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E D U C A T I O N › H I G H L I G H T S
The 2003-04 academic year has been one of achievement and enhanced national recognition for the Feinberg School of Medicine’s educational programs. During the year, three major changes occurred in the education arena that affected the entire school.
STUDENT PROGRAMS OFFICE › Jack F. Snarr, PhD, who had served as associate dean for student programs for nearly three decades, retired near the end of the 2003 academic year. The planning for his succession included an assessment of the best organizational structures for meeting students’ needs. As a result of this study, the functions of the former Office of Student Affairs were consolidated with the those of the Office of Medical Education and Faculty Development and additional staff was hired to provide academic and career counseling as well as coordination of student programs. › John X. Thomas Jr., PhD, associate dean for educational programs, assumed direct responsibility for curricular and academic affairs. On July 1 Angela Nuzzarello, MD, MHPE, became associate dean for student programs and professional development. Her responsibilities include developing programs for student mentoring and support and intensifying coordination with student health, housing, and financial aid units. Students have responded with enthusiasm, expressing their appreciation of this enhanced level of coordination and support.
GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION › In 1966 the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, comprising the University and its affiliated hospitals, came into being in part to oversee residency and fellowship programs. Since then, much has changed. Graduate medical education at Northwestern now encompasses approximately 100 programs with more than 1,000 residents and fellows. In addition, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has demanded enhanced accountability for outcomes assessment and taken a leadership role in managing trainees’ hours. The old administrative system was too cumbersome to manage these volumes or respond to these demands. Consequently, after three years of discussion, a new governance structure has been put in place and roles have been better defined to more efficiently manage this program and its costs.
 CLINICAL EDUCATION FACILITIES › In 2003 the Clinical Education Center, which formerly was housed in Abbott Hall, relocated to renovated space in the McGaw Pavilion of the Health Sciences Building. The new facilities include classrooms, patient exam rooms, and the latest computer technology for learning. In addition, the Patient Safety Simulation Center, located in Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Galter Pavilion, houses an ingenious technology—a computerized robot that emulates a patient. The simulator replicates human physiology with extraordinary detail and accuracy. For example, its pupils constrict with light and its breathing changes in response to stimuli. It also can be adjusted to mimic allergic reactions or patients with specific conditions. Students, residents, and faculty members gain valuable hands-on experience without putting patients at risk. All interactions with the simulator are videotaped for later review.
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FIG. 4
Dr. Angela Nuzzarello, associate dean for student programs and professional development, nurtures the professional and personal growth of future physicians.
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FIG. 5
At the new Clinical Education Center, medical students watch videotapes of their interactions with standardized patients.
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NOTE
The 2003-04 entering class of medical students had impressive credentials:
a mean grade point average of 3.69 and a mean Medical College Admissions Test score of 10.7. Seventeen percent of the students are minorities underrepresented in medicine.
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