Medical Student Training
A disability course for fourth-year medical students.
Fourth-year University of Arizona medical students have the option to gain first-hand experience participating in the care of individuals with intellectual and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in an elective course taught by Tammie Bassford, MD.
The course teaches students about a broad range of neurodevelopmental disorders including their co-morbidities and functional impairments, familiarizes students with the medical and behavioral features of common neurodevelopmental disorders, and informs students about key support and service issues and medical terminology relevant to the field of developmental medicine.
“I enrolled in the course because prior to starting medical school I worked as a behavioral specialist for children with IDDs. During that time, I learned from the parents of the children I worked with that they struggled with receiving proper care and would drive hours to see dentists and physicians that would see their loved one and provide adequate and compassionate care. I realized then that as a future health care provider I had a responsibility to seek out opportunities to learn how to best care for this population. Dr. Bassford offered just that with this course.”
- Lucas Oliviera, fourth year College of Medicine – Tucson student
Contact
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact Dr. Bassford at bassford@arizona.edu.