DoCS (Doctoring and Clinical Skills Course) Mentoring

Department of Health Sciences Education

  • Course Information

    Course Number: RHSE661

    Prerequisites: Completion of all Phase 2 clerkships; good academic standing; attendance at introductory information session; final approval at the discretion of the Program Directors

    Length of Time: Longitudinal course in Phase 1 both semesters (August – April)

    Available for Phase: Phase 3

    Credit Type: Open

    Call: No

  • Contact Information

    Program Directors: Thomas Webb, MD (tjwebb@uic.edu); Peggy Shiels, MD (pwshiels@uic.edu)

    Coordinator/Scheduling: Allison King, (aking75@uic.edu); Tori Allen (tallen19@uic.edu)

    Location: UICOM Rockford (1601 Parkview Ave, Rockford, IL)

Narrative Description: The purpose of the elective is to introduce 4th year medical students to health professions education. In this course, students will have the opportunity to teach and mentor first and second year students with the guidance of DoCS faculty. This longitudinal elective not only supports the Phase 1 students, but also strengthens the clinical skills of the 4th year students and contributes to the credentials of students interested in a future career in academic medicine.

Learning Objectives:

  1. To improve leadership and organizational skills
  2. How to teach in a small group
  3. How to facilitate discussion
  4. How to manage challenging situations that occur in a small group
  5. How to provide written and oral feedback
  6. How to evaluate students

Learning Activities:

  1. Lectures
  2. Case reviews
  3. Conferences
  4. Outpatient evaluation
  5. Observation of student clinical skill (Hx/PE)
  6. Literature reviews
  7. Group work

Method of Assessment:

  1. Students will be provided feedback by faculty co-tutors throughout the
  2. Phase 1 students will provide formative feedback to the M4/Faculty tutors about their performance as a group facilitator.

Required Reading: Assigned chapters/articles distributed ahead of didactics, not to exceed 1-2 per session.

Additional Resources:

Training sessions: Orientation/Teaching in Small Groups including use of various presentation applications (ppt and Prezi), group dynamics, managing challenging students, Formative feedback (written and oral)/Grading Assignments and Summative feedback

Miscellaneous Information:

Time varies from week to week. Some weeks there may be no sessions and others there may be two.