Medical Program
Course Descriptions

Basic Sciences:
Anatomical Sciences
Behavioral Sciences
Biochemistry and Genetics
Bioethics
Clinical Skills
Microbiology
Pathology
Pathophysiology
Pharmacology
Physiology and Neuroscience
Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Selectives
Clinical Years

The medical program curriculum is divided into two segments, the Basic Medical Sciences and the Clinical Years.

Basic Sciences Courses

The following descriptions are overviews of the Basic Medical Sciences courses. The subject matter and course objectives will continually change to reflect advances and new directions within the discipline, as well as growth and new dimensions within the faculty and academic community of the School.

Anatomical Sciences Marios Loukas, MD, PhD, Chair

Behavioral Sciences David L. Brown, MD, PhD, Co-Chair, John P. Pettus, PhD, Co-Chair

In addition to the courses listed below, the Behavioral Sciences Department routinely teaches the course, Directed Study in Data Analysis (BEHS 818), which is listed in the Graduate Course Descriptions.

Biochemistry and Genetics Sharmilla Uphadya, MBBS, MD, DNB Biochem, Chair

Bioethics Cheryl Macpherson, PhD, Chair

Our Bioethics Department is charged with centralizing and strengthening training in ethical and professional thought and action. This department offers programs and courses to stimulate critical thinking and ethical discourse across disciplines, facilitate academic exchange, and contribute to professional development of students, faculty, visiting scholars, and Caribbean health professionals.

The department contributes to the White Coat Ceremony, organizes lecture series, conducts Institutional Review Board training, and coordinates the development of professionalism on campus through the SGU Professionalism Panel and its associated professionalism committees.

Clinical Skills Winston Mitchell, MBBS, Chair

Microbiology David Lennon, PhD

Pathology Shivayogi Bhusnurmath, MD, FRCPath, Chair

Pathophysiology Shivayogi R. Bhusnurmath, MD, FRCPath, Interim Chair

Pharmacology Andreas Reymann, MD, Chair

Physiology and Neuroscience Walter Kolbinger, PhD, Chair

Public Health and Preventive Medicine Omur Cinar Elci, MD, PhD, Chair

Selectives

Selectives are offered to Basic Sciences students during the first two years of the four-year medical program. The objective is to provide a structured learning experience in diverse clinical and scholarly areas. They give students the opportunity to integrate Basic Sciences knowledge into clinical areas and may provide a transition into clinical medicine. Selectives are offered by various departments and coordinated through the Office of the Dean of Basic Sciences. There is a cost associated with some of the following electives.

Clinical Years

There are 80 weeks of clinical training. Every student takes 42 weeks of core clinical rotations in the five major specialty areas—12 weeks of internal medicine, 12 weeks of surgery, and 6 weeks each of obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, and psychiatry. In addition to the core rotations, all students must complete four weeks of primary care, a four-week medicine sub-internship, a four-week medicine elective, and a four-week pediatric sub-internship or elective. To complete the clinical requirements, every student takes 22 weeks of electives.

Internal Medicine
John Sensakovic, MD, PhD, Chair

Surgery
Gordon Lutchman, MD, Chair

Obstetrics/Gynecology
Paul Kastell, MD, Interim Chair

Psychiatry
Amy Hoffman, MD, Interim Chair

Pediatrics
Phyllis Weiner, MD, Chair

Emergency Medicine
Theodore Gaeta, DO, MPH, Chair

Family Medicine and General Practice
Everett Schlam, MD, Chair

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