Table 3 Summary of cross-curricular integration of social medicine theme of the week with professionalism, communication and reflection course, foundational sciences topics and ethics

Sickle cell anemia, population genetics, basics of genetics

The genetic basis of race

Eugenics and the culture of medicine

Introduction to ethics including foundational bioethics values like justice

Non-mendelian genetics, gross anatomy lab

Death and dying

Cadaver, death, and dying

Cancer, white coat ceremony, genetics

Power and privilege

Power, privilege, and the white coat

History of ethical violations in medicine including via physician disrespect for vulnerable populations

Distribution of “doctor bags” Annual named lecture on equity (topic: Transgender health) PCR spiritual care shadowing orientation

The power of listening

Narrative Medicine and visit to hospital

Solidarity with vulnerable populations

Cystic fibrosis, respiratory anatomy and physiology, sympathetic chain

History of American healthcare

Introduction to American healthcare

Respect for patient autonomy: medical decision-making, surrogate decision-making and shared decision-making

GI anatomy and physiology, gross anatomy lab

Race and food

Racism and food

Ethical approaches to race and culture

Reproductive system anatomy and physiology

Owning bodies

Abortion and values clarification

Abortion, physician assisted death, euthanasia and approaching disagreements about topics in medicine

Toxicology, lead poisoning

Housing and water

Case studies in environmental health (Flint, Michigan, Dakota Access, climate change)

Decision support for wise resource allocation

Anticoagulants

The economics of healthcare

Doctors and money, pharmaceutical pricing, and cost to patients

Health care system ethics, wise allocation of transplanted organs

Virology, HIV

The AIDS crisis

History of the AIDS epidemic

Microbiome, chronic diarrhea, micronutrients, parasites

Domestic access to food and water

American food policy, mapping of Burlington, Vermont, food deserts

Food as medicine, lipids

Stigma and sexuality

Sexuality and medicine (w/ body image and medicine)

Sexual health ethics

Brain tumors

The mythology of the physician

Burnout & self-Care (+ cultural perceptions of doctors, internal perceptions of doctors, competition, workaholism, etc.)

Wellbeing and ethics

History of opioids

Addiction, stigma, recovery

Doctors, substance abuse, & recovery

Parkinson’s, tremor, Huntington’s

Aging and bias

Ageism and social isolation