Title: Course Syllabus for Clinical Psychology

Course Number: AP 5104	Trimester Credit Hours:  4
Trimester: Spring 07	Total Contact Hours:  60
Lecture Hours Per Week:  4	Laboratory Hours Per Week:
Lecture Hours Per Trimester:  60	Laboratory Contact Hours Per Trimester:  2
Office Hours: Tues. & Thurs. 12:30pm -1:00pm & 3:00pm-4:00pm

Course Director:  Jacquelyn Elbel, Ph.D.

Course Description:  Clinical Psychology has three main goals.  The first is learning to use psychological principles in dealing with patients.  Crisis intervention, communication skills training, stress reduction and pain management are among the principles included.  The second goal of the course is the recognition of psycho-pathological conditions in order to help the intern with treatment planning and referral. Thirdly, the intern will better understand the influence of the mind/thoughts/emotions on physical health.

Course Objectives: In accordance with the mission of Parker College, to train primary health care providers, this course has three goals:

    1.  To help the DC in his/her relationships with patients and colleagues;
    2.  To help the DC learn to handle crisis situations and to know when to make appropriate referrals;
    3. To help the DC to appreciate the complex interaction between the mind/emotions and physical health.

My goal is to make this course as helpful to you in your future practice as possible.  I welcome your suggestions.

Pre-Requisites: Parker enrollment

Required Text:  Behavioral Science in Medicine, 2004, by Barbara Fadem, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, MD.

Course Mechanics: Each student's grade will be based on scores on three equally weighted exams which will be announced at least one week in advance.  The tests will cover course materials and readings.  To pass the course, each student must also participate in one role play lab described below.

Role Play Lab Assignment: During the trimester, each student will participate in one two hour lab in which they will role play doctor/patient interactions with other classmates.  The role plays will be video taped and reviewed during the lab.  The purpose of this lab is to build practice and communication skills in challenging situations that occur in a DC's practice.  The student must attend one 2 hour lab to pass the course.

Attendance Policy:

A professional education at Parker College requires a full time commitment by the student. Classes are demanding and academic standards are high. Students must expect to spend a significant part of each day in and out of class to successfully complete the program. Full realization of the learning process is reliant upon the fact that students are expected to attend and be attentive and participatory in all lecture and laboratory classes. Students must attend classes on a regular basis to attain the skill, training and expertise they will need to become successful Doctors of Chiropractic. It is in this light that Parker College of Chiropractic considers classroom attendance to be mandatory in all scheduled classes and laboratory sessions and failure of the student to attend classes and/or laboratory sessions could result in poor academic performance by the student, possible grade reduction and/or the student receiving a failing grade in the class.

At the discretion of the individual faculty member, student attendance in lectures, laboratory sessions and/or scheduled academic conferences may be a factor in deriving a student’s grade.

Students who are repeating a course because of previous academic failure are required by the Dean of Academic Affairs to attend all lectures and labs of the course in question. A student on Academic Probation is required to attend all lectures, laboratory sessions and scheduled academic conferences. If a faculty member in a department finds that a student is not meeting this attendance requirement, the student will be notified in writing with a copy of the letter sent to the office of the Dean of Academic Affairs.

The student is responsible for obtaining and learning subject materials presented during an absence. When the period of absence is known and may be planned, the student must confer with the appropriate course director and determine a plan of action for that absence.

The licensing requirements of the states vary widely. Some state boards require a specific number of classroom hours in order to obtain a license to practice as a Doctor of Chiropractic in their respective states. It is the student's responsibility to determine, fulfill and document the requirements of the state(s) in which they are planning to apply for licensure. These requirements are available from the individual state boards and kept in the Office of the Registrar for the student to review.

Tardiness is disruptive to the class. Each student should make every attempt to get to class on time. A professor may refuse to allow to a tardy student to enter the classroom. A student who is tardy to a class may be counted absent for that class period.

