Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Required Courses

• MED MD 557: Sub-Internship: Surgical Oncology
  
• MED MD 558: Sub-Internship: Vascular Surgery
  
• MED MD 559: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery-Maxillofacial Trauma and Temporomandibular Joint Surgery
  
• MED MD 560: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery-Pathology and Reconstruction
  
• MED MD 561: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery-Orthognathic Surgery
  
• MED MD 562: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery-Dentoalveolar/Maxillofacial Infections
  
• MED MD 565: Teaching Clinical Skills 1
  BUSM-IV medical students will learn how to observe, teach, and provide constructive feedback to BUSM-I medical students learning interviewing skills in the Introduction to Clinical Medicine Course. The BUSM-IV student instructor will be assigned a group of 4-5 first year students. The BUSM-IV instructor will be responsible for teaching these students how to conduct a basic patient interview, how to compose a basic patient write-up, and how to verbally present a clinical case in a concise manner. Prior to each teaching/interviewing session, the BUSM-IV students will meet with Dr. Ferrenz to discuss training issues. The purpose of this elective is to provide the 4th year student with clinical teaching skills and to enhance their own interviewing skills.
• MED MD 566: Teaching Clinical Skills 2
  The Teaching Clinical Skills 2 elective provides fourth-year students with an opportunity to teach in the ward prep portion of Doctoring 2 course. Each MS4 will mentor 2-4 MS2’s 7 times during their HPE course. On ward prep days, the MS4 will go to their assigned ward (e.g., MP 4 east) and find and consent patients for their students to interview prior to 1 pm. At 1 pm, they will meet with their MS2’s and introduce them to the patients that they will interview. MS4’s will directly observe and coach MS2’s while they interview and perform physical exams and prepare case presentations. They will provide both verbal and written feedback based on their observations. Students will sign up for either Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday afternoons from 1-3:30 pm for the 7 ward prep sessions. If a student is away (e.g. for an interview), they can make up the session covering another group of MS2’s on a different day of the week on that or another week. There will be an orientation session at the beginning of block 15 and teaching development session mid-elective. The student must attend all 7 sessions (unless they have an excused absence) and complete the 7 weekly formative evaluations of their cohort of MS2’s to receive 2-weeks of elective credit.
• MED MD 567: Teaching in the Anatomical and Physiological Sciences
  The Teaching in the Anatomical and Physiological Sciences elective is offered in all M4 elective blocks, except Block 9, with opportunities to learn best practices for teaching and learning, develop instructional materials and review content, and teach in the medical school PISCEs modules.  Teaching opportunities include in lab-style learning environments, and in-person and Zoom recitation sessions. Students can repeat the elective in 4-week or 2-week time periods, to cover different content teaching experiences.
• MED MD 570: Gastroenterology
  Emphasis is placed on the diagnosis and management of patients with common gastrointestinal disorders. The student sees outpatients referred to the GI Clinic and patients hospitalized with gastrointestinal problems on the wards of the Menino Pavilion. The student is expected to make daily morning work rounds with the Fellows, see new patients in consultation, and participate in all of the activities including seminars, Journal Club and clinical conferences sponsored by the Gastroenterology Section.
• MED MD 571: Sub-Internship: Neonatology
  The student participates in the work-up and care of high risk babies from the time of their delivery on the Maternity Floor through their NICU course. The Sub-I pre-rounds and examines his/her patients in preparation to present these patients during morning work rounds. The student formulates a care plan with the NICU staff and carries out that plan. Sub-I’s participate in procedures, discharge planning and family meetings. Time is available for the student to read in depth about perinatal medicine and to participate in seminars with house staff and senior staff.
• MED MD 572: Diagnostic Neuropathology
  At the end of the elective, the student will be able to functionally approach common neuropathology entities, including formulating clinical and pathological work-up of the case, choosing appropriate special studies, and generating differential diagnoses. Specifically, the student will actively participate in the sign-out of the cases above. In addition, the student will participate in interdepartmental conferences attended by the Departments of Neurology, Surgical Neurology and Radiology. Further, students will attend brain autopsy dissections to gain insight into normal neuroanatomical structures as well as pathological conditions of the brain. The elective will take place in the Pathology Department, Sixth Floor, 670 Albany Street. Students will interact with pathology residents, pathology lab personnel, and pathology attendings. Pathology residents will alert students about neuropathology cases, surgical cases and autopsies. Approximately 1.5 hours per day on average will be devoted to teaching contact.
• MED MD 573: Ophthalmology
  Students will work with residents and faculty at BMC. Activities will involve examining patients in the outpatient clinic and the in-patient consultation service. A clinic work sheet will be used to guide the student in the development of examination skills and to ensure that the student participates with faculty, fellows and residents in a discussion of selected ophthalmic topics. Students will spend time on subspecialty services such as triage, consults, neuro-ophthalmology, retina, glaucoma, pediatric ophthalmology, cornea, and oculoplastics. Students will also have the opportunity to attend ophthalmic procedures in the office and surgical procedures in the operating room. Students will be required to prepare a short (10 minute) slide presentation on a case encountered during their rotation, including a discussion of the differential diagnosis and main clinical teaching points. Students will be required to prepare a short (10 minute) slide presentation on a case encountered during their rotation, including a discussion of the differential diagnosis and main clinical teaching points.
• MED MD 575: Renal Disease
  Each student, under the supervision of clinical fellows and staff, participates in the evaluation and management of patients with acute and chronic renal disease, fluid and electrolyte problems, acid-base disturbances, etc. The major focus of activity is the clinical consult services, where students are taught the skills of clinical evaluation of patients for renal disease and participate in daily work rounds as well as formal attending rounds (3-5 sessions per week). Students are expected to attend all clinical and research conferences, including clinical journal club, clinical conference, pathology conference and renal research conference. Active student participation, including patient presentation at clinical conference, is encouraged.
