Curriculum Headlines

Modular Web-based Curriculum Guide for Medical Students and Faculty Ready for 2002-2003.
"Women and Cardiovascular Disease:  A Guide to Sex and Gender Differences"
Sponsored by: Women's Health Program
Funded by: Alpha Phi Foundation, Speaking of Women's Health Community Investments, and The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

Education Coordinating Committee Adopts Core Competencies in Women's Health, June 2001 
for integration into the Medical Student Curriculum
Core Competencies in Women's Health and Gender-Specific Medicine

Guide to Women's Health Electives Nationwide 2000, updated 2001
Sponsored by Women's Health Program and Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Women's Health Education Office
Survey & Guide to Women's Health Electives (PDF format)

Survey of University of Cincinnati First and Second Year Medical Students
Results of 2001 Student Curriculum Survey of Gender-Specific Medicine and Women's Health (PDF)
Summary of 2001 Student Survey

History of Women's Health in the UC College of Medicine Curriculum

Drs. Andy Filak and Paula Hillard co-chair the Curriculum Committee on Women's Health and Gender-specific Medicine, charged with assuring that women's health over the life span and gender-specific medicine are integrated into the medical student curriculum. Originally an ad hoc task force of the Educational Coordinating Committee, this group has now been made a standing committee. Committee Members

There is increasing evidence illuminating the differences between men and women at the basic biological level which complements other knowledge about role and communication differences between the sexes. Disease frequency, manifestations, presentations, and treatments may and do differ between men and women, as do responses to treatments.

Phase I
The task force investigated what we currently teach about women's health and gender differences and the level of awareness among course directors and students. Interviews were conducted with the year 1 and 2 course directors to ascertain what gender-specific information is currently being taught and their ideas on how we might include such information. Course directors suggested the principal barrier to the inclusion of these topics was the faculty's lack of information about recent scientific findings in gender-based medicine. The task force could help by providing course directors with relevant, scientifically valid information that could be integrated into a lecture or adapted for clinical correlation.

First Medical Student Survey of Women’s Health in the Curriculum - Spring 1999
A questionnaire was given to all 1st and 2nd-year medical students to gauge their perceptions of the extent to which gender-specific medicine and women's health is already included in the curriculum. The data was collected and analyzed, and the results presented to the Educational Coordinating Committee. To the question, “How much attention would you say is devoted to gender-specific biology and medicine (excluding reproduction)?” responses averaged 1.13 where 0 was “none” and 4 was “a great deal.” Female students thought that less attention was paid than male students in almost every course and across every system. Students responding to the survey did think gender specific biology/medicine and women’s health were important to their future careers in medicine. Average of all responses was 3.13 with female responses averaging 3.28 and male responses averaging 3.00.

Phase II
The Committee is working with the Curriculum Renewal process to assure integration into the curriculum; developing a resource list for faculty; and identifying and disseminating new findings to course directors. The student survey was repeated in the spring of 2000.

Second Medical Student Curriculum Survey for Gender-Specific Medicine and Women’s Health
In April 2000, the Medical Student Curriculum Survey for Gender-specific Medicine and Women’s Health was repeated. The survey examined the students’ perception of the degree to which women’s health and gender-based medicine were addressed in each course and across each system. A rating scale of 0-4 was used where 0 = none and 4 = a great deal.
When compared to the 1999 curriculum survey:

• The response rate increased from 78 to 158 (out of 320 students).
• There were higher ratings given overall, for each course and each system.
• Both females and males continued to rate gender-specific medicine and women’s health as important to their future careers, rating importance a mean of 3.03.
• This importance was further confirmed in that 90% of women respondents to the survey said they would be interested in taking a women’s health elective, as did 39% of the men who responded.
• Female respondents however, again this year, thought that less attention was paid than did male students in every course and across every system. They also saw women’s health as more important to their future careers.
• First year respondents perceived less attention was paid than did second year respondents.

Third Medical Student Curriculum Survey for Gender-Specific Medicine and Women’s Health

In April 2001, the Medical Student Curriculum Survey for Gender-specific Medicine and Women’s Health was repeated. The survey examined the students’ perception of the degree to which women’s health and gender-based medicine were addressed in each course and across each system. A rating scale of 0-4 was used where 0 = none and 4 = a great deal. When compared to the 5/99  and 4/00curriculum survey:

 Response Rate:

1999          78 (24%)        Female 39 (34%)        Male 37 (18%)

2000        158 (49%)        Female 69 (66%)        Male 84 (39%)

2001        139 (43%)        Female 79 (59%)        Male 65 (34%)

 Summary:

•   There were higher ratings given overall in 4/00 vs. 5/99. In 4/01 some up, some down but basically not a lot of change.
• First year respondents perceived less attention was paid than did second year respondents.
• Both females and males continued to rate gender-specific medicine and women’s health as important to their future careers, rating “importance” a mean of 3.03.
• This importance was further confirmed in that 84% of women respondents to the survey said they would be interested in taking a women’s health elective, as did 40% of the men who responded.
•   Female respondents however, again this year, thought that less attention was paid than did male students. They also saw women’s health as more important to their future careers.
• The gap between male and female responses appears to be closing for most systems and some courses
  -Gap closing in Brain and Behavior, Pathology, Pharmacology and ICP2 and in all systems except skin and skeletal
  -Gap not closing in Gross Anatomy Micro Anatomy, Physiology, Medical Interview, Ethics Sexuality, and Physical Exam and in skin and skeletal system.

Complete Results of 2001 Student Curriculum Survey of Gender-Specific Medicine and Women's Health (PDF)

Dr. Paula J. Adams Hillard presented an abstract on the committee's process of integrating women's health into the medical school curriculum at the 2000 APGO Faculty Development Seminar "Tactics in Teaching Women's Health" Jan 8-11, Marina del Rey, CA, The abstract was titled "Integrating Women's Health in the Pre-Clinical Medical Curriculum Using a Multidisciplinary Process to Create Awareness of Women's Health and Audit the Curriculum for Content."

Our work in medical education is recognized. The University of Cincinnati is listed in APGO's Women's Health Curriculum Models along with the University of Tennessee, Memphis, University of California-San Francisco and Yale University. See APGO