Clinical Departments

Faculty in the Division of the Biological Sciences participate in graduate medical education through the Pritzker School of Medicine, and maintain a vital clinical enterprise through the University of Chicago Hospitals and Health System. Eleven clinical departments offer a wide variety of educational and research opportunities to students and treatment options to patients. In addition, two of these departments, described in the section on the Basic Biological Sciences, offer graduate programs leading to the Ph.D. degree: Ophthalmology & Visual Science and Radiology (Medical Physics). Brief descriptions of each of the clinical departments appear below. Additional details about our clinical departments and the Office of Medical Education can be found at our web site http://pritzker.bsd.uchicago.edu/.

Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care

The Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care offers clinical training and educational and research opportunities for qualified students at all levels. While one mission of the department is to provide high quality clinical anesthesia (including pain therapy, intensive care, and perioperative management), the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care also maintains active research programs in neurobiology, echocardiography, patient safety, psychomotor pharmacology, clinical pharmacology (including herbal medications in conjunction with the TANG Center), education, and outcomes research. Educational opportunities for students occur at the undergraduate level, in graduate courses that are led by our faculty, during the course of the medical school curriculum, and at the post-graduate level. We also provide pre-doctoral and post-doctoral positions in our laboratories and provide post-residency training in critical care, pain management, and cardiac anesthesia. Individuals seeking opportunities for research or study within the Department are invited to call the Chairman of the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Pritzker School of Medicine, 5841 South Maryland Ave., MC 4028, Chicago, IL 60637; telephone: (773) 702-2545.

Department of Health Studies

The Department of Health Studies began operations in November of 1995. The mission of the department is to increase and communicate knowledge to enhance health, reduce illness, and improve outcomes of health care. Department members conduct research in biostatistics, epidemiology, and health services. These projects include interdisciplinary investigations such as medical outcomes studies, development and implementation of guidelines, clinical trials of promising treatment for disease, analysis of clinical decision-making, investigation of patient-provider relationships, and development of health system models that effectively and efficiently address the health needs of a population.

The department provides methodologic and substantive training in biostatistics, epidemiology, and health services. Graduate-level courses in these disciplines are offered, and are open to students in all schools and divisions. The department offers the Master of Science for Clinical Professionals (MSCP) Program, which began in July of 1999. The MSCP provides specialized coursework in research methods needed to design and carry out investigations related to clinical medicine and the delivery of health services. It is designed for professional enhancement for individuals who already have doctoral-level expertise in medicine or related clinical disciplines.

Program of Study

Currently, the Department of Health Studies offers one graduate program, which leads to the degree of the Master of Science in Health Studies. Additional graduate programs, including a Ph.D. program, are under development. Current information on graduate study is available from the department's website at http://health.bsd.uchicago.edu/.

Master of Science in Health Studies for Clinical Professionals
The Master of Science Program for Clinical Professionals is a course of study in the theory, methods, and concepts of biostatistics, epidemiology, and health services research needed to design and carry out clinical and epidemiologic research programs. It is designed for the professional enhancement of physicians and other clinical professionals. The program can be completed in one year of full-time study, or it can be undertaken in conjunction with a clinical fellowship or training program, in which case the course work may be distributed over two or three years.

Students in the program acquire skills with basic statistical methods, followed by additional training in the fundamental theory and methods of epidemiology, biostatistics, and health services research. Through choice from a broad range of elective courses, students can specialize in one of the three disciplinary areas.

Entrance requirements. Applicants should either have a doctoral-level clinical degree (such as M.D., D.O., or nursing Ph.D.) from an accredited institution, or must have completed pre-clinical training at an accredited medical school. In the latter case, the candidate must provide a plan for completion of both the M.D. and S.M. degrees, and a letter of support from the candidate’s medical school.

Program requirements. A candidate in this program for the degree of Master of Science in Health Studies must satisfy the divisional requirements for the degree, complete the required courses and elective courses (nine courses in total), and complete a Master’s paper.

Required courses. HlthSt 321 (Introduction to Statistical Methods) [Stat 220 or equivalent can be substituted for this course], HlthSt 324 (Applied Regression Analysis), HlthSt 309 (Principles of Epidemiology), HlthSt 310 (Intermediate Epidemiology), HlthSt 351 (Introduction to Health Services Research), and at least one of the following courses: HlthSt 326 (Categorical Data Analysis), or HlthSt 331(Introduction to Survival Analysis).

