About half of the small groups meet at this site, but in the past ten years the course has become so large that the remaining half of the small groups meet in rooms in the medical school. Each year students report that the medical school environment is less than optimal. Each course session meets on a Wednesday evening for three hours. Altering both the meeting site and time encourages students to be more interactionally open than they have been in standard class settings. The wisdom in the collective life experience of the group is clarified and harvested and a spirit of curiosity is encouraged.
Faculty participate in the exercises and share their personal insights along with the students.
Over the past ten years we have found that this model encourages respect for others, self-exploration and self trust, and allows for personal ownership of the fundamental principles of healing. Course materials are responsive to the genuine needs of students. Funds have been raised to allow each student to receive the gift of books and a course reader and extensive bibliography. It is made clear to the students that these materials are not required reading but have been given because they may be of support and interest, and because the students may not have the time to seek them out for themselves. Several books are given to expand students' perspectives.