| The
Curriculum Degree Requirements Combined Degree Programs Facilities and Research Centers Medical Student Organizations |
 |
|
According to Thomas Jefferson,
medical education was to become part of the curriculum and of the general
education at the University of Virginia. A 'School of Anatomy and Medicine'
was one of the original eight schools authorized by an Act of the General
Assembly, passed January 25, 1819, and opened on March 7, 1825.
Unlike many other medical schools
of that era, the Medical School was always an integral part of the University,
and the professors received full-time appointments. During the early
years, the curriculum for the medical degree consisted of a graduated
course entailing the most thorough theoretical instruction, except for
the anatomical lessons of the dissecting room. Consequently, many medical
students took additional degrees in schools in large cities where they
obtained the necessary clinical training. The bias against clinical
instruction was based, in part, on a Jeffersonian concept which stressed
the teaching of medicine from a cultural rather than from a practical
point of view.
Today, the University of Virginia
Health System serves as one of the major acute-care referral institutions
in central and western Virginia. The Health System comprises all of
the direct patient care areas and the educational enterprise. The newest
component is the University Hospital, which opened in 1990. The hospital
and its adjoining Primary Care Center are linked to the old hospital,
called the West Complex, located just across the street.
The University of Virginia Hospital
has come a long way since its beginnings as a 25-bed facility. Today,
the Medical Center serves as one of the major acute-care referral institutions
in central and western Virginia. It is the centerpiece of the Health
System, which also includes a school of nursing, a major health sciences
library, and a highly rated school of medicine.
The Health System also includes
the Children's Medical Center, the Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center,
the Private Clinics Building, and the affiliated Virginia Ambulatory
Surgery Center. The Center also operates a number of other local clinics
and treatment centers. Preventative and family care are available, along
with the leading specialists associated with a major medical center.
Address
University of Virginia
School of Medicine
McKim Hall, #800725
Charlottesville, VA 22908
Admissions: (434) 924-5571
Fax: (434) 982-2586
The University of Virginia School
of Medicine receives applications for admission that greatly exceed
the number of places in the entering class. The Admissions Committee
is thus placed in the position of having to choose a class from among
an applicant population in which the number of academically qualified
applicants far exceeds the number of available places. While the School
of Medicine could choose its class solely on the basis of academic potential,
neither the public nor the profession would be best served by an admissions
process that was limited to selecting students by GPA and MCAT scores
alone. The faculty believes that the educational process at the School,
as well as the medical profession itself, is best served by an admissions
process that will result in the selection of a diverse and multi-talented
student body. To that end, the School has formulated an admissions policy
that takes into consideration individual skills and characteristics
that might not necessarily be directly related to academic ability.
Admission to the School of Medicine
will be granted to those applicants who, in the opinion of the Admissions
Committee, will make the most significant contributions to society as
members of the medical profession. In making its determination the School
will consider factors such as: (1) the applicant's general academic
ability based upon a careful examination of all academic transcripts,
including factors such as the grade-point average, the selectivity of
the school attended, the difficulty of the curriculum in which the degree
was earned and the hours spent on outside employment or other time-consuming
extracurricular activities; (2) the applicant's capacity for the academic
study of medicine based upon the MCAT score, and (3) other relevant
personal qualities and characteristics of the applicant, including factors
such as the applicant's career goals, cultural and educational background
and experiences, moral character, leadership qualities, commitment to
community service, ability to think and act independently, and interpersonal
and communication skills. The applicant should seek to have those persons
writing letters of recommendation discuss such factors.
Association of American Medical
Colleges
American Medical College
Application Service
2501 M Street, NW, LBBY-26
Washington, DC 20037-1300
(202) 828-0635
Preference will be given to students
who, by the time of matriculation, will have received the bachelor's
degree at a United States or Canadian college or university. The following
required college science courses must be completed prior to matriculation:
Biology (with lab) 1 year
General Chemistry (with lab)
1 year
Organic Chemistry (with lab)
1 year
Physics (with lab) 1 year
The selection of students for
admission to the School of Medicine is made by the Committee on Admissions,
composed of members of the faculty of the School of Medicine and a select
group of fourth-year medical students. Applicants are considered only
after all credentials have been received. Applicants who have been denied
admission previously are not encouraged to reapply unless there is a
demonstrated improvement in their academic and non-academic credentials.
