION:  Accept minutes as previously distributed. ACTION: PASSED

Sub-Committee Reports

1. R. Cameron (Director of Basic Science)-didn't attend meeting. Nothing was reported for his committee.
2. J. Sorrento (Director of Clinical Courses)-discussed moving Neurology from the fourth year schedule to the third year at the January 6 Clinical Course Director's Meeting.  The time and length must be decided.
3. A. Jaffe (Evaluation)-nothing to report.
4. R. Barraco (Teaching/Learning Strategies)-is scheduling a meeting during the month of January. The time and location still must be set.

Review: Microbiology

Course Evaluation of Microbiology (J. Benach, Director)- M. Frohman, A. Kucine -This second year course is taught to all mental and dental students.  Dr. Benach is in his second year as the course director.  The course syllabus is summarized on the web, including the grading policy, reading assignments and recitation groups. There are two 3-hour exams based mainly on lectures, the textbook and syllabus materials.   There is additional information that is found through readings, laboratory, and recitations to add to the topics.  The Director feels that time is too limited in the course.  He believes adding three days to the course would enable him to more adequately cover the

requisite material.   The course evaluation is on Cbase.  Most of the comments were favorable.  None were in the poor range.

Changes since the last review:

1.       Parasitology was covered in too great a depth in 1999.  It was abbreviated, but now it seems rushed and not covered sufficiently.

2.       Yeast/fungi was covered better this time.

3.       Six hours of clinical correlates have been added to the course.

4.       One hour of Bioterrorism was added to reflect current realities.

5.       Two hours of oral microbiology was added to promote some direct relevance to dental students and, to present new information on the role of oral infections on systemic disease.

Strengths:

The Microbiology course is well run and liked by the students.  It is successful due to the diligent efforts of Dr. Benach and his faculty lecturers.  Most of the material is well prepared.  The laboratory sessions were favorably viewed.  The clinical correlations were good.

Weaknesses:

There is a large amount to learn in a short period of time.  Some lecturers are difficult to understand and read from their PowerPoint presentations.  Students felt unprepared for the boards.  Students are not happy with the block format.  They felt that it was difficult to learn and retain material.  The students felt that they were not properly prepared to take the boards even though they were given the same afternoon as their final exam.

ACTION: J. Benach is well liked as a course director.  Improvements have been made since the last review.  Dr. Benach feels that there isn't an expertise at Stony Brook to teach parasitology.  The Curriculum Committee suggested he find an outside source to help teach  this.   He feels there is little

room for addressing remaining shortcomings without lengthening the duration of the course. 

Business

1. Low Registration for New 4th-year Electives:  "Advanced Physical Diagnosis" and "Quality and Safety in Medicine"- Course director feels that there are conflicts with the other March courses and Medical Spanish.  M. London sent an email to the entering 3^rd year students.  The Curriculum Committee discussed offering the course at additional times. Also, having more students than 5 at a time may be helpful.  It was suggested that if the course is given for the first time, with only the three students that have signed up, the word will get around that it's a good course. Next time more students will sign up for the next rotation.

2. Results of the Class of 2005 Survey on Certain Aspects of Second-Year Curriculum were reported on December 21, 2002 to the students that were conducting the survey. The survey was given on December 13, 2002.  The overall results of the survey were strongly in favor of a number of changes to the current curriculum.  The survey shows very strong support to have a short Pharmacokinetics course at the beginning of the year with continuous integration of drug treatments with the pathologic presentations of disease as addressed in the Systems Course. The class would like to see more case-bases questions on tests.

3.  At the request of the Microbiology course director, Roy Steigbigel will be asked if he is willing to serve as clinician co-director of both the Microbiology and Pharmacology courses.

4.  Peter Williams stated that the Molecules, Genes, & Cells and Nutrition still need to turn in their grades in a proper time frame.  Systems has five days to turn in their grades.

ACTION: While making suggestions, it is not the responsibility of the curriculum committee to encourage enrollment in any particular elective.

ACTION:   None taken.

ACTION: Dr. Steigbigel was asked and so agreed, with the provision that he would relinquish co-directorship of Pharmacology should the jobs become too burdensome.

MOTION: Other than clerkship, all courses must inform students of their final grades no later than 10 working days from the end of the course, defined as the date of the exam or the last exercise contributing to a student's evaluation.

ACTION: PASSED

Curriculum Committee Meeting

The next Curriculum Committee meeting will be held on February 3, 2003 in the OVP Conference Room from 8:00-9:30 am.