Introduction to human health and illness: a series of patient-centered conferences based on the biopsychosocial model.

In 1985, to increase the curricular presence of the biopsychosocial model of medical education, the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry introduced a series of whole-class, patient-centered conferences for all first- and second-year medical students. From 1985 through the spring of 1999, these sessions, called Introduction to Human Health and Illness (IHHI), were offered as a stand-alone course every Friday in the first two years of medical school; beginning in the fall of 1999, the sessions were integrated into other first- and second-year courses. With real patients present, these conferences focus on the relationships among biological, behavioral/psychological, and social factors in health and illness. Some of the sessions also explore the impact of physician behaviors on patients and their health and the roles of other professionals in patient care. The authors describe the creation and implementation of the IHHI course, organization, format, and faculty for the IHHI sessions, the opportunities the sessions provide for active student learning and interaction with patients, and their multidisciplinary content. Descriptions of specific sessions and a summary of the program's strengths, limitations, and opportunities for the future are also presented.