Medical Family Therapy Program

The Goals and Objectives and Core Competencies of the Medical Family Therapy Program

The program has established overall goals and student learning outcomes that reflect the expectations and competencies established by the profession. These learning outcomes are derived from the MedFT Program Goals & Objectives which are, in turn, derived from the five dimensions of the Saint Louis University Experience.

Program Goals:

1. Scholarship and Knowledge. To train sound clinicians who are equipped to work with a wide variety of presenting problems and a diverse array of families.

2. Intellectual Inquiry and Communication. To foster and develop rigorous and original scholarship for both faculty and students.

3. Community Building. Students will be trained to be adept at understanding and working with clients from a variety of multicultural backgrounds, with a specific emphasis on the concerns of poor and underserved populations.

4. Leadership and Service. To educate professionals who are knowledgeable and skilled clinicians and leaders in their profession and community; and promote social justice among all people.

5. Spirituality and Values. To prepare reflective practitioners who understand themselves in relation to those they serve and who incorporate spiritual, moral, and ethical principles into their personal and professional lives.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Ph.D. Program

I.A.1.: Students will demonstrate an expanded knowledge of theoretical and clinical practice in MFT, medical family therapy and integrative care.

I.B.1.: Students will demonstrate advanced competency in clinical practice.

Sub-objectives:

a. Admission, Assessment and Diagnosis

b. Treatment Planning and Case Management

c. Therapeutic Interventions

d. Legal Issues, Ethics and Standards

e. Use of Supervision and Practicum

f. Social Justice Issues and Self-Awareness

I.B.2.: Students will demonstrate competency in a student-selected area of clinical specialization or expertise.

II.A.1.: Extend the knowledge base of MFT through original research and intellectual inquiry.

II.B.2.: Contribute to the field through the development of effective teaching skills.

II.B.3.: Attain basic competency in providing clinical supervision.

III.A.1.:  Attain an increased cultural competence in working with diverse populations.

IV.A.1. Students will demonstrate personal and professional skills that promote social justice through involvement and leadership in their communities.

V.A.1.: Students will effectively communicate their values and demonstrate how they guide their personal and professional lives.

M.A. Program

I.A.1.: Students will be able to compare and contrast the major theoretical orientations related to the field of MFT.

I.B.1.: Students will attain competency in entry-level marriage and family therapy skills. Sub-objectives: a. Admission, Assessment and Diagnosis b. Treatment Planning and Case Management c. Therapeutic Interventions d. Legal Issues, Ethics and Standards e. Use of Supervision and Practicum f. Social Justice Issues and Self-Awareness

II.A.1.: Students will understand and use research in clinical practice.

II.A.2.: Students will contribute to competent clinical services and the profession through professional and scholarly modes of communication

III.A.1.: Students will attain an increased cultural competence in working with diverse populations.

IV.A.1. Students will demonstrate personal and professional skills that promote social justice through involvement and leadership in their communities.

V.A.1.: Students will effectively communicate their values and demonstrate how they guide their personal and professional lives.

Description of Faculty Roles & Alignment with Program Goals:

Core Faculty

The Medical Family Therapy core faculty serve several key roles in carrying out the mission, program objectives and student learning outcomes of the program. Faculty whose academic appointment is within the Department of Family & Community Medicine, whose workload responsibility is predominantly associated with the Medical Family Therapy Program, whose teaching responsibility is comprised of 75% teaching program courses, whose training consists of relationally-focused course work and clinical experience, and whose scholarship and research is systemically based. Core faculty have primary instructional responsibility of the MFT curriculum, demonstrate competence as MFTs, and identify primary as MFTs.

Adjunct Faculty

The Medical Family Therapy adjunct faculty teach several master’s and doctoral courses, including family studies, family theories, exam and diagnosis, internship and practicum supervision.  Adjunct faculty supervise both master’s and doctoral students in their clinical work in the Center for Counseling and Family Therapy. Although adjunct faculty cannot serve as advisors for students, they can serve on dissertation committees and help consult students around papers, research and other scholarly activities. Adjunct faculty are active participants in program faculty meetings. Adjunct faculty teach effectively and support the program’s mission, goals and outcomes.

No AI Can Learn the Art of Medicine

A 49-year-old female notices new-onset vaginal bleeding over the past several days. She becomes concerned and seeks advice from her long-time family physician. When she calls, she is surprised to hear responses from an artificial intelligence (AI) platform. The longtime secretary, who knew her well and would quickly arrange appointments or connect her with the doctor, has been replaced by this expensive new AI-based system. The call begins with an extensive library of prompts. When she presses 0 to speak with a human, she is told the next available appointment is in nine weeks. She hangs up and redials to discuss her problem with a pleasant computer voice, which almost sounds like a real person and asks her to describe her problem—eventually responding with a long-winded response with possible explanations for her bleeding. It then utilizes a proprietary algorithm to make recommendations which include lifestyle changes and watchful waiting, with instructions to dial back if the problem persists.