The number of students in the entering class is limited to 139 students.
The University of Virginia School
of Medicine is one of the participating schools in the American Medical
College Application Service (AMCAS) sponsored by the Association of
American Medical Colleges. Applications may be accessed directly from
their website: www.aamc.org. AMCAS applications must be submitted
no later than November 1 of the year prior to the year of proposed enrollment.
Students are selected and notified of their acceptance on a rolling
admissions basis beginning October 15; therefore, early application
is advantageous. All applicants will be required to pay a $60.00 non-refundable
application processing fee unless granted a fee waiver.
Preference is given to students
who, by the time of matriculation, will have received the bachelor's
degree at an accredited college or university. Applicants should note
that the University of Virginia School of Medicine considers applications
only from students who are enrolled in or who have graduated from United
States or Canadian colleges and universities. Applications will be considered
from students who have completed at least 90 semester-hours of on-campus
course work at a U.S. or Canadian college or university. An additional
30 credit hours may be completed in course work online or through an
accredited long-distance education program, but this should not include
any of the required science courses listed below. The following college
science courses (includinglaboratory work) must be completed prior to
matriculation.
Biology with lab: 1 Year (8 semester
credits)
General Chemistry with lab: 1
Year (8 semester credits)
Organic Chemistry with lab: 1
Year (8 semester credits)
Physics with lab: 1 Year (8 semester
credits)
The courses listed above must
not be taken online, through a long-distance education program, pass/fail,
or credit/no credit. These courses may be completed at the community
college level, but applicants are encouraged to take them at an accredited
four-year institution if at all possible.
The required courses listed above
form the essential background for the scientific study of medicine.
Many courses contributing to a well-rounded liberal education are of
direct value and, though proficiency in the sciences is essential to
the understanding of medicine, concentration on the sciences is not
necessary. Medicine is concerned with a variety of social and community
problems and requires a broad cultural background as well as technical
education.
Advanced placement courses are
acceptable if such courses are clearly indicated on the undergraduate
college transcript as having been accepted by the college toward fulfillment
of requirements for the bachelor's degree. However, students are expected
to pursue advanced courses if advanced placement credit was awarded
for any of the required science courses listed above (including laboratory
work). Students pursuing a graduate or professional degree must complete
the program requirements prior to entrance into medical school.
Applicants to the University
of Virginia School of Medicine are considered without regard to disability
but with the expectation that they can complete all parts of the curriculum.
In addition to certain academic standards, candidates for the M.D. degree
must have abilities and skills in observation, communication, motor
function, quantification, abstraction, integration, conceptualization,
and interpersonal relationships and social behavior. Some disabilities
in certain of these areas may be overcome technologically, but candidates
for the medical degree must be able to perform in a reasonably independent
manner without the use of trained intermediaries. Those desiring additional
information on this matter may contact the Admissions Office for the
full Technical Standards Policy.
The Medical College Admission
Test is required of all applicants. All students must present scores
from tests taken no later than the fall of the year prior to the year
of matriculation, and no earlier than the spring of three years prior
to the year of matriculation. Further information concerning this test
is available from college premedical advisors, or from the website:
MCAT Registration
PO Box 4056
Iowa City, IA 52243
(319) 337-1357
Students are not accepted without
a personal interview. Selected individuals are invited for interviews
after review of their completed application. The AdmissionsCommittee
does not grant regional interviews, telephone interviews, or interviews
by applicant request.
