Dartmouth Medical School Receives $100,000 Grant From Pfizer To Develop Sexual Health Curriculum

Hanover, NH - Dartmouth Medical School has been awarded a $100,000 grant from Pfizer Inc to develop and implement an innovative multidisciplinary curriculum in sexual health medicine. The Sexual Health Medical School Curriculum Grant program is designed to address the existing deficit in the training of medical students in the field of sexual health.

Successful applicants had to demonstrate an understanding of sexual health not just as disease and function related, but as a fundamental component of sexual wellness as it pertains to interpersonal skills, health behaviors and relationship building. Winning schools outlined proposed course work during a four-year undergraduate medical school program relating both to the diagnosis and management of medical and psychological conditions that make the care of patients particularly complex, and to the social and ethical dimensions of such care.

"Sexual health problems significantly impact the quality of life of millions of individuals," noted Michael Widlitz, MD, vice president medical - men's and women's health, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Group. "We believe this program will provide the building blocks toward enhancing physician knowledge and treatment of sexual health problems in the coming decade."

William Young, MD, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Nancy Cochran MD, associate professor of medicine, and Patricia Carney PhD, assistant dean for medical education are leading the curriculum development project at Dartmouth. Dr. Young says he is "enthusiastic about the work of Dartmouth's Sexual Health Vertical Integration Group that will design and implement the innovations across the four years. Fun and informative computer-assisted learning with PowerPoint(R) tutorials and computer cases, plus challenging simulated patient interviewing exercises are planned for the students." Grand round speakers on sexual health, and objective structured "teaching" exercises will be scheduled for the faculty.

According to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), education of physicians and other health professionals in aspects of human sexuality is currently inadequate and curriculum development is urgently needed.

"Medical school curricula are changing continuously to meet changes in society, changes in the ways we view the physician/patient relationship and to respond to new discoveries in science and medicine. Sexual health education is currently not well represented in medical student education programs," noted M. Brownell Anderson, MEd, grant selection committee chair and senior associate vice president for medical education, Association of American Medical Colleges. "Our data on curriculum indicate that, while every medical school includes the topic of sexual health as part of the required curriculum, there is an average of 10 hours in the four year medical school program devoted to sexual health education. As a result, many physicians may not be adequately prepared to effectively diagnose and treat sexual health problems in their practices. We hope these grants provide models for other schools to adapt and incorporate in their curricula."

Over one-third of accredited medical schools in the U.S. applied for the competitive grants which were reviewed by a committee of sexual health experts and medical educators from leading U.S. medical schools.

Through these grants, Pfizer hopes to increase awareness and understanding among health professionals and the academic community of the importance of sexual health as a critical component of overall health and wellness.

The 7 winners of the grants are:

• Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Dartmouth Medical School
• MCP Hahnemann University Institute for Women's Health
• Mount Sinai School of Medicine
• University of Massachusetts Medical School
• University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - New Jersey Medical School
• University of Virginia School of Medicine

Dartmouth Medical School, the nation's fourth oldest medical school, was founded in 1797. Today, the school is at the vanguard of cultivating physicians and scientists who excel in meeting the challenges and needs of the new millennium. DMS is dedicated to advancing health through the discovery and promulgation of knowledge. With acclaimed programs and faculty, it focuses on superb education, research and service.

Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures and markets leading prescription medicines, for humans and animals, and many of the world's best known consumer products.

For further information at Dartmouth College contact: William W. Young, MD, 603-650-8370. At Pfizer contact: Francisco Gebauer, 212-733-5191.

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