How much does your school discuss suicide?

[floridakppr]

I'm conducting some research concerning geriatric suicide and am looking to identify some background information. Could anyone help me to discern how much coursework medical students receive about suicide, including any mention of suicide in a neuroscience, ethics, or psychiatry setting? A link or a description of one school's curriculum would be appreciated.

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[braluk]

i personally wouldnt know, but it doesnt sound like its a topic that is really discussed. You might get a better chance at finding info about tha tin psych classes, bioethics (med ethics), and perhaps in epidemiology, and maybe forensic sciences or criminology (if they offer it). Aside from that, I cant see how suicide would fit into the context of the majority of med school classes.

 

[chrisjohn]

The summation of our orientation suicide talk could be; "Get antidepressants."

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm conducting some research concerning geriatric suicide and am looking to identify some background information. Could anyone help me to discern how much coursework medical students receive about suicide, including any mention of suicide in a neuroscience, ethics, or psychiatry setting? A link or a description of one school's curriculum would be appreciated.

In terms of coursework -- negligible. In the basic science years, suicide only really comes up in the context of treatment for pill overdoses, or in terms of signs of depression as a possible diagnosis.

 

[Callogician]

We had two lectures on suicide in M1

 

[Law2Doc]

We had two lectures on suicide in M1

Any takers?

 

[Callogician]

Any takers?

No, but my program had an abysmal 88% (44/50) attrition rate for M1 (some people dropped, some switched to the other program, and some had to repeat). Extrapolated through four years, that would be a pathetic 60% attrition.

 

[silas2642]

No, but my program had an abysmal 88% (44/50) attrition rate for M1 (some people dropped, some switched to the other program, and some had to repeat). Extrapolated through four years, that would be a pathetic 60% attrition.

12% of your class didn't make it through first year? What the heck is going on at Drexel?

 

[shaunaiam]

To be fair, being one of the 6 people not to continue their second year in the problem based curriculum at Drexel, I wouldn't say it's a problem with the school as a whole, but some problems with the way in which the PBL curriculum works. Keep in mind in the more traditional curriculum at the same school there were 200 students or so with a much lower failure/transfer rate.

 

[Callogician]

12% of your class didn't make it through first year? What the heck is going on at Drexel?

For the sake of Drexel's PBL rep, let me just say that I love my program and wouldn't even consider switching to the traditional curriculum. Shauna just has a different style.

 

[sierra89]

No, but my program had an abysmal 88% (44/50) attrition rate for M1 (some people dropped, some switched to the other program, and some had to repeat).

What the heck does this have to do with suicide lectures? Did you mention it in this thread because you think that those particular lectures motivated people to switch to the lecture-based curriculum or caused others to drop/repeat the year?

I am the only person who truly knows what my opinion is about the two curricular tracks--not to mention, the grades I have earned in year 1--and I don't pretend to know (nor do I try to represent on this forum) others' opinions or grades on test questions related to the suicide lectures.

Extrapolated through four years, that would be a pathetic 60% attrition.

While I didn't do the math, I wanted to comment (for the benefit of others who aren't familiar with the way Drexel's curriculum works): Although they can fail, people only have the opportunity to switch after year 1 because the PBL-or-lecture-based curriculum option lasts only through the second year. Third year is the beginning of our clerkships, regardless of the basic science track we have chosen for years 1 and 2.

I am not sure what message you were trying to get across by extrapolating the first-year PBL class' attrition rate.

 

[BooMed]

We have twelve weeks of medical ethics, the first half is focused on issues surrounding death, particularly physician assisted suicide, end of life rights, the Shiavo case, etc.

As far as our OWN chance of committing suicide, we've talked a lot about physical/mental health and how to get help if we're having trouble.

 

[stoic]

we had a lecture on suicide, particuarly elderly suicide in one of our BS social sciences courses. don't leave sad, old, white men alone without some zoloft.

 

[ghip]

What the heck does this have to do with suicide lectures?

l2d asked if anyone committed suicide. callog said noone committed suicide, but several people dropped out. It's not that hard to follow.