Transfer applications are accepted
for entrance into the third-year class if there are vacancies due to
attrition. Transfer applicants must be in good standing at a
United States allopathic medical school, and preference
will be given to Virginia residents or to individuals who have compelling
reasons to be in Charlottesville. All students accepted for transfer
into the third-year class will be required to complete two full years
of the curriculum at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and
pay the appropriate tuition and fees.
Correspondence concerning admission
should be addressed to:
Director of Admissions
University of Virginia
School of Medicine Admissions
Office
PO Box 800725
Charlottesville, Virginia 22908
Telephone: (434) 924-5571
Fax: (434) 982-2586
E-mail: medsch-adm@virginia.edu
|
|
Throughout the four years, the
curriculum combines the practice and science of medicine. Patient contact
begins early in the first year and increases throughout the four years.
The curriculum is a thoughtful balance of lecture courses, problem-based
small-group courses, hands-on laboratories, and hospital and community-based
clinical experiences. At the center of the curriculum is the patient,
the science of medicine, and the physician's role in improving the health
of individuals and communities. Students adapt the curriculum to their
own learning styles. Some students prefer to learn from lectures; others
from self-study of notes provided by faculty or from texts and computer
materials.
First Year: In
the first year, students develop an understanding of normal human biology
and its relationship to the practice of medicine. Instruction in physiology,
genetics, biochemistry, anatomy, histology and neuroscience present
the scientific core of the physician's knowledge base. At the same time,
the students' advancing scientific knowledge is integrated with clinical
applications in the Practice of Medicine course. In small-group, problem-based
experiences, students interview patients in hospitals and in other health
care settings and learn to take patients' histories and conduct physical
examinations. During the first year, students meet with physicians on
a one-to-one basis in the mentoring program.
Second Year: The
coordinating theme of the second year is provided by the problem-based
course, Introduction to Clinical medicine. This course consists of clinical
case studies which students solve in small group tutorials led by physicians.
During the year, students also work on a one-to-one basis with physicians
to develop their skills in taking medical histories and conducting physical
exams. Other courses such as pathology and pharmacology are coordinated
with Introduction of Clinical Medicine to emphasize the clinical correlations
between medical science and medical practice. In the spring of the second
year, each student participates in a preceptorship to work with a doctor
in a community practice. Students go to many areas of Virginia for their
preceptorship and live in those communities for the week.
Third Year: The
third year is devoted to clinical training. Students take clerkships
in medicine, surgery, pediatrics, primary care, psychiatry, and obstetrics
and gynecology. There is extensive direct contact with patients, and
students work with a well-balanced patient population, which includes
primary, secondary, and tertiary care. Teaching is related to the patient
on rounds and in small tutorial seminars, lectures and group discussions.
Emphasis is given to the principles of prevention, diagnosis, treatment,
and the continuing integration of clinical medicine with medical sciences
and the psychological factors that influence health. Students work in
small groups and rotate among many clinical services, gaining practical
experience under supervision in the wards and outpatient clinics of
the University of Virginia hospitals, the Roanoke Community Hospitals,
the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Salem, the Western State
Hospital, and INOVA Fairfax Hospital in Northern Virginia. The teaching
programs at the affiliated hospitals allow students to observe the practice
of medicine in multiple settings and gain exposure to a somewhat different
spectrum of illnesses than that seen at the University of Virginia.
During their third year, all students spend an average of 22 weeks away
from Charlottesville in affiliated clerkship locations.
Fourth Year: The
electives program in the fourth year allows students to pursue their
own interests. Under the guidance of a faculty advisor, students choose
clinical rotations, basic science and humanities courses, and research
activities. Clinical rotations are available at sites in Salem, Roanoke,
Lynchburg, Fairfax, and Charlottesville. Programs are tailored to meet
individual interests and needs, including a selection of programs in
other domestic and foreign settings, in appropriate community medicine
programs, or in other activities of suitable educational merit. Students
also complete their four-week neurology clerkship in the fourth year.
Philosophy of Medical Education
At the University of Virginia,
we believe that art and science should be blended in medical education.
