SMHS MD Program Syllabus Appendix

MD Program Guiding Principles & Learning Objectives

The MD Program Learning Objectives are structured to align with the ACGME competency areas. Each block and course in the MD program contributes to the program objectives as outlined in the syllabus. The complete list of program objectives may be found at MD Program Guiding Principles and Learning Objectives.

Professionalism Behaviors & Attributes

To help students more effectively achieve the School's professionalism learning objectives and to help foster their professional development, the School has developed a set of behaviors of professionalism that students would be expected to aspire to and demonstrate by graduation.

Demonstration of these behaviors starts with the admissions process, and their achievement progresses along a continuum from admission to graduation. This thread is reinforced in sessions that span the preclinical curriculum, and the professional behaviors are assessed in both the pre-clerkship phase (e.g., POMI assessment of students) and in the clerkships (e.g., uniform clinical evaluation).

This set of aspirational behaviors and attributes of academic integrity is vital in fostering professional growth and development. Students should familiarize themselves with the attributes of professionalism and constantly strive to demonstrate them as they progress in their journey through medical school and beyond.

For more information, please see Professionalism Behaviors & Attributes.

Honor Code

All conduct, examinations, papers, and other assignments are to occur professionally and in accordance with the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences Code of Honor and Professionalism. For further information, please see Regulations for MD Candidates on the Policies page.

General Attendance Policy

The General Attendance Policy outlines the expectations for student attendance in the pre-clinical and clinical phases (years 1-4) of the MD curriculum. For further information, please see General Attendance Policy on the Policies page.

University Policy on Observance of Religious Holidays

In accordance with University policy, students must notify faculty during the first week of the semester as early as possible, but no later than three weeks prior to the absence, of their intention to be absent from class on their day(s) of religious observance. If the holiday falls in the first three weeks of class, the student must inform the faculty within the first week of the semester that they are enrolled in the course. For details and policy, please see the GW Religious Observance Policy.

Grade Appeals

For information about the grade appeal process, timeline, and forms, please see the MD Registrar website and Regulations for MD Candidates on the Policies page.

Disability Support Services (DSS)

Any student who may need an accommodation based on the potential impact of a disability should contact Disability Support Services to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable accommodations. DSS is located in Rome Hall, Suite 102. For additional information, please call DSS at 202-994-8250, or consult the DSS website. You may also meet with Dean Goldberg (rmgoldb [at] gwu [dot] edu (rmgoldb[at]gwu[dot]edu)) to discuss the process.

SMHS Office of Student Support (OSS)

OSS supports student success in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences by providing one-on-one academic support, access to a dedicated SMHS writing coach, learning style assessment tools, as well as resources related to test-taking skills, time management skills, personal wellness, and professional development. All services offered by OSS are free to students. Please contact OSS at SMHSstudents [at] gwu [dot] edu (SMHSstudents[at]gwu[dot]edu) or visit the Office website at oss.smhs.gwu.edu for additional information.

Mental Health Resources

GW Counseling and Psychological Services (GW CAPS) works collaboratively with students to provide compassionate, comprehensive, and inclusive mental health services that foster emotional and personal development. Through counseling, outreach, campus partnerships, and education and training, CAPS engages with the entire GW community to promote a campus culture of holistic well-being.

Additional mental health resources for medical students are available via the SMHS Office of Student Support and the GW Resiliency & Well-being Center.

GW Resiliency & Well-being Center

The GW Resiliency & Well-being Center (R&W Center) supports individual, departmental, and institutional level purpose, which is the foundation of whole person health. To support the meaningful contributions of all employees and trainees at GW, the R&W Center provides whole person care and education at all levels. For further information on R&W Center resources and programs, please see rwc.smhs.gwu.edu.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

GW SMHS and the SMHS Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) are focused on promoting a positive institutional culture and climate and creating a community of excellence where all are welcomed and valued. Further resources and information are available via the ODI website and the GW Office for Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement (ODECE).

Discrimination, Harassment, & Bias Report Form

GW is committed to maintaining a nondiscriminatory, harassment-free educational and work environment. Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against or harassed based on a protected characteristic may submit a report via a centralized Discrimination, Harassment, and Bias Reporting Form. Please note that all GW Community Members who become aware of a situation involving discrimination or harassment are responsible for promptly reporting the matter via the Report Form. Policy and process information as well as support resources and the Report Form can be found at oao.gwu.edu.

The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences is committed to maintaining a positive environment for study and training in which individuals can pursue their education and professional activities in an atmosphere that is respectful, inclusive, and safe. The mission of the Office of Professional and Respectful Learning (OPRL) is to foster this environment for all members of the GW SMHS Community. The office will accomplish this goal through recognizing those who create a safe and respectful environment, helping to develop educational initiatives for personal development and managing reports of learner mistreatment. The office will manage these reports in a way that respects and protects the personal privacy of all those involved.

To submit a concern about the learning environment, mistreatment report or a teaching accolade please visit the OPRL website.

There is additional information about what happens to your report on the OPRL website.

In addition to the OPRL, there are a variety of other mechanisms to report mistreatment. You could reach out confidentially to the SMHS Ombudsperson. Contact information can be found on the Ombudspeople page.

