Introduction to human health and illness: A series of patient-centered conferences based on the biopsychosocial model

In 1985, to increase the curricular presence of the biopsychosocial model o f medical education, the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Den tistry introduced a series of whole-class, patient-centered conferences for all first- and second-year medical students. From 1985 through the spring of 1999, these sessions, called Introduction to Human Health and Illness (I HHI), were offered as a stand-alone course every Friday in the first two ye ars of medical school; beginning in the fall of 1999, the sessions were int egrated into other first- and second-year courses, With real patients prese nt, these conferences focus on the relationships among biological, behavior al/psychological, and social factors in health and illness, Some of the ses sions also explore the impact of physician behaviors on patients and their health and the roles of other professionals in patient care. The authors de scribe the creation and implementation of the IHHI course, organization, fo rmat, and faculty for the IHHI sessions, the opportunities the sessions pro vide for active student learning and interaction with patients, and their m ultidisciplinary content. Descriptions of specific sessions and a summary o f the program's strengths, limitations, and opportunities for the future ar e also presented.