Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2009 APS April Meeting
Volume 54, Number 4
Saturday–Tuesday, May 2–5, 2009; Denver, Colorado
Session Q6: Introductory Physics for Pre-Health and Biological Science Students |
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Sponsoring Units: FEd Chair: Robert Hilborn, University of Texas at Dallas Room: Governor's Square 16 |
Monday, May 4, 2009 10:45AM - 11:21AM |
Q6.00001: Pre-Medical Education in the Physical Sciences for Tomorrow's Physicians Invited Speaker: Medical knowledge is being transformed by instrumentation advances and by research results including genomic and population level studies; at the same time, though, the premedical curriculum is constrained by a relatively unchanging overall content in the MCAT examination, which inhibits innovation on undergraduate science education. A committee convened jointly by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute has examined the science and mathematics competencies that the graduating physician will need, and has asked which of these should be achieved during undergraduate study. The recommendations emphasize competency -- what the learner should be able to ``do'' at the end of the learning experience -- rather than dictating specific courses. Because the scientific content of modern medical practice is evolving, new science competencies are desirable for the entering medical student. An example is statistics, an increasingly prominent foundation for database and genomic analysis but which is not yet uniformly recommended as preparation for medical school. On the other hand, the committee believes that the value of a broad liberal arts education is enduring, and science coursework should not totally consume a premedical student's time. Thus if we recommend new areas of science and mathematics competency for pre-meds, we must find other areas that can be trimmed or combined. Indeed, at present there are some science topics mandated for premedical study, which may not be essential. For these reasons, the committee aims to state premedical recommendations in ways that can be met either through traditional disciplinary courses, or through innovative and/or interdisciplinary courses. Finally, we acknowledge that practice of medicine requires grounding in scientific principles and knowledge and in the practice of critical inquiry. These principles may be learned and practiced in undergraduate study through work in the physical sciences, as well as in biology, and such multidisciplinary training should be encouraged. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, May 4, 2009 11:21AM - 11:57AM |
Q6.00002: Designing an Introductory Physics Course for Biological Science Students Invited Speaker: For the past four years the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Minnesota has been revising its Introductory Physics Course specifically targeted to biological science and pre-medical students. The course design process includes determining the reasons that introductory physics is required by the biology faculty and determining how or if to satisfy their goals. The resulting course must substantially satisfy the goals of the biology faculty, be an introductory physics course that stresses the application of fundamental principles and relates them to complex situations typical in biology, be of interest to beginning biology students, and be teachable by ordinary physics professors. The design process for the content and the pedagogy of the course will be described as will the resulting course structure. Student performance measures for the revised course will also be given. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, May 4, 2009 11:57AM - 12:33PM |
Q6.00003: The Care and Feeding of Pre-Meds Invited Speaker: Most physics instructors will at some point in their teaching career face a room full of students bound for medical or dental school. This particular student clientele presents a host of distinctive challenges. My presentation will discuss insights gained while teaching premed sections of algebra-based College Physics over the last ten semesters. Topics will include syllabus structure, grading techniques, testing strategies, letters of recommendation and most importantly: how to get a good teaching evaluation from a Pre-Med. [Preview Abstract] |
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