To Be...A Spartan MD

These continue to be very unusual times. As such, we recognize that the COVID-19 crisis is life-disrupting for everyone and that colleges and universities are navigating this crisis in varying ways.  Many of our current and future applicants are facing uncertainty about how 2020 winter and spring courses will continue and be graded, including coursework that is traditionally considered prerequisite or recommended for many medical school admissions processes. The challenge for medical school admissions committees is that accurate and specific information is always preferred.  When committees are faced with ambiguity, their bias may factor a pass as a “C/D” or 2.0/1.0 rather than a higher grade.  So, if you have an option to proceed with a letter grade for prerequisite coursework, many schools (including the College of Human Medicine) would prefer this option.   For those of you in which a Pass/Fail or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade is rendered for any of these courses, CHM will w

Dr. Joel Maurer, CHM Assistant Dean for Admissions These are clearly some very unusual times, and it appears that things change on a daily (if not hourly) basis.  Nonetheless, I want to provide reassurance that we are prepared for (and looking forward to!) the upcoming application cycle. Currently, we do not anticipate any significant delays or obstacles in providing a fair and equitable application process. Having said this, we also rely on others outside CHM for implementing a smooth process.  Unfortunately, the March 27 and April 4 MCAT exams have been canceled, and we hope that further dates will remain viable or makeup dates offered. Otherwise, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has informed us that “all AAMC Services [including the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), the Fee Assistance Program (FAP), and The Medical College Application Test (MCAT)] are continuing regular operations and there are no changes to our programs’ deadlines. The

In response to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the College of Human Medicine Office of Admissions will continue to be available, though under modified operations. Admissions staff will be working remotely for the foreseeable future in an effort to keep our communities healthy and safe. We will remain accessible primarily through email as we continue to provide essential services to applicants. The admissions team appreciates your understanding. Our thoughts are with you as we collectively work to adjust through these unprecedented circumstances. Please stay well. MSU is closely monitoring the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. You can find out the latest updates on what the university is doing to keep campus safe and support our students, faculty and staff by visiting msu.edu/coronavirus . Office of Admissions Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Friends, Through social distancing, Spartans Will…Flatten the Curve This is about altruism. The move from in-class to online teaching in universities across the country, and our moves to cancel group events (like Match Day lunches, the Dean's Staff Appreciation event, and the NCAA tournament) are all efforts at social distancing. I want to be clear, social distancing is our only way to control this virus, and it is how we will save lives. Michigan now has 12 cases, including cases in our communities, and we are way behind on the kind of case finding and testing that should have been going on. So, there is not a day to lose. This piece has been making the rounds of faculty, and it is an accessible description of what we are facing and how social distancing is our key weapon to manage this crisis. (Read the whole thing, but really understand Chart 8 and Chart 22, which shows that even a day’s delay leads to thousands of cases.) Getting this virus will not particula

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine announced the formation of two new clinical divisions — a Division of Neurosurgery and a Division of Otolaryngology — in partnership with two Southeast Michigan medical practices, a move that expands its statewide presence and opportunities for its students. The new Division of Neurosurgery includes physicians from Michigan Spine and Brain Surgeons which has offices in Wayne and Oakland counties. The division’s director will be Teck Soo, founder of Michigan Spine and Brain Surgeons, and assistant clinical professor at MSU College of Human Medicine and chief of neurosurgery at Ascension Providence Hospitals. See: Clinical Elective Clerkships , which includes the Ascension Providence Neurosurgery Subinternship The new Division of Otolaryngology includes physicians from the Michigan Ear Institute , a Farmington Hills-based practice specializing in treating hearing, dizziness, inner ear, skull base and facial nerv

Burnout among physicians and other clinicians has become an epidemic that requires system-wide changes to address it, according to a new report by the National Academy of Medicine . Long hours, heavy workload, time pressures, technology challenges and dissatisfaction with their work may lead to clinician burnout, said Wanda Lipscomb, the College of Human Medicine ’s associate dean for student affairs, who served on the committee that produced the report, Taking Action Against Clinician Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being . “Burnout is a problem that can be described as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a low sense of professional efficacy associated with workplace stress,” Lipscomb said. “A chronic imbalance of high job demands and inadequate job resources can lead to burnout and physician turnover. Eventually that is going to impact patient care.” The report found that one-third to one-half of U.S. clinicians have symptoms of burnout, including emotional e