John F. Wilson, Ph.D.

(University of Michigan, 1977)

123 Medical Behavioral Science Building
Phone: (859) 323-6257
e-mail: jfwilson@uky.edu

Research Description

Dr. Wilson’s research focuses on stress, coping, and quality of life.  In clinical populations, including patients in pain, primary care patients, and medical students and residents. His current research interests focus on doctor-patient communication, the role of social support and social obstruction in health and illness and quality of life in professional education.

2008 Accomplishments

Dr. Wilson’s activities in 2008 focused on curriculum development and medical education research.  During 2008 the BSC education team implemented a completely new first and second year curriculum.  Highlights of this process included the development of more than 30 clinical experience “selectives” for first and second year medical students,  organization of on-line learning modules for more than 80 hours of curriculum contact hours,  organization of 30 small group teaching units,  and development of a portfolio based assessment system to more adequately reflect active learning approaches.  Programs with UK Nursing, Central Baptist Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Clinical Nutrition provided concrete interprofessional learning experiences. A portfolio honors award process was initiated that reinforced scholarship in writing and reflection about both behavioral science content and issues of medical ethics and professionalism. Service learning opportunities such as Jumpin’ Jaguars and the Salvation Army were integrated into the curriculum, and opportunities for more senior medical students to participate in legacy learning, the creation of educational activities for your student colleagues, were initiated and are continuing.  These included a bioethics film series, workshops on DNR orders, Simulated Trauma patients,   Medical student research rounds, and clinical skills workshops.   Fourth year students from the Leadership Group this year are integrated into the second year curriculum to help promote clinical team training.  In the area of medical education research, work with nine different clinical colleagues and seven medical students resulted in five published articles and more than 10 conference presentations.  New research initiatives with medicine and pediatrics faculty were initiated as well.   These research topics ranged from integration of prevention into specialty care to end of life communication styles, to the characteristics of clinical curricular structure that relate to positive outcomes.  Administrative duties as DGS continued, with successful renewal of the Department’s Allocated Graduate Student Fellowship and Renewal of the Tuition grants from the Graduate School.

Research Funding

Co-Investigator, "Training in Internal Medicine Pediatrics," HRSA, 2002-2005.

Co-Investigator, "Faculty Development in General Internal Medicine and Pediatrics," HRSA, 2002-2004.

Co-Investigator, "Teaching Quality and Student Performance in Medical School and Residency Choices," National Board of Medical Examiners Research Fund 2002-2003.

Representative Publications

The Loss of Idealism Throughout Internship,  Charles H. Griffith & John F. Wilson.  Evaluation and the Health Professions,  2003 , 26(4), 415-426. 

Wilson, J.F. and Kopitzke, E.  Stress and Infertility.  Current Women’s Health Reports, 2002, 2, 194-200. Griffith, C.H.,

Wilson, J. F., Langer, S., Haist, S.A.  Housestaff nonverbal communication skills and standardized patient satisfaction.  Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2003, 18, 170-174. 

Bass, Pat F., Wilson, J.F., Griffith, C.H., Barnett, D.R. Residents’ ability to identify patients with poor literacy skills.   Academic Medicine, 2002, 77, 1039-1041