George Washington University School of Medicine - Speculum Yearbook (Washington, DC)

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l l 'N N1 . JN' 'W c' 'Z 105 , 8311-if CfgEgl5f'Ky Dsstgffee SWG im MM' acaoemlc The educational needs of a medical school require that there be a wide variety ofinterests and approaches to the field of medical sciences. To the faculty the students look for guidance in their approach to the voluminous amount of facts. It is not that the information is un- obtainable for one could secure such from numerous authoritiative texts. It is the ap- proach that is vital. Our teachers have instilled intellectual honesty, curiorsity, exactness, and respect for the lack of knowledge still present. The division of the formal academic work into basic sciences and clinical studies is at best a catalogue division. To the first year students much of the information that is crammed away for future reference on exam- ination seems irrelevant to his ultimate goal. However, four years later this illusion dis- appears for we come to realize that the train- ing and knowledge is all applicable and has given enough depth to our education to prepare us for future training and advances in medical knowledge.

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Preclinicol Studies Develop Bosis for Clmicol Yeors The curriculum in the first two years was devoted to the basic sciences which included anatomy, bacteriology, bio- chemistry, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology. The present senior class spent these years taking each subject throughout the year. In order to increase efficiency, the new course of study is now divided into the block system with each subject given a concentrated amount of time to pre- sent its course material. The plans for the future eventually call for the courses to be offered more than once a year so that two classes could be accommodated in the same facilities. This type of arrangement will also make it possible for a student to accelerate or extend his education time according to his financial and scholastic needs. In addition to alterations in the scheduled subject matter, students will be given a definite elective period to either delve deeper into one of the preclinical sciences or to take further course material related to medical studies at other colleges or associated institutions. With these proposed changes, the curriculum of the first and second year will gradually enlarge and have greater scope and depth, allowing for more individualization aimed towards student interests. QUIET MOMENTS of reflection late at night bring dreams of the future for an aspiring doctor. f N 17