VMS I 2007-08 Schedule
Quick Links
Fall Semester
- August 22, 2007 - Orientation, Patient Oriented Research
- August 29, 2007 - Medical Humanities, Community Health
- September 5 2007 - Laboratory Based Research, Medical Education
- September 12, 2007 - International Health, Law
- September 19, 2007 - Healthcare Research and Management, Biomedical Informatics
- Emphasis Blog Exercises - to be done after each presentation
- Project Opportunities Sessions - September 26 through October 10, 2007
- CITI course - Complete by October 22, 2007
- October 24, 2007 - Emphasis Workshop
- October 28, 2007 - Action Plan
- Meet with advisors - November through January 2008
- Selection of project and mentor - Complete by February 15, 2007
- Biostatistic Clinics - December through March
Spring Semester
- January 7, 2008 - Information session and Road Map to Project Design
- January 11, 2008 - Student Mentor Initial Agreement Due
- Eskind Library Informatics Courses - January 14th and 28th, 2008
- February 1, 2008 - Focus Area activites begin
- February 4, 2008 - Research Ethics and Oversight
- February 11, 2008 - Reading the Literature
- Febrary 15, 2008 - Student/Mentor Final Agreement due
- February 25, 2008 - Nuts and Bolts of Questionnaire Design
- April 7, 2008 - Guidelines for data Collection and Entry
- April 22, 23, 24 - Emphasis Forum
Fall Semester
Attendance
Certain lectures, presentations and activities have required attendance. These are noted in the schedule.**
August 6, 2007
Students assigned to Emphasis advisors
Students must login to the Emphasis site to see asigned advisor name. Advisors will be available for guidance until a mentor and project are selected (February 15).
August 22- September 20, 2007
Register Online for Project Opportunities Sessions (September 26, Oct.3,10).
Students sign up for as many as they wish to attend.
August 22, 2007 - LH202 **attendance required
(Note: Blogs are due the Sunday after the presentation)
1-2pm - Orientation to emphasis: Dr. Denis O’Day
This will be an overview of the goals of the Emphasis Program plus a detailed look at the schedule for the first two semesters. It will be similar to the presentation that was made at the first Emphasis retreat when we initiated the Emphasis Program. What the students need to know to get started. Area Heads and staff will be introduced to the students.2-3pm - Area presentation: Patient Oriented Research. Dr. Jayant Shenai
In this and subsequent presentations, each area will have one hour to illustrate the enduring understandings of the area, why the area is important (30 minutes), projects that have been done and could be done within the area (15 minutes) followed by a question and answer session. Each presenter will provide for the Advisors in advance a question or theme for discussion in the advisor sessions.
Blog - login to the Emphasis website and click "Write a Blog Entry" for BOTH sessions.
August 29, 2007 - LH202 **attendance required
Noon to 1pm - Student lunch meeting with Emphasis advisors (rooms to be arranged).
1-2pm - . Area presentation: Medical Humanities. Dr. Mark Bliton
2-3pm - Area Presentation: Community Health. Barbara Clinton
Blog - login to the Emphasis website and click "Write a Blog Entry" for BOTH sessions.
September 5 2007 - LH202 **attendance required
Noon to 1pm - Student lunch meeting with Emphasis advisors(rooms to be arranged).
1-2pm - Area presentation: Laboratory Based Research. Dr. Lillian Nanney
2-3pm - Area presentation: Medical Education. Dr. Don Moore
Blog - login to the Emphasis website and click "Write a Blog Entry" for BOTH sessions.
September 12, 2007 - LH202 **attendance required
Noon to 1pm - Student lunch meeting with Emphasis advisors(rooms to be arranged).
1-2pm - Area presentation: International Health. Dr. Peter Wright
2-3pm - Area presentation: Law. Dr. Ellen Clayton
Blog - login to the Emphasis website and click "Write a Blog Entry" for BOTH sessions.
September 19, 2007 - LH202 **attendance required
Noon to 1pm - Student lunch meeting with Emphasis advisors (rooms to be arranged).
1-2pm - Area presentation: Healthcare Research and Management. Dr. Robert Dittus
2-3pm - Area presentation: Biomedical Informatics. Dr. Kevin Johnson
Blog - login to the Emphasis website and click "Write a Blog Entry" for BOTH sessions.
Emphasis Blog Exercises
The goal of these exercises is to help the students gain a better understanding of the nine areas of concentration in the Emphasis Program and to demonstrate how a project in any one of these areas could relate to a topic of their own interest. Our ultimate goal is to help the students formulate a project and determine the most appropriate area within which to work.
The students are asked to respond to the following in their blogs:
1. After the first session only: Choose one or two healthcare-related topics from your personal experiences about which you feel passionate. Think about the personal statement you wrote in your AMCAS application, a family experience with illness or your own prior experience with illness, injury or research. What are these topics and why is each important to you? Are there any research questions that you already have in mind about these topics?
2. After attending each area presentation:
- What are 2-3 key insights about this area you gained from the presentation?
- Describe at least one research question or idea within this area that relates to one of the topics of interest you described above.
