Introduction to Addiction Medicine (KISC)

4 units

Substance use disorders and addiction impact every area of medicine, from primary care and psychiatry to plastic surgery and PM&R. This KISC will introduce students to this important field and equip them with the tools to understand the science and socioeconomics of addiction medicine. The course will also supply students with the practical bedside experience and focused coaching necessary to provide empathetic evidence-based care to patients with substance use disorders in any clinical setting. Students in the Introduction to Addiction Medicine KISC will explore the foundations of addiction in genetics, neuroscience, and psychopharmacology, as well as evidence-based treatment of substance use disorders and systemic and societal barriers to care. Learning will take place through didactics, asynchronous and independent work, team-based learning, patient and expert panels. Clinical experience will occur in a diversity of settings including inpatient addiction medicine consultation services, outpatient clinics, and residential treatment facilities.