Alaska Foundations Site Information

A Day in the Life of a medical student:

Class time: Students will have four hours of class per day, most days incorporating interactive learning or laboratories, and no more than two hours of lecture. A limited number of learning experiences may be scheduled outside of normal class hours. Class delivery methods vary by block and within a block. All blocks are designed to have predominantly active learning approaches. Students are expected to come prepared to participate in class discussions. All courses have periodic assessments and a final examination. Block objectives and core content for which students will be held accountable on exams will be the same across all WWAMI sites. Exams will have the same questions and format and be administered in person. The timing of exams may vary slightly across Foundation sites.

Block teaching (Fundamentals of Medical Science & Research and Infections & Immunity):

In Summer 2024, the University of Alaska Anchorage classes will be in person and attendance in person is expected. Absences/alternatives will require the Foundation Dean’s approval but will be made available where appropriate.

Participation in Anatomy & Embryology and Foundations of Clinical Medicine is expected to be in-person across all sites. Assessments, including multiple-choice question exams and anatomical pin tests, will be given in person at UAA.

Instruction maybe moved to remote or hybrid delivery due to weather, illness or other reasons. Students will be notified of these changes as early as possible, (UAA typically announces weather closures by 6am) and will be provided with the appropriate zoom links.

Your first two blocks are Fundamentals of Medical Science & Research and Infections & Immunity. Both will have a weekly exam on Monday mornings and a cumulative final exam.

Clinical Skills Workshop: This will start with Immersion which will run ALL DAY September 4th through September 13th, culminating with a physical exam final on September 13th.

In the Fall 2024, students will complete their clinical skills workshops on UAA campus. These will be in the morning on alternate Wednesdays. See “FCM Introduction” below

Hospital Tutorials: Students will be assigned to a faculty mentor and a small group of students with whom they will work throughout the Foundations Phase. These will be in the afternoons on alternate Wednesdays at one of the local hospitals. See “FCM Introduction” below.

Foundations of Clinical Medicine (FCM) Course: Alaska

Dr. Kathy Young, Immersion & FCM Co-Director, PCP Director
Dr. Andrea Caballero, Immersion & FCM Co-Director, College Head

The Foundations of Clinical Medicine (FCM) Course is a comprehensive clinical skills program with four integrated and complementary elements. It begins with the Immersion block, which introduces students to clinical medicine and extends through the Foundations Phase.

The four integrated elements of FCM are:

Immersion: FCM starts with intensive initial clinical skills training, including fundamentals of doctor-patient communication and medical interviewing; the content and structure of the medical database; basic physical exam; introduction to professional identity formation and the culture of medicine. Immersion will be September 4th- 13th, 2024, from 8 am – 5 pm. A one-day wilderness retreat will be included in this, and a final clinical exam will be on the morning of Friday, September 13th. A detailed schedule will be provided. As these are hands on practical sessions – ALL sessions are required in person.

Hospital Tutorials: Students work consistently with a College faculty mentor and a small group of peer students throughout their first 18 months. They have opportunities to practice the comprehensive history and physical examination taught in Immersion with hospitalized patients and are observed by their College mentors who provide immediate formative feedback on their skills. During the second half of each tutorial afternoon, College mentors return to see each patient with the group of students if possible, to demonstrate interviewing and exam techniques at the bedside. Students perform oral case presentations and complete written histories and physicals for each patient, also reviewed by the mentor. Students have their Hospital Tutorials every other Wednesday afternoon.

Clinical Skills Workshops: Students learn core communication, physical exam, clinical reasoning, reflection, and teamwork skills in hands-on, interactive small group sessions aligned with the content of the Foundations blocks. They also cover other areas relevant to patient care, including communication skills and interview techniques, behavioral medicine, chronic care, interprofessional healthcare, and other areas. Students have Clinical Skills Workshops every other Wednesday morning.

Primary Care Practicum (PCP): Starting in January and continuing through December of their second year, students will work in the same primary care physician’s office for the Foundations Phase in a longitudinal experience emphasizing outpatient clinical skills, patient relationships, continuity, chronic care, and teamwork. In the clinic, students will have the opportunity to apply many of the skills they learned in Clinical Skills Workshops and Hospital Tutorials. Students have their PCP-dedicated time on alternate Wednesdays and are expected to spend a half day in their PCP setting. There may be some flexibility in scheduling. Those with questions about scheduling should reach out to their local PCP Director.

Students requesting a disability accommodation for FCM or any blocks/courses need to contact Disability Resource Services (DRS) directly by contacting UW DRS (uwdrs@uw.edu) or http://depts.washington.edu/uwdrs/ as soon as possible AND before the start of immersion so that appropriate accommodations can be made available in a timely fashion to allow the student to participate fully. This process can take between 2-6 weeks once your medical documentation has been submitted. Accommodations cannot be implemented until a DRS evaluation has been completed and appropriate accommodations are determined.

If students have any questions, they can also contact Dr. Maya Sardesai (sardesai@uw.edu), assistant dean for student development, or Sarah Wood (sewood@uw.edu), director for student affairs.