1. Recommendations for Course Improvement Course learning objectives – Overall reflect content well – Consider combining some objectives thematically and/or breaking large, more general objectives into smaller content areas – Consider adding objective to address NBME content area: “Gender, ethnic, and behavioral considerations affecting disease treatment and prevention, including psychosocial, cultural, occupational, and environmental” (perhaps best addressed in PBL format) Learning opportunities – Overall well-balanced between lectures and other learning modalities – Course director considering adding additional small group or interactive large group, tapping surgical faculty/fellows as teaching resources Exam/Assessment – Reduce number of multiple T/F and “factoid” questions – Consider adding evaluation by conference leaders and/or eliminating course objectives that are not assessed as part of the course Student feedback – Revise or remove point system in small groups – Consider providing practice exam questions – Students can feel overwhelmed with the amount of information provided. Consider providing more guidance as to which important concepts to focus on.

2. MEC Meeting 11/18 GI SBM Proposed Changes Revise Course Objectives – Rethink direction and content of course in light of changes in timing of curriculum redesign. – Split objectives 7 and 9 – Add objective and course content to address: “Gender, ethnic, and behavioral considerations affecting disease treatment and prevention, including psychosocial, cultural, occupational, and environmental” (perhaps best addressed in PBL format) Student Evaluation – Critical review of exam questions and correlate with content and course objectives – Not sure that we can provide enough consistency in small group leaders to provide narrative feedback, this may need to be done through PBL leaders or “coupling” of small group instructors

3. MEC Meeting 11/18 GI SBM Proposed Changes Work load – This has been a longstanding issue for some – Revise and or eliminate some of the written handouts – Better more direct session objectives to guide student focus – Stricter limits on # of powerpoint slides per lecture Learning Opportunities – Continue to tweak/experiment with large group session format – Possible addition of another surgically led small group conference (not this year)