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 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 581: Directed Study - STEP 2 Prep and Exam
  Directed Study - STEP 2 Prep and Exam
• 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.
• MED MD 584: Primary Care at BU Student Health Service
  The Primary Care elective at BU's Student Health Services (SHS) Department of Primary Care (PC) provides students with an opportunity to engage in a university-based, outpatient primary care clinic serving a diverse domestic and global population. The MS4 will be part of a multi-disciplinary team and will participate in daily patient care. Simulating a primary care physician, they will be expected to conduct and document a thorough history, physical, assessment, differential, and plan. They will be assigned and guided by a physician and may have opportunities to rotate in other departments of SHS (Behavioral Medicine, Wellness, Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center (SARP), and Athletic Training).
• MED MD 585: Primary Care Clinical Acting Intern
  
• MED MD 586: Endocrine, Diabetes and Nutrition
  Students work closely with the faculty and fellows on the inpatient endocrine and diabetes consult services. They will see a wide variety of endocrine and weight management problems in the clinics. Two weeks will be spent on the inpatient diabetes team and 2 weeks on the endocrine consult team. The consultation team provides help in the diagnosis and management of complex endocrine problems on the medical and surgical services. Formal rounds are made with the endocrine-attending physician or diabetes attending on a daily basis. In addition to inpatient rounds, students will have the opportunity to rotate in the outpatient clinics depending on workload and inpatient volume. Students are required to attend weekly endocrine conferences which include guest lecturers, research conferences and fellow case presentations, and will be asked to present on an endocrine topic during their elective.
• MED MD 587: Infectious Diseases
  The student will join the inpatient infectious disease consultation team at Boston Medical Center. The team will include an infectious disease fellow and be supervised by an infectious disease attending physician. The student will evaluate patients under the direction of the fellow, present cases at daily rounds to the attending physician, prepare a thorough written summary of the consultation, and review the medical literature relevant to the patient's care. Case discussions are oriented around a history and physical examination that incorporates specific information relevant to an infectious disease work-up, and the diagnosis and management appropriate to the patient. The attending physician will review the student's written presentations, and the student will be given the opportunity to present information gleaned from the medical literature. Students will learn about community and hospital-acquired infections, infections in immunocompromised hosts, including those with HIV infection, and the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents. Students are expected to participate in all service activities Monday through Friday. Patient care and teaching rounds take place daily for 2-3 hours. No weekend responsibilities or evening call is required.
• MED MD 589: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation - Kaiser
  Students will obtain a broad exposure to the disorders that are treated by PM&R and will learn how to do a functional exam that includes neurologic and musculoskeletal assessment. It will be an introduction to electro-diagnostic medicine and interventional spine procedures and also have an exposure to inpatient rehabilitation care. The student will become familiar with a variety of functionally limiting medical disorders and physiatric approach to evaluation and management. The student will learn to do a physical assessment with an emphasis on function. He/she will work with other specialists and ancillary healthcare workers in a comprehensive team based approach toward care. The elective will take place at the outpatient clinic, interventional suite, along with the hospital at Kaiser Permanente, San Jose Medical Center. If possible during the selected block, students may have the opportunity to rotate at the Kaiser Permanente Vallejo's comprehensive rehabilitation facility, but students should expect that they will rotate primarily at the San Jose location.
• MED MD 590: Health Care Entrepreneurship Program
  The elective at the Health Care Entrepreneurship Program (HCEP) exposes the medical student to the health care system from the perspective of the Clinician Entrepreneur. It provides insight into the world of business focusing on the start-up phase of health care companies. It offers exposure to the process of building a company from the moment of idea inception; through the stage of business plan writing, to the point of financing and initiation of operations. While at HCEP the student will join the team and contribute in one of three ways: - Critically evaluate new business opportunities presented to HCEP, - Actively assist HCEP ventures by conducting clinical and market research necessary to advance the project, or - Develop the student's own ideas for a business opportunity In addition to the tasks above, the elective will challenge and enhance the student's analytic abilities, written and verbal communication skills, and his/her ability to function in a professional business environment. HCEP's current areas of business interests include information technologies, health data and informatics, quality of care, clinical guidelines, cost containment, and delivery system efficiency. Responsibilities will include: 1) Written report to senior staff members regarding analysis of business plans, research results, and/or a business proposal outline of their own specific health care business idea 2) Interviews with HCEP staff concerning their business experiences as needed 3) Weekly meetings with to discuss ideas, insights, and progress Participation in this elective requires: 1) A letter of intent written by the student and submitted along with a current resume 2) An interview
• MED MD 592: Medical Education Curriculum Projects
  The Medical Education Curriculum Projects elective provides for a MS4 student the opportunity to use a systematic instructional design process to discover, design, develop, and deploy in four weeks an instructional project on a content area of their choice. The focus of the elective is to learn and apply nontraditional curricular formats (e.g., integration of basic sciences and clinical content using technology, online modules, innovative study tools, and simulations.) Each student meets with a Faculty member as the content expert and the Elective Director a month in advance of the elective to approve the topic, and then weekly to review the deliverables and decide how the project will be implemented. GOAL: The purpose of this elective is to guide the MS4 student through the development of an instructional project for the current CAMED curriculum, presentation at a conference, posting to an educational portfolio, or for their future roles as physicians, educators, and researchers.
• MED MD 594: Global Health Elective
  This is a clinical clerkship or research opportunity for medical students interested in the field of Global Health (GH). BUSM has a few established affiliations with hospitals and medical schools overseas, but students may seek alternative sites for their electives. They must be conversant with the language spoken in the host country for maximal learning benefit unless there is a provision for translators as part of the elective.
• MED MD 596: Global Health Elective - Hadassah Medical School
  
• MED MD 598: MD MBA Internship in Health Care Provider Administration and Administrative Consulting