There are also student representatives that sit on the Committee for the Learning Environment who are also available to discuss your concerns in a confidential manner.

For further information, please see Mistreatment Policy and Procedures on the Policies page.

Feedback of the MD curriculum by students is a GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) requirement and is considered both a privilege and a professional responsibility, as stated in the Professionalism Behaviors & Attributes.

Receiving substantive, representative feedback from students regarding our curriculum and instructors is crucial for understanding our program's strengths and weaknesses and identifying ways to improve the educational experience. Furthermore, learning how to provide and receive feedback is a vital part of your professional development.

Students must complete their block/course, faculty (e.g. didactic, mentor, lab, and small group instructor) and other curricular surveys as assigned.

• Surveys are delivered via email through Qualtrics which allows for tracking of completion.
• Survey responses are confidential. Comments and ratings are shared in aggregate only with course directors, curriculum deans, department chairs and the curriculum committee as needed. Responses are not linked to any of a student's personally identifiable information.
• Surveys must be completed within three weeks (automatic reminders will come from Qualtrics to those who have not yet completed the survey). (Pre-clinical courses only)
• Although failure to complete these required surveys will not result in failure of a course, it will result in a meeting with the evaluation and/or pre-clinical curriculum dean (via email, phone, or in-person) to address barriers to completion, reinforce the importance of feedback in professional growth, and determine next steps (if a pattern of non-completion is observed). (Pre-clinical courses only)

Campus Safety

In the case of an emergency, if at all possible, the class should shelter in place. If the building that the class is in is affected, follow the evacuation procedures for the building. After evacuation, seek shelter at a predetermined rendezvous location.

• GW Emergency Services: 202-994-6111
• Emergency Services: 911

Additional campus safety resources:

• GW Alerts and Campus Advisories
• GW Emergency Procedures
• GW Campus Safety

Off Campus Safety

Students on clinical rotations should follow relevant emergency, disaster preparedness, and health and safety procedures for their site.

Inclement Weather

When weather events cause the GW SMHS to close operations on the Foggy Bottom campus, alternative methods may be used to deliver content and conduct teaching sessions. Students in pre-clinical courses are responsible for following the instructions posted on the course Blackboard site, which will be posted by 7 a.m., regarding the work assignments/alternative sessions for the day. These assignments will replace the sessions scheduled for the day, and students will be held responsible for the material within these sessions.

Medical students on clinical rotations should report to clinical sites if it is safe to do so. Students unable to report to their clinical sites must notify their supervising physician (faculty member) as well as the clerkship director/clinical coordinator.

For further information, please see Policy on Inclement Weather on the Policies page.

Policies

Students will abide by all policies of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Academic Integrity, Honor Code and Professionalism

All students must abide by the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (GW SMHS) Honor Code. Students are expected to conduct themselves with high ethical standards and comply with the GW Regulations for MD Candidates on the Policies page and section entitled "Evaluation of Professional Comportment and Academic Integrity". Instances of apparent code violations will be investigated and appropriate action taken.

Attendance

The School of Medicine faculty and administration take medical student education very seriously and work continuously to provide the best possible learning content, events, and environment. We value student-to-faculty and student-to-student exchanges of ideas, as learning is a social as well as an individual process. Accordingly, we expect that all students will attend all class sessions and participate fully in class activities. If a student misses a session for any reason, it is their responsibility to ask peers, not faculty, for notes/guidance on what occurred during that session. 

For further information on the expectations for student attendance in the pre-clinical and clinical phases (years 1-4) of the MD curriculum, please see General Attendance Policy on the Policies page.

For course-specific attendance policies, please refer to the course syllabus and/or Blackboard site.

Rescheduling Exams and Other Assessments

It is expected that all students in the MD program will take exams and other assessments on the scheduled date and time. If an emergency occurs, or an extremely important date/time conflict arises, and a student wishes to request a change in date or time of an exam or in-class assessment, the student must adhere to the SMHS MD Program Exam Date Change Procedures.

Attendance

Prompt and regular attendance at all assigned classes is expected of all faculty instructors. If unavoidable delay or absence occurs, every effort should be made to have the class covered and the students notified promptly.

Final Grades

Final course grades will be posted within six weeks of course completion.

Professionalism

• In the classroom, faculty are responsible for the character of the instruction, the maintenance of good order, and the observance of University regulations. Faculty are expected to demonstrate respect towards students and guest lecturers by arriving on time, and using phones and digital devices for the purpose of medical education and fulfilling their duties as clinicians.
• Faculty members shall make adequate preparation for their classes and conduct themselves in a dignified, courteous manner.
• Faculty will arrive on time to sessions, complete classes within the allotted period, evaluate academic performance fairly and reasonably, and report evaluations promptly.
• Faculty are expected to respond to student emails, phone calls or other requests for information in a timely manner.

Please refer to the following for key contacts:

• Deans: SMHS Leadership
• Staff: Administrative Office Directory
• Required Course Directors/Coordinators: Required Block/Course Directors & Coordinators
• Elective Course Directors/Coordinators:
  • Main Campus Course Catalog
  • RMC Course Catalog