MS2 Class Information – November 4, 2021

Y2Q Update

At the last MS2 class meeting, Dr. Sara Kim shared with many of you that the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) annually administers the Y2Q (Year-2-Questionnaire) to all second-year medical students across the country. UWSOM relies on the Y2Q data to help guide the school’s continuous quality improvement initiatives. When the formal report is shared with the school, Dr. Kim’s office prepares a high-level report that can be found here.

As of today, UWSOM’s response rate is 18.7% compared to the national average of 23.4% (Please see the graph below). Thank you to all of you who have already completed the survey. Three campuses (Spokane, Alaska and Montana) have met or exceeded a 20% response rate!!  Please look for the email from AAMC or contact Y2Q@aamc.org to directly obtain the survey link.

We will do random drawings of the following prizes to encourage your participation:

  • Two $50 items selected by you on Amazon
  • Eight $25 items selected by you on Amazon
  • Six $50-value WWAMI gift packs

The drawings will take place after the survey closes on Mon., Jan. 3, 2022, and if your name is picked, we will ask for the AAMC receipt of survey completion. Please keep a record of it!

Thank you everyone for your help and look forward to updating you next week about the response rate.

Graphic showing the percentage of students from each WWAMI site who have completed Y2Q.

 Informational Series: Postgraduate Physician Scientist Training Opportunities

The AAMC subcommittee on Physician Scientists Postgraduate Training announces a virtual discussion series for students interested in applying to research residencies. These 90-min sessions are exclusively for students to get more information about:

  • research residencies generally
  • individual specialties
  • individual programs
  • the application process
  • and to directly ask their questions to PSTP directors, trainees and fellows who are in, or have recently completed research residencies.

Our next session, Wed., Nov. 17, 8-9:30 pm Eastern, will be a conversation on: Preparing early: What to think about in your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Med School Years.

This session will be of special interest to MD students who are considering a research residency.

Register to join the November conversation here.

Recordings will be available after each session (here) for those who do not register for the webinar. Contact sgentzler@aamc.org with questions.

Comprehensive Basic Science Exam – Workstation Certification Test

 All MS2 students will be taking the CBSE on Monday, November 8. You must download the NBME secure browser and run the certification check prior to the exam. Please do this prior to your MBB exam on Fri., Nov. 5, as there will not be technical assistance over the weekend, and limited technical support the morning of the exam. Questions? Contact somtests@uw.edu.

Privacy, Confidentiality, and Information Security Agreement Compliance Deadline:

Sun., Nov. 15, 2121

UW Medicine requires all medical students to learn how to properly safeguard confidential information and comply with standards for personal accountability for data stewardship.

Please complete the UW Privacy, Confidentiality, and Information Security Agreement requirement in the To-Do List of your Castlebranch account.

This is an annual SOM and UW Medicine compliance requirement. All students, including concurrent degree/MSTP students and students on a leave of absence, are required to maintain compliance.

Castlebranch will prompt you to do the following in order to meet the UW Medicine Data Stewardship requirements:

View the Personal Accountability slides (linked in your To-Do List and also attached here). There are 18 slides plus some resources pages.  The main points are:

    1. ENCRYPT your devices, never leave PHI in your car
    2. Watch out for phishing
    3. Don’t talk about patients on social media, even if you don’t mention names
    4. If an unencrypted device that is storing PHI is lost or stolen it is bad, very bad (UW subject to investigations, fines, lawsuits, sanctions etc.)
    5. Once done viewing the slides, download and complete the PCISA form downloaded from your CastleBranch Compliance Tracker.
    6. Fill in these fields as such:

Department:  SOM

Job Title:  Medical Student

Supervisor: Laura Ellis

***When you complete the Fillable PCISA 2021 Form, please hit “Export-Save As PDF File” with your Last name, First name, PCISA 2021. The form will not save as completed, unless you hit “export- save as”.

Upload the signed form to your UW71 CastleBranch Compliance Tracker by Nov. 15. Make sure your UW Student ID Number is on the form. Please monitor your submission to make sure it is approved.

If you have follow-up questions on how to encrypt your devices, please reference the following UW Medicine ITS Security webpage at https://depts.washington.edu/uwmedsec/ OR email SOM Academic and Learning Technologies group at somalt@uw.edu.

Thanks very much for completing the training and encrypting your devices.  Feel free to contact us with any questions.

Career Advising Student Advisory Board – Tip of the Month

You’re almost done with the classroom portion of medical school! With this last bit of pre-clinical med school, continue to go to interest group events, volunteer, and do other extracurriculars. Life is busy during clerkships, so these things are harder to do. Of course, prioritize your blocks first and don’t spread yourself too thin.

Written by Career Advising Student Advisory Board member, Shanelle Briggs and reviewed by a second BIPOC Board member, L’Oreal Kennedy.

In case you missed it:

Here is a link to the October 28, 2021 Student Newsletter information for MS2s. In addition to what is in the current issue, that issue included a Career Advising Student Advisory Board – Tip of the Month about the UW School of Medicine’s Alumni Association SAID program.