Students are reminded to take notes for the blog due by the Sunday following the Emphasis area session.
The Emphasis advisor will read the blogs and may respond or initiate a discussion with you.
At the Emphasis Workshop (October 24) during a luncheon meeting with the advisor and the group of students there will be an opportunity to revisit the issues raised in the blogs.
Project Opportunities Sessions
These sessions, while individualized, should focus on projects and mentors potentially available to students, and information on how to communicate with mentors, area heads and members of the committees. Students sign up for as many as they wish to attend.
- September 26 Wednesday, 1-4pm. Week 8. LH. 415 ABCD
- October 3 Wednesday, 1-4pm. Week 9. LH. 415 ABCD
- October 10. Wednesday, 1-4pm. Week 11. LH. 415 ABCD
Schedule

Completion of the CITI course
(required for all students)- All students must complete the CITI course regardless of the type of project.
- The deadline for completion is October 22.
- Students will provide Samantha Martin with a copy of the certificate as evidence of completion.
- The IRB will provide the office with a list of names of those who have completed the course
Emphasis Workshop
October 24, 2007
View Agenda
Light Hall 202
Attendance required
9.00 – 3.15pm
October 28, 2007 - Action Plan
Students must submit an Action Plan online by October 28, 2007 for review by the advisor. The purpose in developing an Action Plan is to assist you in clarifying the steps that you should take in identifying a project and mentor for the Emphasis Program. The Action Plan will help your Advisor assist you in finding a project that is consistent with your interests and will stimulate and challenge you.
Login to the Emphasis web site and choose "Action Plan - Choosing a Project and Mentor" from the menu.
Meet with advisors
During the months of November, December and January at least three meetings with the group will be scheduled by the advisors.
Selection of project and mentor - October 1-Dec 31, 2007
- Representatives from each area are available to meet with students to help guide them through the process of selecting a project and a mentor during this period.
- Students are required to make a preliminary selection of a project and a mentor by December 31, 2007 with the opportunity to change that selection by January 31, 2008.
- Emphasis advisors will be available to the students throughout this process.
- Each student is expected to have a project and a mentor signed off by the area head by February 15, 2008.
Biostatistics Clinic
Sign up for these Biostatistics Clinic online (December 1 2007- March 1 2008)
Spring Semester
For this year (Spring 2008), reserved time for Emphasis is Monday pm. Students are expected to devote an additional 1/2 day per week to their emphasis project. This can be scheduled during any available time. Our goal will be to place the educational activities within that framework of time.
January 7, 2008 - LH202 **attendance required
1-1:30pm - Next Steps -Information session. Denis O'Day, MD
1:30-2:30pm - Road Map to Project Design. Cathy Jenkins, MS
Student's must ask their mentor commit to working together by signing the Student/Mentor Initial Commitment form. This form must be delivered to the Program Coordinators - Samantha Martin or Tamie Swah in 203 Light Hall. This form will be used to create the student / mentor pairs in the Emphasis database.
Informatics courses
January 14 and 28, 2008 **required
Eskind Library will conduct training sessions covering online library resources that are an essential component of your medical training. These sessions will cover how to access online medical journals using the Eskind Digital Library, Acorn, PubMed, Up to Date, MD Consult and the Image Database.
Register online for these seat limited sessions by logging in to the Emphasis website and choose "Sign up for Biomedical Informatics Session" from the menu.
Focus Area activities commence
February 1, 2008
- Areas, at a minimum, should meet as a group at least twice each semester and twice during the summer, although monthly meetings are recommended.
- Each area will undertake formal activities for the second semester and summer to assist students as they prepare for work in the summer and to educate them about the enduring understandings of the area.
- A two hour time period each month will be dedicated to Emphasis so that each area can schedule activities at the same time. This is separate from other periods that students would devote to Emphasis. 1-3pm on the first Monday each month is the best time for these meetings. February 4 is the first of these dates. The duration of the area meetings within this time frame is at the discretion of the area.
February 4, 2008 - LH202 **attendance required
February 11, 2008 - LH 208 **attendance required1-2:00pm - Research ethics and oversight. Drs. Bliton, Heitman and Bernard
1-2:00pm - Reading the literature. Dr. Kevin Johnson
February 15, 2008 - Deadline for completion of Student - Mentor Final Agreement
You must login to the Emphasis site to complete the form online. This document should capture the understanding mentors and students reach in their discussions of the planned project. You can complete the online agreement without your mentor present.
February 25, 2008 - LH 202 **attendance required
1-2:00pm - Nuts and Bolts of Questionnaire Design. Cathy Jenkins MS
April 7, 2008 LH 202 **attendance required
1-2:00pm - Guidelines for Data Collection and Entry. Theresa Scott MS
Emphasis Forum
April 22, 23, 24, 2008 - VMSII student presentations and poster presentations
Thursday April 24, 2008
1-5:00pm - Platform presentation **attendance required
5-7:00pm - Emphasis reception north lobby Light hall
Attendance strongly encouraged at posters.
End of Semester TBA. Information session. Denis O’Day.
Next Steps (attendance required)
