Instructor: Paul Cox, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine
Description: Doctors, Neurobiology and Relationships will focus on how understanding the brain, mind and relationships helps health professionals provide care, healing and comfort to patients. The seminar’s primary goal is to help students appreciate the centrality of the doctor-patient relationship in healing mental illness. Students will leave the seminar understanding how mental illnesses are brain illnesses that can be treated effectively with medications, therapy (relationships), and other medical interventions (e.g. rTMS-repetitive trans-cranial magnetic stimulation). The science content is limited to that necessary to develop an appreciation of interpersonal neurobiology and relationships. This is a person-focused seminar on being a doctor rather than a science seminar.
Format: The seminar will meet for one hour each week. The time will be divided between brief informal lecture presentations and discussions of assigned reading and/or students’ reflective papers. Reading material will be provided. There is no required text.Coursework will consist of class participation in discussions related to topics presented in class or from reading, as well as 4 brief (1 page) reflective papers. Topics include reflections on 1) one’s best relationship with a health care professional, for example your pediatrician or family practice doctor growing up or the clinical nurse specialist who was part of the team caring for a relative with terminal cancer, 2) important attachment relationships in your life, 3) rupture and repair of important relationships in your life, and 4) how this seminar changed your understanding of the treatment of mental illnesses. Students must satisfactorily complete all 4 papers. Papers should be 400-500 words, preferably less than 1 page, turned in on time (Wednesday 5 pm the day prior to the seminar), and show evidence of a good faith attempt to complete the assignment. Grading: Students will be required to complete all 4 papers on assigned reading (60%) and to participate in 85% of class discussions (40%). Students may fail if they do not complete a paper and/or do not participate in class discussions.
About the Instructor: Paul Cox, MD is an Associate Clinical Professor member in the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine. His is a clinical educator, seeing patients 20-30 hours a week in addition to teaching. He has been the Director of the Psychiatry clerkship for the 3rd year medical students since 1995. In addition to medical student education, he is interested in group therapy and social cognitive learning theory.