• MED MD 576: Orthopedics - Kaiser
  Students will learn the basic exams and history components of musculoskeletal care, fracture care and other Orthopedic injuries pertaining to bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves which allow you to move, and be active. Students will also perform physical exams and observe operation room cases. Medical students will work with orthopedic surgery attendings one on one at the clinic and hospital. They will see patients independently as well as in tandem with the attending, obtain a focused history and physical, report to the attending with his/her findings and develop a basic plan on how to diagnose and treat the patient. This elective will have both inpatient and outpatient experiences. Students will obtain experience with Sports Medicine, Total Joint Replacement, General Orthopedics, Hand Specialty, Ready access to Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy, Pediatric Specialty, Fracture Clinic, Fastrac Surgery, and Orthopedic Education. Students will be given enough of an experience where they can decide if Orthopedics is a career that they may pursue.
• MED MD 577: Palliative Care
  This elective is designed to give students with an interest in palliative care increased exposure to the role of the palliative care provider in the inpatient setting. Students will participate as members of the palliative care team during which time they will staff palliative care consults, attend family meetings, and learn more about the role of the palliative care provider in the care of patients in the inpatient setting. Students will also spend time involved in self-directed teaching sessions, using a curriculum developed by the National Cancer Institute. Modules include topics such as how to perform a comprehensive palliative care assessment, cancer pain management, loss/grief/bereavement, survivorship, the last hours of living, communicating effectively, clarifying diagnosis and prognosis, negotiating goals of care, clinical trials, withdrawing nutrition/hydration, conflict resolution, advance care planning, physician-assisted suicide, cancer doctors and burnout. Students will complete all modules by the conclusion of the two or four week elective. Additionally students will be asked to conduct a literature search on topics relevant to palliative care and will be asked to present one topic weekly to the faculty.
• MED MD 578: Clinical Rheumatology
  Students will participate in all activities of the clinical rheumatology service, including in-patient consult rounds, arthritis clinics, and a formal teaching program. Students will see in-patient consults at Boston University Medical Center under the supervision of the clinical arthritis fellow and staff and present these cases to the faculty attending of the month. Students will be expected to read and informally report on recent writings which are pertinent to the patients they work up. Students will also spend four half-days per week in the Boston Medical Center and VA Arthritis Clinics. The elective also includes 3 to 4 hours per week of formal education to teach students the central concepts and basic skills of rheumatology. Clinical rounds are made 3-4 times per week.
• MED MD 579: Primary Care Sports Medicine
  The curriculum will include multiple experiences in primary care sports medicine. A sample of a weekly schedule of clinic time and other experiences would be the following: -9-10 half days of Primary Care Sports Medicine at the Ryan Center, BMC at Melnea Cass, Boston Sports Performance Center, and community health centers -Wednesday Morning Sports Medicine Conference 7 am ​via Zoom -1/2 day BU Athletic Training Room physician clinic working one on one with one of the primary care sports medicine physician as they evaluate BU student athletes -Game coverage: will vary depending on the time of year and block but anticipate at least 1-2 game coverage opportunities per week of the elective. Please note much of the game coverage occurs in the evening and/or the weekends so student needs to be aware they may have to work late and possibly on the weekends. -A car is recommended, however we can make adjustments if the student does not have access to a car. The student will be evaluated throughout their rotation on their musculoskeletal examination skills. Students who will derive the most benefit from this rotation are self-motivated and active learners.
• MED MD 580: Urology
  Full-time clerkship of one month’s duration offered by the Urology Department for two students during each month. Students will be assigned to Boston Medical Center. Students will participate in all aspects of general urology, functioning as integral members with the urology resident staff. They will be assigned to perform primary urologic consultations on patients from other services; in addition they will participate in the evaluation and management of urology service patients. Students will have the opportunity to prepare for the operating room and participate/observe surgical cases.  Students of exceptional excellence may be assigned to striker positions during their elective. They will become proficient in the evaluation of a variety of urologic problems, including urologic neoplasms, neurogenic bladder, reconstructive urologic surgery, urinary calculus disease, obstructive uropathy and sexual and transgender medicine.  Students will be direct participants in all department conferences and will be expected to contribute to the didactic teaching program of the department.
• MED MD 582: Maternal Child Health
  This elective gives students a true family medicine-centered experience to include prenatal/perinatal care (including labor and delivery), inpatient postpartum care for women, as well as newborn nursery care for their infants. The student will spend mornings on the postpartum floor caring for women and their infants- you will focus on issues such as breastfeeding (including spending time with our lactation consultants), the newborn exam, routine postpartum care, maternal counseling and anticipatory guidance.  Afternoons will be spent either seeing primary care patients in clinic (including as many prenatal/pediatric visits as possible), or researching a maternal/child health topic of your choice to be presented at the end of the elective.  Students take call overnight on labor and delivery one night per week, allowing them an opportunity to be actively involved in deliveries and all aspects of labor and delivery care.  Each student chooses one weekend to work with the postpartum/nursery rounder to get more direct clinical experience.  Participation in this elective provides you with a wonderful opportunity to be an active and important team member with a lot of independence.  Students who will derive the most benefit from this rotation are self-motivated and active learners.