This interdisciplinary program will develop new approaches and integrate existing efforts in teaching the principles and practice of preventive cardiology to medical students and house officers. Learning objectives have been defined in terms of the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary for medical practitioners to identify and help those infants, children and adults who are at risk for cardiovascular disease development, and to reduce recurrence, complications and disability in persons with existing cardiovascular disease. The needs of various strata of the population have been assessed, and specific clinical skills to meet these needs have been set as goals for this teaching program. The content of 8 existing courses during the first two years of medical school will be revised to include presentations by the applicant. Community education projects will be undertaken by the entire medical school class (divided into teams) during their second year. Each team will choose a subset of our county population, such as Vietnamese, the elderly, Hispanics, or a city. They will plan, execute and evaluate their efforts to lower the cardiovascular risk of those who have received their services. During their last two years, medical students' preventive cardiology training will continue during their weekly primary care experiences. Medicine and cardiology rotations will include specifics of secondary prevention (cardiac recovery). House officers will receive training in the preventive aspects of cardiology applicable to their specialty. Grand rounds, journal club presentations and resident teaching conferences will be presented by the applicant in the Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Neurology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Occupational Medicine and Family Medicine. An elective rotation in preventive cardiology will be available for senior students, residents and fellows in any specialty. Evaluation of these efforts will be accomplished by the Social Ecology Program at this University. Their interdisciplinary faculty specializes in comprehensive assessment of complex social and environmental problems which affect human health, behavior and development. In addition, the Program will provide the applicant with courses which will enhance his abilities in educational program design and evaluation, as well as the behavioral and environmental aspects of health.
