Monthly Archives: January 2012

Chemistry And The Premedical Curriculum

By Mary K. Carroll, Cynthia K. Larive

Department: ACS News
Keywords: ACS, education, pre-med

How will proposed changes to the premedical curriculum affect the chemistry curriculum? The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) released a report in 2009 entitled “Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians” (full report accessible at www.hhmi.org/grants/pdf/08-209_­AAMC‑HHMI_report.pdf). The report contains recommendations for the scientific competencies deemed essential for medical students as well as students preparing to enter medical school. The report grew out of a concern that premedical course requirements “have been static for decades” and “may not reflect the essential competencies every entering medical student must have mastered, today and in the future.”

The overarching competency at the time of entry into medical school, as articulated in this report, is to “demonstrate both knowledge and ability to use basic principles of mathematics and statistics, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, and biology needed for the application of the sciences to human health and disease” as well as to “demonstrate observational and analytical skills and the ability to apply those skills and principles to biological situations.” The recommendations contained within the AAMC-HHMI report will inform the development of the new Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), due for release in 2015. Any changes to the MCAT and medical school entry requirements have the potential to affect the course of study undertaken by undergraduate premedical students.

After the release of the report, the ACS Committee on Professional Training and the Society Committee on Education formed a joint task force to examine the chemistry-related recommendations embedded in the report. The task force is focused on the premedical chemistry curriculum rather than the medical school curriculum, both of which are addressed in this report. Competency E4: “Demonstrate knowledge of basic principles of chemistry and some of their applications to the understanding of living systems” and Competency E5: “Demonstrate knowledge of how biomolecules contribute to the structure and function of cells” are the premedical competencies most specifically applicable to chemistry. The authors of the report recognize that a new approach to assessment will be needed to evaluate a competency-based approach to premedical education.

The task force has established contacts with AAMC and HHMI, is investigating innovative curricular models designed to meet the needs of preprofessional students in chemistry, and is exploring ways to share information regarding the proposed changes with the chemistry community. In addition to this Comment, symposia are being planned for the 2012 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education and the fall 2012 ACS national meeting in Philadelphia.

AAMC is addressing two major objectives: revising the MCAT and working with medical schools to shift admission requirements from specific courses to competencies. Revision of the MCAT is spearheaded by MR5, a 22-member committee that has drafted preliminary recommendations regarding the content and format of the new exam. The MR5 committee is proposing that the revised exam consist of four sections: molecular, cellular, and organismal properties of living systems; physical, chemical, and biochemical properties of living systems; behavioral and social sciences principles; and critical analysis and reasoning skills. Questions related to all four of these areas will call for the application of scientific reasoning skills, scientific research, and statistical methods.

HHMI is funding curricular innovations at four universities in response to “Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians.” Most relevant to chemistry is a project at Purdue University. The university is adapting an existing prepharmacy curriculum consisting of one semester of general chemistry, two semesters of organic chemistry, and one semester of biochemistry to a competency-based sequence relevant to premedical students.

Several institutions have already introduced variations on the traditional core chemistry curriculum of a two-semester general chemistry course followed by two semesters of organic chemistry. Juniata College, for example, offers bioorganic chemistry as the first-year course, followed by inorganic and analytical chemistry in the sophomore year. General chemistry concepts are integrated throughout the first two years. The University of Memphis has modified its full-year organic chemistry course into a two-semester sequence including Foundations of Organic Chemistry followed by Foundations of Bioorganic Chemistry.

The task force continues to gather information on innovative programs and to identify ways in which ACS can assist chemistry departments in meeting the needs of students intending to enter the health professions, who typically constitute a significant percentage of students in general and organic chemistry courses. If your institution offers a chemistry curriculum for preprofessional students or you have ideas regarding ACS’s role in addressing the recommendations in “Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians,” please contact the task force at sffp@acs.org.

Chemical & Engineering News; ISSN 0009-2347

Copyright © 2012American Chemical Society

考试作文题目”我父母艰苦奋斗的故事”; 第6课, 55-56页, 成语故事: 艰苦奋斗

To help your child prepare the exam essay “”我父母艰苦奋斗的故事”, you may find the following information helpful.  Please open the link http://www.newtonchineseschool.org/journal/past/2007_03.pdf

目 录

我的父辈

教材是死的 教师是活的 *庄 园

  • 小时候没肉吃 *武昊杰
  • 机场里满怀恐惧地坐等一夜 *侯伊婧
  • 身上仅有五美元 *梁俊荣
  • 带着孩子去考试   *师大川
  • 忙累到试验爆炸伤眼睛 *马良旭
  • 活到老 学到老 *程熙康

Please also see the textbook: Lesson 6, Page 55-56, 成语故事: 艰苦奋斗

Please help your child becoming proficient in Microsoft Word Chinese, so s/he can write his/her essay for the exams with this software. 

The minimum 250 w0rds including the tile (我父母艰苦奋斗的故事), 九年级甲班, 学生姓名, 标点符号) are required.

  1. Please email the essay to me before 1 PM on the exam day.
  2. Please print the essay and bring the paper copy to the classroom and turn it in with 考卷 on the exam day.

“也说瑞萍一家”与今年我校支教

今年我校支教的对象是四川省的大桥中学.  大桥中学是何瑞萍老师的母校.  瑞萍老师是今年支教的带队老师.   请参看以下有关大桥中学及何瑞萍老师的文章. 
 
路―任志锋、何瑞萍夫妇援乡记
庄园
 
成功家庭教育的实例―”也说瑞萍一家
蔚健/口述 庄园/执笔
后记:
如今距我(蔚健)的口述文章发表的日子已过去近五年了.  任志锋何瑞萍夫妇的两个儿子都已进入大学.  一个在MIT, 一个在Boston College.  他们都学习理工科.
 

2012 SAT Chemsitry Test Dates and Important Notes

  
Test dates
Test Name Jan 28, 2012 May 5, 2012 Jun 2, 2012
Chemistry          Yes          Yes          Yes

Important Notes

  • Offered in Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, May and June
  • Calculator use not permitted
  • Problem solving requires simple numerical calculations
  • Measurements are expressed in the metric system
  • A periodic table is provided on the test
  
Periodic Table

A periodic table indicating the atomic numbers and masses of elements is provided

Periodic Table of the Elements

The teaching plan (starting from Jan 08, 2012) –

This class assumes that the students will take SAT test on June 02, 2012.

There are total 17 Sunday classes remain before June 02. 

9 chapters remain to be studied in Kaplan SAT Chemistry book.  I plan to complete teaching of the remaining chapters by the end of March. 

Test Practices –

We will do three practice tests in The Princeton Review book in April, one test per Sunday class, 04/01, 04/22, 04/29.  (There are no school on 04/08, 04/15)

We will do three practice tests in Kaplan book in May, one test per Sunday class, (05/06, 05/13, 05/20.  (There is no school on 05/27)

SAT Test –

June 02, 2012.