Selectives are stand-alone courses outside of the standard curriculum of the School of Medicine that allow students to create a customized, independent experience.

Selectives are generally taught in small groups and cover a variety of specialized topics.

For more information on selectives, please contact School of Medicine Registrar Cheri Black at (951) 827-4334 or cheri.black@medsch.ucr.edu.

Emergency Medicine

Emergency medicine is one of the fastest growing medical specialties today, yet students at many medical schools receive little exposure to it before having to make residency decisions during their fourth year. This selective introduces emergency medicine to interested UCR students through interactive workshops, guest speakers, movie screenings, opportunities to attend conferences and other educational activities.

Workshops focus on particular skills used by emergency physicians, incorporating mannequins and other practice equipment. Past workshops have taught endotracheal intubation, cricothyrotomy, emergency ultrasound techniques, IV placement, dressing and splinting wounds, code blue response and problem-solving cardiac emergencies as well as other skills. Residency directors and attending physicians from local EM residency programs have spoken on various topics, including advantages and disadvantages of working in emergency medical services, how to get into EM residencies, resident lifestyle, and how to shine during third and fourth year EM rotations. Students have also attended local Southern California EM conferences.

The selective is run by student members of the UCR Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG); all members are invited to contribute their ideas for events. Completion of the course requires a minimum of sixteen hours of contact time. Students who successfully do so will receive one credit and have it listed on their transcript as evidence of their interest in emergency medicine.

The class is facilitated by Michael Sequeira, M.D.

Foundations of Global Medicine

The Foundations of Global Medicine Selective intends to:

• Promote awareness of global health issues and develop a critical consciousness of ourselves, others and various cultures.
• Explore factors contributing to health inequalities and access of healthcare.
• Learn about the spectrum of healthcare systems, compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of each, and discuss how we can implement change in our local healthcare systems.
• Understand the method of action and impact of international organizations on health.
• Provide opportunities to serve underserved communities, collaborate with community members to derive solutions, and to empower community members in their journey to achieve, maintain and sustain their health.

The class is facilitated by Brandon Brown, M.P.H., Ph.D. and the Global Health Interest Group student interest group.

HIV/AIDS

The Inland Empire has nearly as many people living with HIV (PLWH) as San Francisco, with the dynamic of HIV incidence largely affecting minority populations in Riverside County. As Dr. Anthony Fauci very aptly said, HIV/AIDS research and prevention has been at the heart of most breakthroughs of health disparities, through sexual orientation, race, gender, and national identity.

The HIV/AIDS Selective provides additional educational opportunities to increase knowledge about the unique challenges faced by individuals with HIV/AIDS and how medical students at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine (UCR SOM) can provide quality medical care when treating these patients.

Topics include:

• HIV and IV Drug Users
• HIV PrEP and PEP
• HIV Resources in the Inland Empire
• Homelessness and HIV
• HIV+ Panel

Students will be asked to complete at least one community-based event. Given current CDC guidelines we recognize community events that require in-person presence may be difficult. The HIV/AIDS Selective will therefore recognize the completion of HealthHIV’s HIV Primary Care Training and Certificate Program, as satisfying our community-based event requirement. Through completion of this online program, students will develop new skills and gain professional competencies in the clinical care of patients with HIV. Additional opportunities will be offered as they become available.

This selective is offered in alternating years with the LGBT+ selective so that students may take both during their education.

The class is facilitated by Brandon Brown, M.P.H., Ph.D. and the LGBT+ student interest group.

LGBT+ Health

LGBT+ people face disproportionately higher rates of suicide, homelessness, HIV/AIDS, STIs, and mental health comorbidities. One in five LGBT+ adults have said that they avoid healthcare due to a fear of discrimination by their healthcare provider. Despite these facts, medical schools on average provide five hours of LGBT+ health training.

The LGBT+ Health selective provides additional educational opportunities to increase knowledge about the unique challenges faced by members of the LGBT+ community and how medical students at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine (UCR SOM) can provide quality medical care when treating these patients.

Topics include:

• LGBT+ Terminology
• Interviewing LGBT+ Patients Workshop
• Special Medical Considerations
• LGBT+ Clinicians Panel
• Transgender Care
• Caring for LBGT+ Youth

Students will be asked to complete at least one community based event where they will gain first-hand interdisciplinary experience working with LGBT+ populations in and around Southern California.

This selective is offered in alternating years with the HIV/AIDS selective so that students may take both during their education.

The class is facilitated by Brandon Brown, M.P.H., Ph.D. and the LGBT+ student interest group.

Medical Spanish

The Medical Spanish selective is an optional, selective course offered to first and second year students who are interested in learning how to communicate and engage with Spanish-speaking patients. This selective is the part of Hispanic and Bilingual Longitudinal Ambulatory Medical Studies (HABLAMoS), the designated emphasis program in medical Spanish.

The selective focuses on building the foundation for Spanish-language learning in medical contexts. Students receive one unit of selective credit on their transcript by completing 16 of 20 available activity hours for the medical Spanish selective. Students are expected to:

• Participate in conversational lunch workshops.
• Attend in grammar lessons.
• Apply language skills to clinical encounters with Spanish-speaking patients.
• Practice effective communication in patient-provider interactions through hands-on modules and OSCEs.

The class is taught by Ann M. Cheney, Ph.D.

Nutrition in Medicine

The Nutrition in Medicine selective program offers UCR SOM students 11 hours of supplemental lectures, workshops and videos that, together with the 14 hours in the curriculum, brings students to the National Academy of Science's (NAS) recommended minimum of 25 hours of nutritional education. 

The nutrition selective provides students with information on:

• The importance of nutrition for health maintenance.
• The impact of poor nutrition on the development of chronic and acute diseases.
• The occurrence of malnutrition in hospitalized patients.
• The ongoing obesity epidemic and all its complications. 

The nutrition selective bridges the gap in nutrition knowledge and will move students progressively toward a more vital understanding and ultimately greater independence and confidence in applying this knowledge to practical situations as future physicians, as well as preparing future physicians to provide holistic preventive care to their patients.
 
The class is facilitated by Rebecca Gavan, M.D. and the Nutrition in Medicine student interest group.

Ultrasound Student Instructor

The purpose of the Ultrasound Student Instructor Selective is to educate second year (MS2) and third year (MS3) medical students as student instructors (SI). The SIs will introduce basic concepts, uses, strengths and weaknesses of medical US to first year medical students while reinforcing these same foundational US subjects for the MS2s and MS3s.

This selective is structured in two directions. Enrolled MS1s and MS2s will receive specific instruction in ultrasound utilization and its integration into clinical practice. SIs will also receive exposure to foundational learning theories and instruction in teaching techniques. The SI cadre will receive guidance and training under the mentorship and supervision of the selective faculty advisor.

SI duties include the following: facilitate a discussion section or tutorial; design and review assignments, exams, or projects; keep records; distribute and copy reading materials; prepare answer keys or supplementary notes; and act as the course web-master. TAs may be required to attend the instructor's lecture regularly.

MS2s willing to become an active part of this selective must be in good academic standing. Their actions regarding point of care ultrasound must reflect the involvement, dedication, and enthusiasm being a technical instructor and peer educator requires.