Eventually, she loses patience and decides to visit the office in person. After briefly seeing her in the office, her doctor is concerned and orders a CT scan with the smart scheduler that uses a complex triage algorithm to schedule her imaging in 1-2 days. She then receives the results of the CT scan in an email and again goes through the scheduler system to book her surgery, which is again triaged based on perceived medical urgency. The night before the operation, the pre-operative anesthesia system automatically calls and asks dozens of questions through various menus, ending with lengthy instructions regarding eating, drinking, and pre-operative care. The program does not offer time to address her fears of going under anesthesia.

The day of surgery, everything is increasingly efficient due to new AI-based systems. The operating room team already has her medical history in the electronic record, and she immediately goes to the operating room without needing to meet with the anesthesiologist or surgeon. All goes well, and four days later she gets an email with instructions to call a number and use a six-digit code to get information on the results of an ovarian biopsy. She won’t need to waste any time traveling to the doctor’s office or sitting in the waiting room for her appointment. Instead, a computer-generated AI voice informs her that she has high-grade serous ovarian cancer with metastasis.

The platform then automatically redirects her to a line where a compassionate, AI voice explains the prognosis and her various treatment options based on the latest research. She breaks down and drops the phone in tears. There is nobody to comfort her, let alone answer her endless questions. Is this the nightmare scenario for future patients in their rapidly evolving healthcare system, or a reality in the setting of ongoing physician shortages, skyrocketing medical costs, and “manmade medical errors”? Will this Improve patient health and reduce obstacles to accessing care, or will it create discomfort and dissatisfaction in the healthcare setting?

A exact piece by New York Times health columnist, Gina Kolata, hints that such a future, encompassing such a nightmare patient encounter with their tech-enabled and evolving AI-paradigm of care, may not be far off.

In order to preserve their sense of  compassion and humanity, healthcare providers must prioritize human-to-human communication when they deliver delicate news in order to foster caring relationships with their patients. This forms the basis of the humanity of medicine and the sacred doctor-patient relationship.

That said, no health care provider can disagree that tedious tasks currently take us away from face-to-face, direct patient care. A study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that AI assistants may hold value in composing routine notes or drafting responses to a skyrocketing number of electronic messages from patients as physician demands and burnout rise. Simply put, this work is a call to action for the medical establishment to look inward and determine how they can prioritize the human connection among doctors and patients while taking advantage of AI.

Overall, it appears that doctors are optimistic—but also expressing caution—regarding the potential for AI and large language models becoming part of a toolkit for promoting more effective communication between patients and healthcare providers. Certainly, this technology holds promise, as science communication for years has been marred by complexity and inaccessibility to the lay public. Using AI to better communicate health advice and medical literature with the public will be valuable.

There is certainly promise of large language models to help busy health care professionals with composing emails, reviewing medical records, and answering prior authorizations. Moreover, AI may help triage the patients and the questions that reach physicians, with more routine or unnecessary items being answered by technology. The potential to reduce time spent on tasks that lead to anger, frustration, and ultimately burnout is invaluable. Additionally, administrative costs are estimated to drop by over 35% given this evolution.

As total medical knowledge grows exponentially, it is impossible for doctors to stay abreast of all medical advances and retain such detailed knowledge in their brains. On the contrary, both AI and robotics will inevitably be more effective in cataloging constantly changing medical knowledge. This can support evidence-based management for patients. However, physicians must hold onto their unique and special gifts of humanism and empathetic care for patients.

But let’s be clear—practicing medicine is an art, and no technology can take away that fact. When facing patients themselves, human interaction with a doctor is vital. Patient satisfaction and shared decision-making will continue to rely heavily on this humanism. Medicine is a profession that still requires compassion, reassurance, and most importantly, empathy. Even with the advent and ongoing evolution of AI and other large language models, empathy is best learned and communicated in the form of bedside teaching by humans—not AI or chatbots.

However, considering that AI and chatbots were supported by some experts in Kolata’s piece as an approach for teaching healthcare professionals how to express empathy and compassion to patients or families, it’s likely time for us to hit the “reset button” on how they approach conversations and communications with patients.

We feel that the most effective way to restore empathy and compassion as the cornerstone of physician communication to patients is not by modeling or a framework suggested by AI or chatbots; instead, this requires a focus on human-to-human teaching and dialogue. Education surrounding humanities, social sciences, and the science of communication are just as vital as teaching physicians about anatomy and physiology. This applies to not only medical students, but to those in residency, and all healthcare professionals. Certainly, education about emerging technologies and medical devices will also become important so providers can best incorporate these innovations to Improve care without compromising patient experiences.

