Clinic Visits

It is important for students to develop an understanding and appreciation of the human side of disease and to think about clinical challenges from a basic science perspective. In addition to the many clinically oriented lectures in the Gerstner Sloan-Kettering Core Course, students spend four half days in clinic during the first year -- two in the fall and two in the spring semester. Students have an opportunity to discuss with the clinical sponsors their observations during these visits and how basic science can provide tools to help with diagnosis and treatment.

Students find this to be an important part of the first-year curriculum, helping them to tie basic science concepts in the classroom to the clinic. Here is what some of our students have said over the past few years about the first-year clinic visits:

"I had the opportunity to directly see how lab findings are translated/used in the clinic and this was another motivation for me to do research in the future."

"In clinical cancer biology and other sections in the course work we were taught the drug development cycle and pre-clinical studies for new drugs. The clinical visits helped us to understand how these studies are done and their effect. After having talked to the clinicians it was clear as to how these studies are conducted. This helped us to integrate the basic biology studies like cell cycle and DNA synthesis and their implications in cancer."

"This is easily the most inspired and original component of the first-year curriculum. It really gets at the mission statement of fostering the interaction between scientists and clinicians. This was the kind of element that made me choose to come to GSK and it completely delivered."

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Our clinicians also believe in the importance of laying the foundation of clinical understanding for basic scientists and strongly support this aspect of our program. Here is what a few of them have to say about serving as clinic sponsors.

"The experience from my standpoint was excellent. This is a great opportunity to see how complementary the lab and bed side are, and may help the students shape their future research projects. It is also a good opportunity for the students and faculty to build ties for collaborative work."

"I welcome GSK students to my outpatient office to meet patients and see firsthand the clinical issues that can help focus basic research."

"I am happy to participate in the future; we learn something when these students come through as well. It's an excellent idea to provide some grounding for what they are studying."