Medical University of the Americas offers a range of elective courses including workshops (ELEW series) and short courses (ELEC series).
- Workshops meet a number of times and are generally focused on skills development (active and reflective learning methods, suturing and surgical knot tying, etc.).
- Short courses meet multiple times during the semester, typically for 1 hour at each session (journal clubs are an example of short courses).
Availability of specific offerings changes from semester to semester. All electives are graded as Pass/Fail.
Some of the elective courses available at MUA include:
ELEW 101 - Active and Reflective Learning Methods
The purpose of this elective workshop is to provide students with basic skills for study time scheduling and with basic skills for applying active study methods along with multiple cycles of review and self-assessment to learning in medical school courses/clerkships.
ELEW 102 – Poisonous Plants, Fatal Foods and Murderous Medicines
This course was designed with two elements. The first is a classroom discussion on common poisonous plants that are often used around the house or in gardens, things children may eat, adults may handle, or even foods that may be fatal in the wrong form. The lecture portion will be followed with a 2 hour hike up the mountainside discussing traditional medicines, what they were used for, and how they could either kill or cure.
ELEC 101 - Complementary & Alternative Medicines
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to alternative medical systems being practiced in various parts of the world that are gaining acceptance in North America (including Ayurvedic medicine, Chinese and Kampo medicine, Greco-Arab medicine, homeopathy, and herbal therapies). Topics including brief history, concepts of health/disease states, treatment modalities, common uses as adjunctive treatment, and potential interactions with standard therapies will be explored in a lecture/discussion format.
ELEC 103 – Yoga for Stress Management
This enjoyable short course, for both beginners and those with some experience, leads students at a moderate pace through basic Hatha Yoga postures, combined with body strengthening, alignment, balancing, relaxation, and breathing techniques. It is a rewarding way to stay fit, remove stiffness, and improve flexibility, while releasing stress and preventing fatigue. Students should return to their class and study schedules feeling as if they’ve just had a great massage - invigorated, with renewed mental energy and without excessive perspiration.