In the past, bedside teaching in medical school was an art practiced by careful observation and listening, with particular attention to eyes and body language as their professors handed down the invaluable unwritten and unspoken ways to express care, concern, and empathy for their patients. This human interaction has proven implications for patient satisfaction, motivation, and adherence to treatment recommendations.

Such unique and unspoken methods of communication of human emotions and interactions cannot be taught by AI or chatbots. Granted, medicine is often criticized for being decades behind in innovation, and as AI technology grows, health professionals should certainly embrace its benefits. However, they must also remain true to their values and the oath they have taken to serve their patients. Upholding these professional standards requires a strong adherence to humanistic care and continued development of communication skills. It is in the patient’s best interest to stay attuned to these trends and understand the benefits and risks of modern innovations in care.

More Must-Reads From TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com.

Xi’s letter encourages global youths to experience China, enhance understanding, and achieve mutual success

Chinese people believe that letters are as valuable as gold. For thousands of years, letters, across mountains and oceans, have been delivering the writers' sentiments and conveying friendship and expectations.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, has managed to find time to reply to some letters sent to him from different sectors of the society and different parts of the world despite his busy work schedule.

Through his letters, Xi has corresponded with people from all walks of life on numerous occasions, part of a series of excellent China stories in the new era. 

The Global Times traced and contacted some of the recipients of Xi's letters, to hear the inspiring stories behind the letters and their communications with the Chinese president.

In April 2021, young participants from different countries with diverse cultural and academic backgrounds, embarked on their China Tour journey, an activity launched by the Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD), to explore the Chinese path of development and experience splendid and inclusive Chinese culture.

In this installment, they speak to two young international participants of the tour, also young leaders of the GYLD, who shared the encouragement they received from the president's reply letter, their experiences in China, as well as their insights on serving as a bridge to promote exchanges and dialogue between China and the rest of the world.

Global youths learn about handmade paintings made from fresh flowers, a source of income for Huamao village residents, in Zunyi city, Southwest China's Guizhou Province, in April 2021. Photo: Courtesy of GYLD

 "I felt the recognition of President Xi to global young people in China. It's very important for the program and for young foreign participants in it," Joshua Dominick, an American youth who has lived in China for over 20 years, told the Global Times recently.

Two years have passed since the GYLD program and young participants received a reply letter from Chinese President Xi on August 10, 2021. At the exact GYLD forum held by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) on August 12, which coincided with the two-year anniversary of receiving the letter from Xi, and also marked the International Youth Day as set by the United Nations, Dominick recalled to the Global Times how he felt when he read Xi's reply letter.

For many people looking for more opportunity or looking to learn from China, such recognition means a lot and encourages people to do more for themselves, for china, and also for the world, he said. 

Two years ago, in their letter to President Xi, 36 young international GYLD participants from 28 countries extended congratulations to the Communist Party of China (CPC) on its centenary anniversary. In the letter, they also talked about their trips across China and expressed their hopes of serving as a bridge to promote exchanges and dialogue between China and the rest of the world.

In his reply, Xi hailed representatives of young international participants at the GYLD for their active efforts to visit various parts of China and deepen their understanding of the country.

Xi wrote in the reply letter that "Happiness must be achieved through hard work," noting that to achieve national development and revitalization, the most important thing for China, a country with a vast territory and large population, is to follow a development path suiting its local conditions.

"Practice has shown that as the new and uniquely Chinese path to modernization grows even wider, it will bring better development prospects to China and more benefits to the world," Xi said.

Even after completing a 100-year course of struggles, the CPC has remained true to its original aspiration and founding mission, Xi noted, vowing that the CPC will work tirelessly to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation and promote the development and advancement of humankind.

More overseas youths are welcome to China for exchanges, Xi said, hoping that young people at home and abroad will enhance mutual understanding, develop friendships, and achieve mutual success, thus contributing to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Initiated by Chinese think tanks, the GYLD offers a unique communication, education, and professional development platform for young achievers with diverse regional, cultural, and disciplinary backgrounds across the globe, emphasizing shared values such as open and equal dialogue, intellectual exchanges, inclusivity, and mutual learning.

Miao Lu, secretary-general of the CCG and founder of the GYLD program, told the Global Times that the young participants have never expected to receive a reply letter from Xi. "President Xi's encouragement makes these young individuals feel welcomed by the country and by the country's top leader," she said.

"Moreover, it shows that China welcomes and values young people, their voices, and youth power in coping with global challenges," Miao said. 

Witness of great changes

Dominick, a professional translator and editor who has lived and worked in Beijing since 2005, is usually known as Tan Jiaxu by his Chinese friends, or Lao Tan (old brother Tan). He is currently the owner of a small company in Beijing, translating and publishing the works of some Chinese scholars, along with different types of cultural and linguistic works.

