2010 Courses

Courses for January Term 2010

INST 1500: THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM [3]

Robert D. Powers, MD MPH, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Adjunct Professor of Sociologyrse is full.

This course offers students an opportunity to learn about the structure and function of the US health care system. It is of interest to those considering a career in the health professions as well as anyone seeking to be an informed consumer and citizen. Lectures and seminar discussion will cover the history and current status of American health and health care delivery, and identify and discuss the challenges that face providers, patients, payers, and policy makers as health care becomes more effective and more expensive. Issues related to manpower, financing, access, disparities, the law, and technology will be addressed, with discussion centered around approaches to understanding and solving the most significant problems. Critical thinking will be encouraged by analysis of problematic topics including the conflict between profit and care delivery, the growing ranks of uninsured despite a healthy economy, and controversies in areas including malpractice, “lifestyle” medicine, and ethics.

As a final exercise, students will be asked to devise a viable intervention which will result in a 10% increase in the number of patients receiving necessary health care services at either the national, state, or local level.

INST 1500: Leadership and Ethics for Tomorrow's Physicians [3]

Patricia Tereskerz, Associate Professor and Ann Mills, Assistant Professor

This course provides a unique opportunity for pre-med or other health profession students to participate in an interdisciplinary educational experience provided by medical school faculty where the case book method of instruction is primarily used to explore the ethical challenges posed by the current healthcare system and confronted by leaders in the practice of medicine and medical research. In addition to lectures, students will also have limited opportunity to observe physicians practice medicine, as well as attend the ethics consult service to see first hand how ethical issues are managed in the hospital setting.  In order to foster an interdisciplinary approach to this course, there will be some lectures from guest faculty from other schools within the University such as Law and Nursing