Teaching Opportunities by Role

If you are interested in teaching opportunities at Weill Cornell Medical College, please contact Ms. Kelli Ruttle (ker3005@med.cornell.edu).

Lecturer: Basically every unit has a lecture component to it, especially in the foundational sciences curriculum (EPOM and Hid 1 and HID 2) during the first 1-1/2 year, which introduce or supplement fundamental concepts. Lecturers (both MD and PhD) are usually selected by the unit/clerkship leadership. Lectures typically are 60 minutes. Lecturers are asked to provide learning objectives and detailed handouts for distribution to students. Basic science lectures are videotaped and made available to our students on the secure course website.

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Facilitator: Faculty (both MD and PhD) may volunteer to participate as a PBL facilitator (typically 5-7weeks, twice a week, for 90 minutes per session), working with a small group of students (approximately 10 or 11) as they grapple with scientific and clinical problems. PBL facilitators are asked to attend faculty briefings during which the next week's case is discussed and to also read the PBL case and tutor guide prior to meeting with the students. During the PBL session, faculty facilitate the group process, track attendance, and assess student performance. 

Journal Club Facilitator: Faculty may volunteer to facilitate a weekly one-hour journal club session (approximately 10-11 students) during the Brain and Behavior Unit of HID-2. Journal club facilitators are expected to prepare for each journal club session by reading the article and attending a weekly facilitator briefing. During the journal club, facilitators lead a discussion about the article's clinical background and purpose, scientific basis of the study, study design and statistical analysis, and results and conclusion. Facilitators are recruited by the Unit leadership.

Laboratory Instructor/Small Group Facilitator: In addition to PBL and JC, faculty are needed to facilitate other small group sessions in the basic science and clinical units and clerkships. Faculty time commitment and responsibilities are dependent upon the unit/clerkship and the purpose of the small group. Each of the basic science units has a lab component (e.g., histology, anatomy/radiology, physiology, pathology, biochemistry). Unit leadership recruit faculty to be lab instructors, each helping a group of students (20-25 students per group). Labs/small groups typically run for 1-2+ hours; the number of labs per course varies. Faculty are typically expected to be familiar with the case or problem, subject material, and images (if any), as well as any assigned reading.

Office Clinical Preceptors: Clinical faculty from various clinical departments can volunteer, with approval of the Segment/Clerkship Director, to be a clinical preceptor in EPOM, HID1 and HID2, and/or the Primary Care Clerkship. Preceptors work one-on-one with students, providing them with direct patient contact, history taking skills, presentation of medical information, and physical exam skills. Preceptors are responsible for completing an evaluation on their students. 

When attending on their respective units, Medicine, Neurology, Surgery, Anesthesia, Pediatric, Psychiatric, and Obstetrics/Gynecology faculty will likely be working, along with the residents, with those students rotating on the floor at that time and may be asked to assess these students, as well.

Physical Diagnosis Instructor: Clinical faculty may volunteer, with HIP Theme/Segment Leadership approval, to precept students to hone their physical diagnosis skills. Instructors meet with students for six (4-hour) sessions and provide a written assessment at the end of the six weeks. 

LEAP Faculty Mentor: Clinical faculty may volunteer to be a LEAP faculty mentor, providing students with support and guidance about their experiences with their assigned patients by leading monthly seminar groups in which students discuss topics directly related to the health of their patients. LEAP faculty meet with their students for monthly 2-hour seminars, provide monthly open office hours, and attend monthly curriculum development meetings (30-60 minutes).

Segment/Clerkship Leadership: These leaders are typically selected by the Dean and the Senior Associate Dean for Education. They are responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Segment or Clerkship, as well as the work of others who participate in the Course Design Group. They oversee curricular development and modifications, scheduling, faculty recruitment for lectures and small groups (including PBL and labs), and student assessment. 

Unit Leaders: The basic science courses (EPOM, HID 1 and HID 2) have "learning unit leaders" and others who are part of the Segment Design Group and who are responsible for specific content areas. In EPOM, this includes biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, histology, pharmacology, microbiology, immunology, anatomy, developmental biology, embryology, PBL, histology, and radiology; in HID 1 and HID 2, this includes physiology, psychiatry, pharmacology, neurology and neuroscience, pathology, cardiology; pulmonology; renal; GI, reproduction, endocrine, dermatology, infectious disease, rheumatology, and hematology/oncology. Learning Unit leaders are usually chosen by Course Directors, with the approval of their department chairs.

AOC Research Mentor: Faculty may wish to mentor a medical student in an Area of Concentration – an area of interest in which a student wishes to obtain in-depth knowledge, skills, and scholarly experience, including a required scholarly project during six months of the fourth year.

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