Weekly Safe Return to BUMC Update: Aug. 13

MD Program

The 99 first-year medical students from across the country who moved into the Medical Student Residence during the last weekend of July-first week of August are settling in, building a new community with face coverings and physical distancing as part of the new normal.

A very engaged Class of 2024 began the curriculum with a four-hour session on health equity and breakout rooms facilitated by faculty and students to explore topics such as racism in medicine, gender diversity, refugee health, community-based health and advocacy. They also participated in a wide range of discussions, including what it means to be “professional” as a first-year med student, how to engage in challenging conversations, and how to stay safe in the midst of a pandemic.

Second-year medical students completed their first exam and began their second module, Infectious Disease in Disease and Therapy, and are working with actors to learn advanced communication skills like the Brief Negotiated Interview. Third-year students just completed their virtual clerkships and will begin clinical rotations in person on Aug. 24.

GMS/PA

The Class of 2020 completed the Physician Assistant (PA) Program on July 31 and soon will have a virtual celebration. This year they designed a BU PA Program lapel pin that will be given to BU graduates. The Class of 2021 has started procedural training in the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center, and some students have begun rotations. Members of the Class of 2022 have organized a panel discussion on racism, to be held on Monday, Aug. 24, with Carl Toney, PA-C; Philip Bondzie, PhD, PA-C; and Farrah Belizaire, MS, Associate Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

GSDM

Last week saw the first courses taught in the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine’s new auditorium. Dr. Carl McManama taught Comprehensive Preclinical Dentistry to the first-year DMD students, and Dr. Barbara Schreiber initiated her biochemistry course over three sessions. Due to room capacity restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, only a portion of the students in each class attended in person, while the remainder tuned in remotely.

Classes also commenced in the school’s new Simulation Learning Center (SLC). Dr. McManama taught Preclinical Operative Dentistry to 44 students in the DMD Advanced Standing Class of 2022. (This is about half the total class, as required by current capacity limits in the SLC.) On the postdoctoral side, Drs. Tun-Yi Hsu and Sami Chogle reported that both residents and faculty in the Advanced Education Program in Endodontics were deeply impressed with the “state of the art” technology and the functionality of the new SLC.

View previous updates here.

Back2BU

For the latest information about the return to campus and updated FAQs, visit the Back2BU website.

View all posts