February 14, 2001
Contact: Jennifer Day, (313) 577-1058, jday@med.wayne.edu

WSU School of  Medicine curriculum educates future doctors on risks, effects of interpersonal violence

Wayne State University School of Medicine educates its students on interpersonal violence to help those who may be victims of abuse.

A comprehensive interpersonal violence curriculum is integrated throughout a medical student’s four-year career at the school. It emphasizes learning about interpersonal violence as it occurs across the life span.

Medical students integrate basic skills, knowledge and attitudes to enable them to effectively screen, intervene, treat and refer patients who are at risk for or have been victims or perpetrators of violence.

In a national study conducted by the Association of American Medical Colleges of graduates of medical schools, 84 percent of graduates felt WSU School of Medicine provided appropriate instruction in family and domestic violence. All other schools averaged a 67 percent rating for appropriate instruction.

Objectives of the program include:

*Provide medical and legal definitions for the most common forms of interpersonal violence including commonly held beliefs and understanding about violence.

*Provide an overview of the epidemiology of violence and state its relationship to morbidity and mortality for specific population groups.

*Demonstrate an understanding of the individual and societal barriers that prevent patient disclosure, physician detection and intervention in situations involving interpersonal violence.

*Anticipate and cope with the emotional responses elicited by working with victims and perpetrators of violent behavior.

*List the steps to be taken to provide maximum safety for the physician when dealing with interpersonal violence.

*Describe appropriate risk assessment and screening techniques as part of a routine history and physical examination.

*Describe the components of an intervention strategy for both the victim and perpetrator of interpersonal violence including a safety plan and referral to appropriate community resources.

*Describe relevant legal requirements for intervention, medical documentation and reporting.

*Explain the need for interdisciplinary collaboration in the clinical setting.

With more than 1,000 medical students, WSU is among the nation’s largest medical schools. Together with the Detroit Medical Center, the school is a leader in patient care and medical research in a number of areas including cancer, genetics, pediatrics and the neurosciences.