Our mission is to confer scientific knowledge and skill and to convey
an appreciation of the interpersonal qualities of comfort, care and
understanding essential for a complete physician-patient relationship.
Two fundamental components of
our educational philosophy are, first, that principles of problem understanding
and management are more important than retention of isolated facts,
and second, that learning is facilitated by the presence of the patient.
Thus, we correlate principles of basic science with presentation of
the patient in the first two years, teach clinical medicine by utilizing
real patient problems, and emphasize teaching at the bedside and in
the clinic whenever possible. These methods enhance the base of meaningful
knowledge that can be readily recalled and applied. The School is also
committed to small group and individual teaching in which interaction
between student and faculty can be maximized.
|
|
The degree of Doctor of Medicine
is conferred by the University of Virginia upon candidates who have
complied with the entrance requirements of this School and satisfactorily
completed the subjects included in the medical curriculum.
Candidates for the degree of
Doctor of Medicine must have completed the full course of study for
this degree and must be certified by the faculty as having successfully
met all of the criteria. These include satisfactory completion of the
preclinical courses of the first two years, 52 weeks of required clinical
clerkships, and 28 weeks of electives. In addition, the student must
take and pass Step 1 and Step 2 of the United States Medical Licensing
Examination (USMLE). Furthermore, students must demonstrate those professional
attitudes and behaviors that form the foundation upon which the practice
of medicine rests. The elements of these attitudes and behaviors include
altruism, accountability, honor, integrity, humanism, commitment to
service, and striving for excellence.
Fundamental Objectives for Undergraduate
Medical Education
The Curriculum Committee has
adapted a set of fundamental objectives for the undergraduate medical
education based on findings of the 1998 University of Virginia School
of Medicine Task Force on Medical School Objectives. These are presented
in outline form.
The competencies required of
the contemporary physician include:
1.The development and practice
of a set of personal and professional attributes that enable the independent
performance of the responsibilities of a physician and the ability to
adapt to the evolving practice of medicine. These include an attitude
of:
a) Humanism, compassion and empathy,
b) Collegiality and interdisciplinary
collaboration,
c) Continuing and lifelong self
education,
d) Awareness of a Personal response
to one's personal and profession limits,
e) Community and social service,
f) Ethical personal and professional
conduct,
g) Legal standards and conduct,
h) Economic awareness in clinical
practice;
2. Competence in the human sciences:
a) in the understanding of current
clinically relevant medical science
b) in scientific principles as
they apply to the analysis and further expansion of medical knowledge.
3. The ability to engage and
involve any patient in a relationship for the purpose of clinical problem
solving and care throughout the duration of the relationship,
4. Eliciting a clinical history,
5. Performing a physical examination,
6. Generating and refining a
prioritized differential diagnosis for a clinical finding or set of
findings,
7. Developing and refining a
plan of care for both the prevention and treatment of illness and the
relief of symptoms and suffering,
8. Developing a prognosis for
an individual, family or population based upon health risk or diagnosis,
with and without intervention, and planning appropriate follow-up,
9. Selecting and interpreting
clinical tests for the purpose of health screening and prevention, diagnosis,
prognosis or intervention,
10. Organizing, recording, presenting,
researching, critiquing and managing clinical information,
11. Selecting and performing
procedural skills related to physical examination, clinical testing
and therapeutic intervention, and
12. Knowledge of the social,
economic, ethical, legal and historical context within which medicine
is practiced.
|
|
This program offers a combined
MD/PhD degree program for students interested in careers in academic
medicine. The aim of the program is to provide students with the highest
quality training in the basic sciences and a firm grounding in clinical
medicine. Students in the program work over a period of 6 to 7 years
to receive an M.D. and a Ph.D. degree. The curriculum is tailored to
meet the goals of the individual student. The Ph.D. degree may be achieved
in any of the School of Medicine basic science programs or in a number
of affiliated science and engineering programs. The program is intended
for students who are planning careers in academic medicine with a significant
component of research. Graduates are expected to make significant contributions
to the fields of medical science and to contribute substantially to
the training of new physicians and scientists.
