A model for educating humanistic physicians in the 21st century: the new medicine, patient, and society course at Tel Aviv University.

Background: The impact of the social and behavioral sciences on medical education has often been limited due to a variety of organizational, curricular and professional barriers. The new "Medicine, Patient, and Society (MPS)" program in Tel Aviv attempts to rectify this educational shortcoming by exploring new ways to help students acquire the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed for becoming humanistic physicians and for helping patients (and themselves) adopt healthy behaviors. To work toward this goal, this program integrates the biomedical and psychosocial aspects of health care, providing developmentally appropriate learning experiences according to levels of training, together with a variety of educational methods, including learner-centered approaches.

A tale of two exposures: a comparison of two approaches to early clinical exposure.

Purpose: Early Clinical Exposure (ECE) programs are an increasingly widespread component of undergraduate medical education. Little systematic research exists on the topic. This report compares the approach and cost/benefits of two parallel ECE programs at the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University.