Application for Admission

Applications for admission should be completed by January 5 for entry into the program on July 1.

If the degree program will be pursued while the candidate will be participating in a clinical training program, a letter of support from the training program director is required. Candidates must also submit a statement describing how the proposed course of study will enhance their professional objectives. In addition, candidates must provide sealed official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions, MCAT or GRE scores, and a completed Biological Sciences Division application.

Interested students should write to the Manager of Educational Programs, Department of Health Studies, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC2007, Chicago, IL 60637. Alternatively, information may be requested by e-mail at curriculum@health.bsd.uchicago.edu. Additional information is available on the department website at http://health.bsd.uchicago.edu.

Department of Medicine

The Department of Medicine is staffed with over 200 full-time members. The department's 12 sections cover every field of internal medicine of internal medicine. These sections include cardiology, dermatiology, endocrinology, emergency medicine, gastroenterology, gerontology, general internal medicine, nephrology, infectious disease, hematology-oncology, pulmonary/critical care medicine and rheumbatology. Besides providing a full range of outpatient care and consultative services, these sectiions conduct clinical and in most cases, basic science research. The faculty not only is involved in extensive clinical teaching but also provides ample opportunities, facilities and support for clincial and research training.

Although the ultimate research effort of the department is directed toward the study of disease, strict adherence to this principle imposes limits that are too narrow, since advancements in other branches of science promote health sciences as well. Students are encouraged to participate in clinical and laboratory research always taking place.

For further information, please contact: Executive Administrator, Department of Medicine; Pritzker School of Medicine; 5841 South Maryland Ave.; Chicago IL 60637.

Department of Neurology

The Department of Neurology offers clinical training and research opportunities in the study of the nervous system and in neurological disorders. The department has a number of educational programs directed towards medical students, residents and post-residency fellows. These programs offer instruction in clinical neurology as well as the subspecialties of neurology that include pediatric neurology, neuroimmunology, neurovirology, clinical neurophysiology and sleep disorders, stroke, movement disorders and cognitive disorders. The department does not admit students or offer a degree program. Nevertheless, opportunities are available for students who have been admitted to a Ph.D. program to pursue research under the direction of the department's faculty. Post-doctoral and post-residency positions are also available. Candidates for graduate and post-graduate study are invited to visit the faculty and explore opportunities for research. Please contact the department at (773) 702-6532.

Department of Obstetrics &Gynecology

The Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology is located in the Chicago Lying-in Hospital, which is an integral part of the University's health center complex. The hospital, which functions as a unit dedicated to the health care of women, has 63 beds. In addition, there are complete outpatient facilities for the care and study of mothers during pregnancy, and of women with gynecological complications.

The education activities of the department and the hospital are multi-faceted and include instruction for medical and nursing students as well as for interns, residents, fellows and visiting observers. We encourage students, interns, and residents to pursue careers in academic obstetrics and gynecology.

Education in the broad field of obstetrics and gynecology is supported by active student participation under proper supervision. Instruction takes place at all levels of participation in the outpatient department, the labor and delivery area, operating rooms, the inpatient service, and the laboratories. Research opportunities are available in the areas of gynecology, gynecologic endocrinology and oncology, maternal fetal medicine, genetics, and ethics. Subspecialty fellowships are also available for endocrinology and maternal fetal medicine. For more information, please call (773) 702-6726.

Department of Ophthamology & Visual Science

Please see the listing under Basic Biological Sciences.

Department of Pediatrics

The Department of Pediatrics offers instruction and research in normal and abnormal growth and development of infants and children and in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness in children. All educational activities are integrated with research and scholarly endeavors to advance knowledge in the field of child health care. The Department of Pediatrics has clinical and research facilities at the University of Chicago Children's Hospital; at La Rabida Children's Hospital and Research Center (children's chronic diseases); at the University of Chicago Friend Family Health Center at 55th and Cottage Grove Avenue; and at ambulatory clinical facilities at pediatric offices located in the southern suburbs and northwest Indiana.

