Case-Based Elective in Criminal Justice Health

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Department	Medicine
Course Number	MED 353
Course Title	Case-Based Elective in Criminal Justice Health
Course Director	Newton E. Kendig, MD
Length (Weeks)	2
When Offered	Pre-approval required for this course from the course director.
Prerequisites	All core clerkships
Availability Notes	This course may be offered at other times per the course director. Interested students should reach out to the course director to check availability for weeks outside those posted above.
Contact Name	Dr. Kendig
Contact Phone	202-594-2813
Contact Fax
Contact Email	nek@gwu.edu
Other Contacts
Location	Visiting students must participate in person; GW students should reach out to the course director to determine if the course is virtual or in-person
Limit	1-4
Report	Per Dr. Kendig
Evaluation	Grading: Pass/Fail (pass = 75%) (all assignments must be submitted for passing grade) Written assignment (one-page) at 10% Clinical and public policy discussions with course director at 70% (9 two-hour sessions X 10% each) Examination on clinical content at 20% (multiple-choice written examination)
Description	Purpose and Rationale for the Course: The purpose of this independent study course is to introduce medical students to the field of criminal justice health and to expose them to common clinical scenarios that affect patients involved in the criminal legal system. Millions of Americans cycle in and out of US jails and prisons annually. Most physicians will therefore encounter patients who are involved in the criminal legal system, yet they are often unaware of key clinical, social, and public health considerations for managing this unique patient population. Additionally, these patients are disproportionately affected with complicated health conditions that present physicians with significant diagnostic and treatment challenges. Target Students: Potential medical students for this independent study include students who have an interest in public policies and clinical care concerns that affect patients involved in the criminal legal system. Course Description: This case-based elective for 1 to 4 students will introduce medical students to the US criminal justice system and the clinical challenges of managing patients involved in the criminal legal system. Students will review public policy recommendations, clinical case studies, and the medical literature related to the care of incarcerated patients with chronic addiction, HIV infection, hepatitis C, tuberculosis, skin and soft tissue infections, transgender health concerns, oral health conditions, and serious mental illness. Discussions will focus on ethical decision-making, optimizing patient history taking by assessing social determinants of health; navigating complicated diagnostic dilemmas; formulating effective treatment plans; and evaluating needed public policy advances. Knowledge of clinical information with be assessed by a written examination. Students will submit a one-page paper describing an innovative strategy to care of incarcerated patients in the DC jail who are transitioning to the community. Course Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, the student should be able to: Describe public policy positions that advance the care of incarcerated patient populations. Apply principles of clinical decision-making in managing patients involved in the criminal legal system. Design an innovate reentry strategy for incarcerated patients transitioning to the community.
Additional Notes