The purpose of this application is to develop, implement, and evaluate an innovative medical school curriculum at the Brown University School of Medicine in sleep and its disorders. Curriculum organization is based on a biopsychosocial approach to sleep and emphasizes two fundamental educational goals for students: acquisition of a basic foundation in sleep physiology and clinical diagnostic skills related to sleep and sleep disorders in both adults and children, and translation of these basic knowledge, skills, and attitudes about sleep into an organized and comprehensive clinical approach to sleep and sleep disorders in infants, children, and adolescents. Curriculum development will be guided by specific educational principles, namely adult learning theory and instructional technology process, as well as by integration into the Brown MD 2000 competency-based curriculum. Curriculum content will be organized into eight modules, with each addressing a specific sleep issue on a pre-clinical and/or clinical medical school level. Specific educational objectives include the development of a pediatric sleep history instrument; a self-study, self-health and awareness program for medical students on sleep, sleep habits, and the effects of sleep deprivation; development of several video vignettes on sleep problems in children and adolescents; and development of a community education project with medical students giving presentations on adolescent sleep needs and drowsy driving. The curriculum is intended to be modifiable for use in primary care (pediatrics, family medicine) and mental health (child psychology, psychiatry) training programs and other medical school settings.
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