Introduction to Medicine: Do You Want to Be a Doctor?

Course Description

So you think you want to be a doctor? This course is designed to help you answer that question by letting you see the practice of medicine in the United States firsthand, giving you a taste of what an American medical school would be like, and helping you evaluate how well your talents and preferences match those of a career in medicine. Students who take this course are expected to have a strong foundation in biology and a willingness to explore beyond the science and truly understand the practice of medicine.

This course will immerse you in the world of medicine as you study anatomy and physiology, learn to identify and treat diseases, spend a half day shadowing a physician in a clinical setting and explore the broad dimensions of the medical field ranging from ethics to the politics of health care reform. This course will allow you to develop the study skills needed to succeed in medical school.

Those entering the profession of medicine are expected to be dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and committed to the best interests of their patients. This course demands the same from its students--like medical school, it will be challenging, but the rewards will be great.

Instructors:
Julianne Ip, MD, Associate Dean of Medicine, Brown University Alpert Medical School
Dale Ritter, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Biology, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Students are encouraged to bring a laptop to campus to complete homework assignments. If you do not possess a laptop or web-enabled device, you will have access to Brown Computing Clusters on campus for outside-of-class work. You will also have the opportunity to rent a laptop from the IT Service Center for 1-week intervals with a valid Brown ID.

Prerequisites: Completion of an advanced high school biology course is required; AP Biology preferred. Course is only open to rising high school juniors and seniors.