Release date: Aug. 9, 2005
Contact: Beverly Cox Clark at 404-712-8780 or beverly.clark@emory.edu

Neuroscience Course Sends Emory Undergrads on Clinical Rounds

A select group of Emory University neuroscience and behavioral biology undergraduates will observe firsthand how patients are affected by neurological disorders in a course this fall that will have them serving as "patient's assistants" on clinical rounds, recording case histories and researching treatment options.

"Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology 470: Clinical Neurology Study," gives students an opportunity to correlate the science behind a diagnosis to experience with actual patients. "The heart and soul of the course is to give the undergraduate an experience in the diagnosis and treatment of an actual patient," says Linton Hopkins, M.D., a professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine who has taught the course for three years.

During their time in the clinics, the students become part of Hopkins' team as "patient's assistants" and thoroughly document how patients, who may have partial paralysis or loss of sensation, describe their symptoms. They record the details of a patient's history and neurological findings as a medical student and faculty member perform exams.

With that primary knowledge in hand, students conduct research on a patient's neurological problem and possible treatment paths. At the end of the semester, students present a poster and paper to a faculty committee.

"The way patients describe their symptoms—the way a headache feels, the different types of numbness in their hands and feet, or the feeling of helplessly falling from weakness—is unforgettable for the beginner and allows the student to learn about the disease from the perspective of the person who has it, instead of from a doctor or textbook telling them about it," Hopkins says. "As a result, our students have developed amazing case studies that have enriched their learning and their outlook."

Emory University is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities. For nearly two decades Emory has been named one of the country's top 25 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, the state's largest and most comprehensive health care system.

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