KU School of Medicine-Wichita

with problems and issues, such as counseling a student who for some reason had trouble mastering one professor's material. "They have another clinical person to seek out," he said. "They have that relationship and someone whom they can come to at any time." "Residents say, 'I wish I had had that when I was in medical school,'" Brungardt said. Mark Harrison, M.D. Pediatrician, problem-based learning instructor, student coach For Mark Harrison, teaching problem- based learning sessions is a new thing but one where he can share his experi- ence as a pediatrician. "What's written in the textbook isn't always the usual thing to do or the right thing, so giving them practical insight into some of the things they're learning is a good addition," he said. "They really like having us clinicians there to give more of a clinical aspect to the material rather than just all the basic science." The active-learning structure of the PBL sessions is something he appreciates, with the seven first-year students going over the case the first week, figuring out what they don't know and then doing research to fill others in during the following week. "They self-identify their tasks, which is a good addition to active learning. We start off the next session with everybody reporting back and teaching each other, which is pretty impressive." Regarding the curriculum overall, "I can't think of any negatives other than overwhelming them with more information. It's easier to learn the basic science if you can actually see what you're going to be using it for, rather than just strict memorization." Thinking back on his training — he tries not to say "back in my day" too often — he says clinical experience was minimal early on in medical school. Changing that is good: "I think it helps keep the students focused and helps that light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel kind of thing, because they can see where this will actually be helpful later." Harrison also is point person at the KU Wichita Pediatrics clinic for first-year students doing enrichment weeks. "At this stage, it's mostly shadowing. As time goes on, I expect they'll get more hands-on. All of the students I worked with were quite comfortable just watching how things go. I had to make sure that the first-years identified themselves as a first-year so the third-years didn't just shove them into a patient room." Therese Cusick, M.D. Surgeon, clinical associate professor, clerkship director, enrichment coordinator As surgical clerkship director, Therese Cusick is accustomed to setting up rotations, so adding responsibility for enrichment opportunities for medical students was natural. She's arranged enrichment weeks in advanced laparoscopy, cardiothoracic, orthopaedic, plastic, trauma and vascular surgery at practices across Wichita. Other opportunities offered twice each semester include ear, nose and throat; ophthalmology; Gerard Brungardt, M.D. Internist, problem-based learning instructor, student coach Gerard Brungardt tells clinical teaching faculty they're going to have to take their game to a new level, based on what students encounter through problem- based learning and other parts of the new curriculum. One case this fall involved a young man with bad pneumonia, something they're sure to encounter during clinical training. They'll be prepared, he believes. "I was really struck by how the case was put together and how they synthesized all the points. I was thinking that as third- years they were going to have a case of someone coughing up blood, and they're going to blow people away with how they handle it." He's taught the PBL sessions in the past, but enjoys their increased frequency and getting to know students better. "They are so technologically adept. They get the work done and have a lot of fun getting it done," noting the videos and humor his group utilizes, including creating avatars of each student and making him guess which represents whom. As a coach — a formalized position under the curriculum — he's there to help A N I N S T R U C T I V E Faculty experiences with ACE, the new curriculum VIEW 16

• Cover