Grading System:

Evaluation is an integral part of the educational process and is used as an educational tool to help students identify problem areas, to recognize and reward achievement, and to identify students who are unable to meet the rigors of the curriculum. Final course grades and their interpretation are listed below:

Grade	Numerical Value	Grade Point Average	Interpretation of Academic Achievement
A	90 – 100	4.0	Excellent
B	80 – 89	3.0	Above Average
C	70 – 79	2.0	Satisfactory
D	60-69	1.0	Minimal
F	Below 60	0.0	Unacceptable

Examinations

Make-up Exams:

No make up exams are given. If a student must be absent from an exam, it is the student's responsibility to notify the Course Director no later than the scheduled starting time of the exam.  The student may be allowed to count the final exam twice to make up for the missed exam.  Failure to notify the Course Director could result in the student receiving a grade of "0" for the missed exam/lab practical. A second missed exam will result in a “0” grade.

Exam dates are set before each trimester. Exam dates can only be changed by the course director, under the direct guidance of the trimester faculty coordinator.

Students must be on time for all examinations. However, if a student is late, and no one has left the examination room, they will be allowed to take the examination, but no additional time will be allowed. If a student comes in late for an exam and another student taking the exam has already left the classroom, the late student will not be allowed to sit the exam, and will receive a grade of "0".

Final Examinations

Because some students are on special schedules an exception will be made only with documentation of a conflicting Final examination. In this case the student will be required to take the exams back to back. Arrangements must be made at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled time of the final exam.

Students must be on time for all examinations. However, if a student is late, and no one has left the examination room, they will be allowed to take the examination, but no additional time will be allowed.

If a student comes in late for an exam and another student taking the exam has already left the classroom, the late student will not be allowed to sit the exam, and will receive a grade of "0".

However, if the late student can provide valid documentation of an extra ordinary circumstance, arrangements can be made to take the missed exam. At the Course Directors discretion, the make-up exam will be an essay style, an oral exam, or an exam of the course director’s choosing.

Lecture Exam Review

The review period for each exam will begin after the posting of the grades and last until but not including finals week. Questions about the final exam and/or final course grades may be reviewed with the Course Director by 3:00 p.m. of the third day of the new trimester.

Academic Dishonesty

Cheating will not be tolerated. If you are caught cheating, you will receive a "0" on that exam and disciplinary action will be taken which could result in your dismissal from Parker College. If you are suspected of cheating on an exam you may be singled out and required to sit in the front of the classroom so that you can be clearly watched.

Professional Decorum

Students are expected to behave in a professional manner at all times. Positive contributions to the learning environment and participation in classroom learning activities are expected. Students should demonstrate courtesy to the instructor, to special guest speakers, and to other classmates. Focusing your attention on anything other than pertinent classroom material could be considered discourteous. Any person who is discourteous or disrupts the class with unprofessional conduct may be asked to leave the classroom and will be counted absent for that class period.

Cell phones and pagers should be turned off while in the classroom.

Computer Use

Students are encouraged to utilize personal computers in the classroom for taking notes, following the lecture outlines or reference materials, etc. Other uses unrelated to the lecture topic are not allowed. As an example, surfing the Internet or playing games during lecture or lab time is strictly prohibited and will result in the student being asked to discontinue use of their computers. Also, the student may be asked to leave the classroom and will be counted absent for that class period.

Audio/Video Taping

Since the courts have ruled that a professor's voice and physical image are their personal property, the prerogative of the audio taping and/or video recording of lectures/laboratories is a right specifically reserved to faculty. Should you wish to record, using any device you must obtain the permission the respective instructor in all classes.

DISCLAIMER

The PowerPoint notes contained in the notebook are NOT intended to represent the entire content of the course.  A notebook outline is intended to be a guide to the lecture.  The responsibility of the instructor is to follow the outline, expand the concepts and give explanation and illustrations to clarify content.  The role of the student is to attend lecture and take notes over material presented by the lecturer that explains and illustrates the material listed in the notebook.  It is also the responsibility of the student to question the instructor if explanations and illustrations are not clearly presented or understood.

The instructors take no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of old notes, quiz questions or exam questions that students may purchase or may be given by previous students in Clinical Psychology.

Important Note

The provisions contained in this syllabus do not constitute a contract between the students and Parker College of Chiropractic. These provisions may be changed at any time for any reason at the discretion of the course director. When necessary, in the view of the college, appropriated notice of such changes will be given to the student.