Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University: Open Journal Systems
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What Have We Learned About Learning? Reflections from Developmental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience
No full textLearning is thought to be something at which human beings excel. They learn many things over the course of time from infancy to adulthood, such as how to communicate with others using language, how to manipulate objects, and how to solve problems effectively. But what is the science behind learning? How do people’s brains change as they learn, and does this have anything to do with the strategies they use to learn? In this essay, we briefly outline the changes in how researchers approach the issue of learning across development, with a focus on language learning, and discuss how current neuroscientific research complements what is known behaviorally about learning. We illustrate how various developmental and neural processing inputs interact with prior experience to facilitate learning. Further, the contributions of active learning over the lifespan, and the roles of novelty and motivation in enhancing learning, are considered. Approaching learning as a complex, multifaceted process will help researchers move toward more-integrated behavioral and neurobiological models of learning.
Preparing Einstein Students to Practice in Twenty-first Century Medicine
Get PDFThe current trend in medical education is to introduce clinical teaching early in the medical school curriculum to help students understand the relevance of the basic sciences to clinical practice. The Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM) Program for students in the first two years at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (AECOM) is comprised of three, required, integrated courses providing skills training in both medical interviewing and physical examination, training in diagnostic reasoning skills, and opportunities to discuss broad themes in medicine and the doctor-patient relationship. Competency evaluation of students’ clinical skills is an essential part of the ICM Program. Innovative strategies for weaving themes related to cultural competency have been incorporated into the ICM program to address the wide spectrum of cultural issues affecting medical care and the doctor/patient relationship, including diversity, spirituality, complementary and alternative medical practices, and end-of-life care. A total of 300 medical school faculty members teach in the various ICM courses. Much effort goes into keeping the faculty current, happy, and rewarded for their dedication and hard work in teaching the students. The ICM Program continues to strive for excellence as we prepare AECOM students to face the demands of medical practice in the twenty-first centur
Science at the Heart of Psychotherapy: A Review of Three Evidence-Based Treatments
Get PDFChanges in the U.S. healthcare system over the past fewdecades have led to a transformation of the mental healthfield. The demand for accountability and the need for effective,cost-efficient treatments have spurred the movementtoward evidence-based practices. Today, a number of empiricallybased psychotherapies exist that have proven efficaciousin the treatment of a wide range of physical and psychologicaldisorders. Despite the strong evidence base for these treatments,their dissemination and implementation have beenslow. The intention of the present article is to summarize themajor characteristics of three types of psychotherapy (cognitivebehavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy,and dialectical behavior therapy) that have received muchempirical support and have demonstrated applicability to awide range of both mental and medical problems. For eachtreatment, some background information is provided, alongwith the theoretical underpinnings of the treatment, a summaryof the current state of the evidence, and limitations andcriticisms in the literature
A Rare Case of Cystic Schwannoma of the Portal Triad
Get PDFSchwannomas can occur anywhere throughout the body andhave often been mistaken for more-sinister lesions, especiallywhen found in relation to the pancreas. Clinical symptomsrange from none to vague abdominal pain, back pain,anorexia, weight loss, vomiting, jaundice, and episodes ofcholangitis and gastrointestinal bleeding. Preoperative diagnosisis difficult, and endoscopic ultrasound with fine-needleaspiration is often limited in specificity. Given the low statisticallikelihood of schwannomas, therapy is usually targeted at thepossibility of pancreatic cystadenoma/cystadenocarcinoma.Simple enucleation is usually the preferred treatment, anddiagnosis can be established at the time of operation by frozensection. Schwannomas can be malignant, but preoperativeimaging and pathology can help establish the benign natureof most specimens. Patients typically do well with resolution ofsymptoms. Here we present the case of a patient with abdominalpain and a peripancreatic mass observed with computedtomography, who was found to have a cystic schwannomaextending from the portal triad. The mass was removed andthe patient was discharged without complications
Factors Influencing Primary Care Residency Selection among Students at an Urban Private Medical School
Get PDFThis study investigated factors influencing primary care–focused students’ selection of a family medicine residency at a private urban medical school. Reasons for why or why not students chose family medicine as opposed to other primary care–focused residencies is discussed. A questionnaire was sent to all fourth-year students (N=157) selected for residency with a primary care focus (medicine and pediatrics (medicine/pediatrics), emergency medicine (EM), obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN), internal medicine, pediatrics, and family medicine) from 2006 to 2008. Sixty-three surveys were completed. Respondents reported the most influential factor in primary care selection was patient-care model, followed by patient population and mentor/role model. The factor reported as having the strongest positive and negative influence on residency choice was clerkship experience. Half of respondents (53%) reported being told or directly overhearing negative comments about their career interest in primary care frequently (5+ times) during clinical clerkships. The most frequently cited reasons for not pursuing family medicine as a residency choice were broad focus, lack of prestige, and stereotype of family medicine as a nonacademic field. The Department of Family Medicine is focusing on strategies to combat these perceptions and expose students to positive primary care experiences early in their medical education. Action must be taken to monitor and address family medicine’s negative stereotype, as it has a clear presence in medical education and may have a negative influence on residency selection.