Comprising over 100 faculty and research associates, the department conducts extensive research programs in a wide range of disciplines related to child health, growth, development and public policy. Research is conducted at all of the sites mentioned above. Postdoctoral fellows, both M.D.'s and Ph.D.'s, as well as undergraduate medical students conduct research and receive research education guided by departmental faculty.

Candidates for graduate and post-graduate study are invited to visit with the various faculty to explore a wide range of opportunities. Contact the office of the department chair at the University of Chicago Children's Hospital, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Ave., Chicago, IL 60637, or call (773) 702-6205.

Department of Psychiatry

There are approximately fifty full-time faculty in the Department of Psychiatry, who teach and deliver inpatient, outpatient, consultation, and partial hospitalization services in behavioral medicine, mood and affective disorders, anxiety disorders, neuropsychiatric disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, dementia, sleep disorders, electroconvulsive therapy, and schizophrenia. Primary and affiliated teaching, clinical, and research institutions besides the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics include MacNeal Hospital, Tinley Park Mental Health Center, Chicago Lakeshore Hospital, the Psychiatric Institute at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Louis Weiss Memorial Hospital. Assessments may include psychological testing, neuropsychological testing, and other structured evaluations. Interventions may include a broad range of individual, family, and group therapies, including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and psychopharmacologic treatments. Specialties in the Child and Adolescent Section include developmental disorders, behavioral and learning difficulties, parent-infant development, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder. Major research efforts are active in molecular biology and genetics, neuroscience, psychopharmacology, psychiatric rehabilitation, and neuroimaging.

The department does not offer any degrees, but elective opportunities are available for degree candidates from other programs. Major educational opportunities for medical students, graduate students, interns, residents, fellows, other physicians, psychologists, and social workers are linked to through http://psychiatry.bsd.uchicago.edu/education/. For more information, please contact the Psychiatry Office of Education at (773) 702-0529 or the Chair of Psychiatry at (773) 834-2660, further contact information available at http://psychiatry.bsd.uchicago.edu/welcome.html.

Department of Radiation & Cellular Oncology

The Department of Radiation & Cellular Oncology presently is responsible for radiation oncology at LaGrange Treatment Pavillion, University of Illinois at Chicago, and the University of Chicago. Approximately 1900 patients per year are treated at these facilities. The department facilities include six linear accelerators, and three simulators. Computing facilities include VAX workstations for clinical use, and Sun, IBM, Silicon Graphics, DEC workstations for research use.

The department stresses both a basic science approach to radiation oncology and state-of-the-art investigation of molecular aspects of cancer through joint research programs with faculty members in the Division of the Biological Sciences.

The Department of Radiation & Cellular Oncology, in conjunction with the Department of Radiology, offers programs leading to the S.M. and Ph.D. degrees to medical physics. For more information, refer to the listing for the Department of Radiology.

Department of Radiology

Please see the listing under Basic Biological Sciences.

Department of Surgery

Faculty in the Department of Surgery are teachers and researchers in addition to their ongoing activities as clinicians involved in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of patients. Although the department no longer grants the Ph.D. degree, researchers in the department collaborate with members of other clinical and basic science departments within the Division of the Biological Sciences and would welcome students who wish to structure collaborative research of their own. In general, the basic sciences departments provide an academic home for Ph.D. students under these circumstances.

Examples of current research by faculty of the Department of Surgery include evaluation of the effect of new immunosuppressive regimens on human T cell immunity; studies of electrical injury and the processes of tissue growth, remodeling and repair; and research on the interaction of electric fields on cell membranes. Other areas of funded research include biomechanical studies of the knee; the effects of interruption and restoration of blood flow on various organs; cryopreser-vation of tissues; and the identification of genetic changes in colonic, pancreatic and gastric cancers.

Students pursuing the M.D./Ph.D. may be eligible for funded support through the Medical Scientists Training Program (MSTP) and should state their interest in MSTP sponsorship when making inquiries.

Students seeking affiliation with the Department of Surgery during their course of graduate study are encouraged to write to the Chair, Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland, MC 5029, Chicago IL 60637, telephone (773) 702-0881, or fax (773) 702-2140.

This text was last revised on 7/10/2001.