Purpose: 
The Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM), drawing on its Jesuit and Catholic heritage, encourages the development of the character & intellect its students and has a culture of excellence in professionalism. SSOM has a large number of students who are active in a self-directed curriculum related to bioethics, health policy, service to the underserved, leadership, and professionalism.  The bioethics and professionalism honors program asks the student to go one step further to systematically document and reflect upon this self-directed curriculum.  Those who complete this program are recognized with departmental honors administered by the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy.  The outstanding record of achievement of these students is recognized in the following manners:

1. Expected successful completion of the Honors program is appropriate to include in the Dean's letter recommending the student for residency. (Students who wish this information to be included in their letter complete the capstone project by July before his/her 4^th year.)

2. A listing of the successful completion of the Honors program on the student's final transcript.

3. Students completing the program are recognized at graduation.

Procedure:
In January of the first year of medical school (M-1), students who are interested in entering the Bioethics and Professionalism Honors Program declare their intention to pursue the program. Students are assigned an advisor from the Neiswanger institute for Bioethics & Health Policy who will help guide them and comment on their portfolio submissions.  To be and remain eligible for the Honors Program, a student must be in good academic standing and uphold professional standards in keeping with those of the Stritch School of Medicine and Loyola University Chicago. Good academic standing is generally construed to mean that a student has not failed a course during the first or second year of medical school or needed remediation in more than one clerkship. To effectively earn honors at graduation, the student's portfolio has to include a number of required accomplishments and an adequate number of optional achievements.  For instance: (required)

• Three years of creating goals and self-assessments (reflections) regarding relationships to peers, faculty, other health care professionals and society. (Student activities should comprise a total of approximately 24 hours annually of activities relevant to the portfolio).

• Attendance at the honors research seminar – This one hour seminar is an introduction to doing research including regulatory requirements such as IRB approval. Previous capstone presentations are summarized as examples of sound work. Offered in M2 year.

• Attendance at three (3) topical seminars in bioethics and professionalism - offered primarily during M1 and M2 years.

• A capstone presentation (usually in poster form) in June at the end of MS3 year of some project or aspect of bioethics or professionalism. Poster presentations are typically done in the end of June of the third year of medical school.  Click here for the Class of 2011 Capstone Presentation summaries.

Suggested sources of Activity:

• Participation in activities of the Bioethics Interest Group (B.I.G.)

• Participation in Ethics Grand Rounds

• Participation in multi-profession activities

• Participation in Innovations in Leadership training

• Participation in an International Service Immersion trip or Global Health Fund

• Participation in other service activities, e.g., free clinic, volunteer work at the Community Health Center, Habitat for Humanity, Center for Service & Global Health, etc.

• Other activities approved by the student's advisor that are equivalent in substance, mission, effort to those listed.

Students are encouraged to suggest activities to be included to Katie Wasson, PhD, MPH, and their advisors.  Advisors and other SSOM faculty will also occasionally put out messages through the student portal when they are supervising current eligible activities in which students might participate.

TO ENROLL AND PARTICIPATE IN THE HONORS PROGRAM

Complete the Application Form.  Send the completed form to Katie Wasson, PhD, MPH kawasson@lumc.edu

You’ll receive an e-mail telling you that you are enrolled. A link to the honors portfolio system will appear in MyLumen under Student Portfolio. Click on this link.

Once in the program...

• You’ll need to enter goals related to bioethics & professionalism at least once per year. You will be asked to look at your goals midway through the year and revise as appropriate. In other words, goals are not etched in stone but change as some plans become unrealistic or new opportunities present themselves. You should enter such changes as they occur during the year. You should try to have goals for at least two activities per year that would sum to at least 24 hours of activity.

• Reflections: This is a key part of the program. You upload supporting materials at intervals to demonstrate progress toward goals; such material will usually be a critical reflection on this work. These reflections help you to see how you are evolving as a future member of the medical profession. While these reflections need not be long or cumbersome, they should usually bring together your observations of the people you served, your response to them, and the role of the medical profession. (See reflection questions developed by University Ministry. Submitting a page or two of such reflections on an activity is usually suitable. Reflection on Experience  
  You need not answer the questions in list order but these may serve as prompts to guide your reflection process. Submitting a page or two of such reflections on an activity is usually suitable. Of course, reflections will vary based on the kind of activity you are describing.)

• Faculty mentors enter comments at intervals (at least every six months) on goals and on progress.

REQUIRED ACTIVITIES

• Portfolio entries including goals and reflections each year.

• Attendance at the Honors Research Seminar in addition to three (3) Topical Seminars in Bioethics and Professionalism offered during M1 and M2 years.

• Capstone Project (Must be done as MS3 or by July before 4th year for student to receive recognition in Dean's letter for residency application.)  Click here for the Class of 2011 Capstone Presentation summaries.

• Goals should be formulated with an eye toward enhancing one's skills, knowledge, and commitments in bioethics and professionalism.

• Upon completion of an activity, the student should enter evidence of completion of the activity and reflection on it. Selective Activities: Student should consider a well-rounded program of activities that include clinical, educational, or service activities over the course of his or her three years in the honors program. However, not every area need have a goal or activity each year. (You should complete a total of about 24 hours of activity annually)

RESEARCH SEMINAR HANDOUTS

• Bioethics and Professional Honors Program: Research Seminar
  Katherine Wasson, PhD, MPH and Mark Kuczewski, PhD

• Bioethics and Professionalism Honors Program: Survey Design
  Lena Hatchett, PhD

• Human Subjects Research at Loyola; The Nuts and Bolts of the IRB
  Elaine Fluder, MSN

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Class of 2013

• June 2010 - Deadline for entering end of Year 1 Reflection on previous year's activities.

• September 15, 2010 - Deadline for entering Goals for Year 2

• November 5, 2010, Noon-1:00pm, SSOM 390 – Required Honors Research Seminar. Seminar must be taken prior to presentation of Capstone Project.

• Fall 2010 & Spring 2011 - Honors Research Seminar (required to attend during M2 year)

• June 2011 - Deadline for entering Year 2 Reflection

• September 2011 - Deadline for entering Goals for Year 3

• Fall 2010 - Spring 2012 - Topical Bioethics Seminars (required to attend THREE Bioethics Seminars prior to presentation of Capstone Project: June 2012)

• January 13, 2012 - Deadline to submit Capstone Project Proposals

• June 2012 - Capstone Presentations of Honors Projects

• June 2012 - Deadline for entering final Year 3 Reflection

Class of 2014