This joint MD/Master of Science
program is designed to develop the research, analytic, and quantitative
skills that students need to succeed in a variety of health careers.
The Master of Science portion of the program can be completed in one
academic year after the third year of medical school. Five areas of
specialization are offered: epidemiology, clinical investigation, health
services research, health care informatics, and health care resource
management. Students choose an area of particular interest to them and
complete core and specialized courses and a final project.
The School of Medicine and the
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offer an M.A. degree in Bioethics.
Medical students at the School of Medicine may apply for this program
which can be pursued along with their professional training. Students
interested in this program should plan on extending their educational
experience by one year.
Students must complete the requirements
for the M.D. degree within seven years of matriculation in the School
of Medicine. Those who are making progress toward graduation but who
will exceed the seven-year limit may apply to the Student Promotions
Committee for one-year extension. The Committee may grant more than
one extension; application must be made on a yearly basis.
|
|
At the heart of the 140,000
square feet of School of Medicine teaching space is Jordan Hall, a
seven-story structure that houses the lecture halls and laboratory
facilities for the preclinical phase of the curriculum. The first
floor of Jordan Hall contains two lecture auditoriums, each seating
152 students, as well as a smaller seminar room. The second floor
houses additional student laboratories designed for both individual
exercises in histology and pathology as well as group experiments
and teaching sessions in microbiology. The rest of the second floor
contains basic science research laboratories. Third through seventh
floors of Jordan Hall are occupied by the academic offices and research
laboratories of the departments of Cell Biology, Physiology, Pharmacology,
Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, and Microbiology. The newest
addition to Jordan Hall is a full-equipped conference center, consisting
of a 170-seat auditorium and six adjoining conference rooms.
The Claude Moore Health Sciences
Library serves the faculty, students, and staff of the University
of Virginia Health System, which includes the Schools of Medicine
and Nursing, the hospital, and the clinics. The Library's resources
are also available to the University community and to health practitioners
throughout Virginia. The Library is a modern, fully networked facility
with small group study rooms, computer classrooms, a computer lab,
and photocopying machines. Free self-service searching of journal
and full text databases, such as MEDLINE, is available. All basic
services of the Library are computerized for in-house and remote access.
The Library maintains well-developed
collections of books, journals, and audiovisuals in medicine, nursing,
and related areas. The Library offers numerous databases related to
health care for easy citation retrieval and increasing numbers of
full-text online journals and textbooks. Documents from the collection
or from other libraries on Grounds can be delivered for a fee. A reserve
collection contains basic medical and nursing texts, as well as items
put on temporary reserve by course instructors. The reference collection
includes directories, dictionaries, indexes, statistical sources,
and other research tools.
The Learning Resources Center,
on the first floor of the Library maintains a collection of videocassettes
and other computer software. A variety of players, projectors, recorders,
monitors, and computers is available. A state-of-the-art computer
classroom is available for use in computer-based instruction.
The Library's services, resources,
and policies are all accessible from an extensive website at: http://www.med.virginia.edu/hs-library/
The research facilities of
the School of Medicine include laboratories located in the old Medical
School Building, Cobb Hall, Stacey Hall, Jordan Hall, and the MedicalResearch
Buildings, and represent more than 500,000 square feet of dedicated
space. Each of the five upper floors of Jordan Hall houses the offices
and laboratories of one of the basic science departments. Components
of the Cancer Center, the Diabetes Center, and several research service
core labs occupy parts of the first and second floors of Jordan Hall.
Clinical departments have their research labs in the old Medical School
Building, Cobb Hall, the Medical Research Buildings, and the first
two floors of Jordan Hall. In addition, the new Bioengineering and
Medical Sciences Building houses research labs of the Departments
of Pathology, Biomedical Engineering, and the Cardiovascular Research
Center.
