Our curriculum is designed to let you supplement your educational experience by participating in an elective course during the first year of medical school. Sessions are offered during the fall and spring terms, and you will have the chance to preview the course before committing to participating for a full term.
Please note: Students participating in the Family Medicine Leadership Program or the Health Equity and Social Justice Leadership Program cannot enroll in M1 electives.
Basic Biomedical Research
This elective introduces you to the theory and practice of biomedical research. You will engage in a mentored research experience to develop a research proposal, complete the proposed project and prepare a final research report.
Basic Spanish for Medical Professionals
This elective addresses the needs of medical students with little or no experience in Spanish. You will develop communicative proficiency and accuracy in the use of the Spanish language in medical settings. You will participate in language tasks through listening, reading, writing and conversation, and will learn about pertinent information about Hispanic cultures. Classes are taught in Spanish to immerse you in the language.
Intermediate Spanish for Medical Professionals
This course is designed for first-year medical students to increase their comfort level with Spanish-language interviews, examination and patient education. The course is primarily focused on developing medical Spanish language communication skills for students with pre-existing Spanish conversational skills but will also incorporate the socio-cultural context of Hispanic /Latino patients. You will also participate in language tasks through listening, reading, writing and conversation. Classes are taught in Spanish to immerse you in the language.
Clinical Genetics
In this course, you will learn about genomics through literature reviews and observing genetic counseling sessions, including prenatal counseling and genetic counseling related to the treatments of cancer and neurological and pediatric diseases.
Humanities in Medicine
This elective is for students who are interested in examining how the human experience — particularly regarding empathy, observation and interpretation — is influenced by literature and the arts. You will examine the ways in which observation and engagement with the arts parallel observation and engagement in patient care. You will also discuss the role of perspective in describing medical events, differences and similarities in observational skills in the arts and medicine and the use of movement and drama exercises to examine one’s lived experiences. Course activities will include museum visits, movement activities, acting exercises, and reading and writing about selected works of literature.
Innovation in Medicine
This course will introduce you to the concepts of human-centered design and entrepreneurship. You will be challenged to expand the focus of your knowledge beyond clinical medicine and the basic sciences by engaging in course discussion, activities and supplementary guest lectures conducted by local health care startup company innovators.