He is also the founder and organizer of Krankin' thru of China, which is a movement aiming to popularize the sport of hand cycling in China and, with it, a more active, healthier lifestyle for people living with disabilities in the country.

The Peking University alumnus told the Global Times that he was the main author of the letter to Xi, while the contents were contributed by him and another GYLD member from Cameroon, who was a PhD student at the Peking University. The two members gathered all of the experiences and ideas that GYLD members had shared.

"It was around 10 months at that time after their China Tour experiences in China, and they wanted to share with the president what they had gained and learned from their experiences in China through the GYLD," Dominick said, recalling the reason why he and other participants came up with the idea of writing a letter to Xi. 

Dominick said that he was deeply impressed by how China's unique path of development has helped in facilitating poverty alleviation and providing medical services online through the use of big data technology in Southwest China's Guizhou Province.

In April 2021, he and 10 other international participants from eight countries such as Brazil, Cameroon, and South Korea, went to Guizhou to learn how big data was being used and applied to benefit people. 

Guizhou Province is known as a major big data hub in China for its key and even ultra-large data centers. According to the Xinhua News Agency, as of March 2023, the province had a total of 18 large and ultra-large data centers, eight among them being ultra-large data centers.

They visited the National Big Data Comprehensive Pilot Zone, which is located in Guiyang, the capital city of Guizhou. "There I learned that medical services can be provided online to remote communities. Because of 5G technology, infrastructure, and big data, all of medical resources can be linked and become available for those who live in mountainous areas," Dominick said.

"Even with high speed rail and new highways, it might take at least three to four hours for a doctor to go from a better hospital in Guiyang to the remote Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in the province. Having the technology and the big data resources, doctors can deliver medical services to people in remote areas and learn about their situation in real time, which is very important and impressive," he said.

"By writing the letter, they wanted to let the president know that we're doing important and meaningful things in China, that they care about China's direction and development, and that they can be a part of that and make their own contribution," Dominick recalled.

After receiving the reply letter, Dominick said that he felt his efforts and work had been recognized by the president, who encourages him to go further, continue exploring, learning, and experiencing China.

International youngsters from 11 countries visit the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress and Zaoyingbeili community, in Beijing, on May 31, 2023. Photo: Courtesy of GYLD

Understanding of political system

Zoon Ahmed Khan, a research fellow from Pakistan at the One Belt-One Road Strategy Institute of Tsinghua University, has been lived in Beijing for about eight years.

Focusing on gaining a deeper understanding of the BRI and also South-South Cooperation, Zoon said that she has participated in two trips organized by the GYLD program, one in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, and another one in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, in early and late June 2021 respectively.

"Most of the international youth had lived in China and had understood and read about the massive transformations and positive developments happening in the country," Zoon told the Global Times, adding that "we had never been that up close to people who were personally impacted or the frontliners who had made this progress possible. So, the trips were very inspiring to us."

"We feel like they are part of the Chinese community," Zoon said.

Zoon also recalled her experience in visiting the Beijing Municipal People's Congress and the Zaoyingbeili community in the capital city's Maizidian sub-district in May this year, to dive into the fundamental political institute, learning about the concept and practice of the whole process people's democracy.

"To understand the real secrets of China's rapid development and the logic behind such development, it is necessary to understand the country's political system. This is what many young participants of the program care about, and the whole world also cares about this," Miao told the Global Times.

"However, there is little opportunity for them to really dive into and talk with deputies from the people's congress and grassroots workers at communities," Miao explained to the Global Times.

On May 31, young participants from 11 countries communicated with deputies from the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, learning how decisions are collectively made by the citizens and transformed into policies that really respond to people's needs.

"China's whole-process people's democracy is setting a better, more realistic, and more desirable standard for how good governance should be done," Zoon told the Global Times about her sentiments after the visit.

Zoon said that China's whole-process people's democracy is a kind of democracy that really works. What policy makers and citizens care about is to what degree the policies, changes, and institutions really respond to people's needs and Improve their lives, she said. "We were able to see how those communities in Beijing actually get their citizens' living standards improved."

Zoon recalled one sentence from Xi's reply letter, which encourages her the most.

Xi said that more overseas youths are welcome to China for exchanges, hoping that young people at home and abroad will enhance mutual understanding, develop friendship, and achieve mutual success.

"It's an encouragement for young people to think beyond borders and think about the shared reality that they all exist in, and it welcomes more young people from all parts of the world to experience and learn about China, to work on challenges that affect us all as the human race, as a civilization, and as humankind," she said.

She called for young people, regardless of nationality, from Western or Eastern countries, to "think a little outside the box," realizing that everyone is living in a world that's changing.

"An open-minded attitude plays an important role in recognizing the diversity in the world and realizing that there is no one way of doing things. The uniqueness of each country is something not only needs to be respected and understood, but also they can all learn from," Zoon said.