Medical students participate
to an increasing extent in the research programs of the School of
Medicine. There is an active summer research program following the
first year of medical school, and further research activities are
encouraged thereafter during elective periods. Medical students may
also elect to extend their medical education to include a year of
basic science or clinical research without an additional year's tuition.
The student will prepare a research proposal outlining the hypothesis
for the project, methods, and a time schedule that must be approved
by the student's research supervisory committee. To complete the program,
the student will present the initial proposal and a final report in
the format of a scientific paper. Recognition for the research year
will appear on the student's transcript.
|
|
In 1967 students from all four
classes created the Mulholland Society, an all-inclusive student body
that would provide greater interaction among the four classes, a unified
student voice to promote the interests of medical students, and an outlet
for the academic, social, and athletic interests of students. Instead
of calling it a student body, however, it was named a "society"
to emphasize the importance of camaraderie and teamwork within and between
classes. They named this society in honor of the late Dr. Henry Bearden
Mulholland, one of the most distinguished figures in American medicine,
whose entire career was spent at the University of Virginia from 1917
to 1962. The society chose his name in honor of his special interest
in student affairs and because he represented "the best in medicine,
not only in the classroom but in the community."
Mulholland Society Council (The
Medical Student Government) The Council works to monitor and improve
all aspects of medical student life, both in and out of the classroom.
All class officers and Mulholland Society officers sit on the Council.
The Student Medical Education Committee exists to provide coordination
for medical student input on medical education issues to the various
faculty administration committees and the Dean's office. Students also
sit on the Curriculum Committee, the Admissions Committee and the Dean's
advisory committee. Membership on standing committees is open to any
interested students, and Council meetings are always open.
American Medical Student Association: The local chapter of AMSA was founded in 1994 and offers students
a mix of community service opportunities such as Habitat for Humanity,
benefits such as health insurance and loan programs, grants for local
projects and elective rotations abroad and even a summer elective class
in medical Spanish. The two primary goals of the organization are to
provide students with needed services and support, and to help students
get involved in service-oriented community-based activities.
American Medical Women's Association:
AMWA addresses medical issues that are vital to women's health,
prepares women for leadership positions in medicine, and promotes equity
in professional status and pay. A physician branch and a student branch
are open to women who are faculty, residents, or medical students at
the University of Virginia. Student members are eligible to apply for
loans and scholarships.
The Arrhythmics: This
co-ed a cappella singing group is open to medical students and members
of the Health System Community. Activities range from singing on the
wards, in the hospital lobby, and for faculty/administration. The proceeds
from fund-raising activities go to a medically-related charity.
Asian Pacific American Medical
Student Association: APAMSA is devoted to meeting the unique educational and
social needs and interests of Asian-American medical students. This
includes efforts to foster Asian student/faculty interaction, health
outreach to Asian communities in the area and communication among Asian
medical students at the University of Virginia. The organization offers
a forum and a vehicle through which students can voice their concerns
about issues pertinent to the Asian medical community. APAMSA sponsors
speakers, workshops on topics of interest, social activities and cooperates
with other Asian-American student associations on joint projects.
Charlottesville Free Clinic: The
Free Clinic opened in 1992 in order to provide free health care to that
segment of society that is working but is still unable to purchase health
insurance. The clinic is open three evenings a week and is staffed by
volunteers from all medical fields. Medical students can sign up in
their first and second years to act as initial health screeners. Third
and fourth year medical students may choose to see patients in collaboration
with physicians.
Christian Medical Fellowship: The CMF is the local chapter of the national organization, the
Christian Medical and Dental Society. They welcome all interested physicians,
dentists, residents, medical students, and their guests. Opportunities
include prayer meetings, Bible studies, and community service projects.
ClubMED: This
is the interest group for students interested in the field of Internal
Medicine. The group was founded in 1993 and is sponsored by the UVA
department of Internal Medicine. Students work to provide speakers on
a variety of topics, to introduce medical students at all levels to
the field of Internal Medicine and to host an informal social event
to promote interactions between faculty and students.
