Academic Courses > DOS 518
DOS 518 - Professionalism and Mentoring
Course Description
This course felt a bit like two courses in one. The professionalism component focused on the regulatory environment around medical dosimetry, including obligations to patients in the area of informed consent and patient's rights. We also covered the accreditation bodies that set standards for training and certification of medical dosimetrists and other related professionals. In the mentoring section, we discussed the ways that mentorship goes beyond the idea of simply sharing facts. Mentors and mentees build relationships that teach not just facts, but entire ways of thinking and behaving.
Assessment
Grading for this class was based primarily on discussion posts, but we also wrote a paper on the topic of mentorship. Each of us interviewed instructors or mentors or other prominent figures in our education and tried to build a picture of what effective mentorship looks like. I thought this was a useful activity, because I had been using the term mentoring almost interchangeably with teaching. The professionalism component was useful for reinforcing the idea that an industry should set high expectations for its members and create standards to certify that professionals are living up to these expectations.
Discussions and Other Writing
Week 1: Informed Consent Requires Disclosure
Week 2: Death With Dignity for Terminal Cancer Patients
Week 3: The CARE Act
Week 4: Mentorship Paper
Week 5: Patient Education
Week 2: Death With Dignity for Terminal Cancer Patients
Week 3: The CARE Act
Week 4: Mentorship Paper
Week 5: Patient Education
Reflections
At the conclusion of each course, students are asked to reflect on what they have learned about the material and about themselves. The reflection is guided by five questions:
The new knowledge and skills I gained during this course were...
I learned more about ethical, moral, and legal issues in healthcare. I also learned about the many professional organizations that promote the industry and set standards for certification of individuals, organizations, and education programs. The mentorship aspects of this course taught me the distinction between simple teaching and the relationships that lead to true mentorship.
The new knowledge and skills will benefit me by...
I am continuing to refine my understanding of the acronym soup that forms the regulatory environment around the healthcare industry. I see the importance of stressing quality at every stage of planning and treatment.
I struggle with...
The legal system is vast and complex. I know many of the important concepts and the laws that brought them into existence, but there are many layers of minutiae that are not second nature and probably won't be until I have been in the industry for a few years.
I feel pretty good about...
My involvement as a volunteer with the AAMD has made me keenly aware of the various organizations that exist to promote the dosimetry profession.
Other reflective thoughts...
The mentorship aspect of this course has made me think more about the next stage of my extended education in dosimetry. I hope that my next job gives me access to quality mentors who can help me continue to learn for years to come.
The new knowledge and skills I gained during this course were...
I learned more about ethical, moral, and legal issues in healthcare. I also learned about the many professional organizations that promote the industry and set standards for certification of individuals, organizations, and education programs. The mentorship aspects of this course taught me the distinction between simple teaching and the relationships that lead to true mentorship.
The new knowledge and skills will benefit me by...
I am continuing to refine my understanding of the acronym soup that forms the regulatory environment around the healthcare industry. I see the importance of stressing quality at every stage of planning and treatment.
I struggle with...
The legal system is vast and complex. I know many of the important concepts and the laws that brought them into existence, but there are many layers of minutiae that are not second nature and probably won't be until I have been in the industry for a few years.
I feel pretty good about...
My involvement as a volunteer with the AAMD has made me keenly aware of the various organizations that exist to promote the dosimetry profession.
Other reflective thoughts...
The mentorship aspect of this course has made me think more about the next stage of my extended education in dosimetry. I hope that my next job gives me access to quality mentors who can help me continue to learn for years to come.
Academic Courses > DOS 518
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Published August 14, 2015
Second Semester, 7 Months into Internship |