The Elizabeth Project: This
is a statewide community-based project sponsored by local churches.
Volunteers are needed to work with teenage expectant mothers. Each volunteer
who successfully completes the training program is paired with a teenage
mom. The program is broken into twelve-week sessions, which include
a weekly evening course attended by the mom and her partner.
Family Practice Club: The
Family Practice Club was organized with the goal of introducing medical
students to the field of Family Medicine. Meetings often feature a speaker
and topics of interest to medical students in general. The club also
sponsors a Follow-a-Resident program and Follow-a-Maternity Patient
program for first and second year medical students. The Club is associated
with the Virginia Academy of Family Physicians and the Department of
Family Medicine.
HIV Education Program: Through
this program medical students are trained to present educational workshops
about HIV and AIDS to junior high, high school, and college students
in the Charlottesville area.
International Medicine Club: This
is an informal group founded to address the growing need to view medical
and public health issues in a global multicultural perspective. Goals
are to highlight career opportunities, to invite public speakers to
lead group discussions, and to provide the opportunity for students
to contribute to health care around the world. .
Operation Smile: This
group works closely with the Department of Surgery to provide plastic
surgery to indigent patients, both here and abroad.
The Orthopedic Club: This
club was started for students interested in the field of orthopedics.
The club is sponsored by the University of Virginia Orthopedics Department.
This is an excellent way for student to work with faculty before the
fourth year and to learn skills used in orthopedic surgery.
The Pediatrics Club: This
club was founded by a group of students interested in the field of Pediatrics.
The club works closely with the UVA Pediatrics Department in order to
sponsor speakers and events designed to introduce first- and second-year
students to clinical issues in Pediatrics.
Project S.M.I.L.E.: "Students
Making It a Little Easier" is an organization sponsored by the
American Cancer Society, which matches medical students ("Big Buddies")
with pediatric hematology/oncology patients ("little buddies").
Big buddies accompany little buddies to oncology clinic appointments,
to planned organizational functions, and in general, provide emotional
support to the patient and to the family of the patient.
S.H.A.R.E.: SHARE
was founded by members of the class of 1989 and 1990 and acts as an
independent umbrella organization devoted to service projects. These
projects include teaching local high school and college students about
HIV, working with indigent patients at the Charlottesville Free Clinic,
visiting nursing homes and retirement communities, spending time with
children at a local shelter for families in emergencies, and refereeing
and coaching in Special Olympics activities.
Sloane Society: The
Sloane Society was started in 1999 and is partly funded and supported
by the Humanities in Medicine program. Activities range from lectures
on bioethical issues to film viewing and play readings.
The Spinal Chords: Founded
in 1979, this a cappella singing group is made up of first- and second-year
men and brings "music and mirth" to the hospital and the community-at-large.
They perform in class, on the wards, and throughout the state. In addition,
the "Chords" raise funds for the Children's Medical Center,
which are presented each May during the CMC telethon. Membership is
open to all male members of the first and second-year class.
Student National Medical Association: SNMA is a national organization founded with the purpose of
increasing the number of physicians who serve minority and indigent
communities. Accordingly, the SNMA develops programs for implementation
of urban and rural health care as well as for the encouragement of minorities
to enter and succeed in the health professions. The Chapter at the University
of Virginia School of Medicine is dedicated to the recruitment, success,
and retention of minority medical students, to the success of pre-medical
students, and to contribution to the surrounding community through the
utilization of members' skills and training.
Surgery Club (aka
The Cabell Society): The Cabell Society introduces the discipline of
surgery to students. Club members believe that all future physicians
will benefit from increased understanding of the role surgery plays
in the delivery of health care. The club is also designed to help
those with an interest in surgery gain some exposure in the first two
years. The club sponsors talks, social events, and a surgeon-shadowing
program.
|
Top | Graduate Record Index | Undergraduate Record | UREG Home | COD | ISIS | Ask the Registrar