Background-The long-term consequences of adolescent alcohol abuse that persist into adulthood are poorly understood and have not been widely investigated. We have shown that intermittent exposure to alcohol during adolescence decreased the amplitude of GABA A receptormediated tonic currents in hippocampal dentate granule cells in adulthood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the enduring effects of chronic intermittent alcohol exposure during adolescence or adulthood on the expression of hippocampal GABA A receptors (GABA A Rs).

The law in England and Wales regarding consent to treatment is of some complexity, but it remains true that hospital patients have two basic rights: to refuse treatment of any kind, and to leave hospital. Two hundred and seven teaching hospital in-patients were asked about their care, and what would happen if they exercised these rights. Informal psychiatric patients were the most likely to disagree with their treatment in hospital, while almost half of all patients did not know that they had the right to refuse it. Many anticipated coercive responses from staff. Patients in hospital should be better informed of their rights.

Introduction Religion and spirituality play important roles in the lives of many, including healthcare providers and their patients. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between religion, spirituality, and cultural competence of healthcare providers. Methods Physicians, residents, and medical students were recruited through social platforms to complete an electronically delivered survey, gathering data regarding demographics, cultural competency, religiosity, and spirituality. Four composite variables were created to categorize cultural competency: Patient Care Knowledge, Patient Care Skills/Abilities, Professional Interactions, and Systems Level Interactions. Study participants (n = 144) were grouped as Christian (n = 95)/non-Christian (n = 49) and highly religious (n = 62)/not highly religious (n = 82); each group received a score in the four categories. Wilcoxon rank sum and Chi-square tests were used for analysis of continuous and discrete variables. Results A total of 144 individuals completed the survey with the majority having completed medical school (n = 87), identifying as women (n = 108), white (n = 85), Christian (n = 95), and not highly religious (n = 82). There were no significant differences amongst Christian versus non-Christian groups or highly religious versus not highly religious groups when comparing their patient care knowledge (p = .563, p = .457), skills/abilities (p = .423, p = .51), professional interactions (p = .191, p = .439), or systems level interaction scores (p = .809, p = .078). Nevertheless, participants reported decreased knowledge of different healing traditions (90%) and decreased skills inquiring about religious/spiritual and cultural beliefs that may affect patient care (91% and 88%). Providers also reported rarely referring patients to religious services (86%). Conclusions Although this study demonstrated no significant impact of healthcare providers’ religious/spiritual beliefs on the ability to deliver culturally competent care, it did reveal gaps around how religion and spirituality interact with health and healthcare. This suggests a need for improved cultural competence education.

Thank you to our reviewers who provided feedback on our manuscript. As per the reviewer suggestions we have included expanded examples and descriptions to provide a richer picture of the program. Additional information is also included about the program sustainability through faculty, staff, administration, and student support.

Problem: Innovations within the medical education system often come from administration and leadership, in the traditional top-down approach to preparing students for the actualities of medical practice. There is a dearth of literature showing the power of students to design and advance innovations in this same arena. As incoming classes of students are increasingly more diverse, student efforts for diversity and inclusion initiatives must be explored as avenues to effect positive change within the system. Approach: Medical students at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville (UofSC SOM Greenville) formed the committee known as Student Advocates for Diversity and Inclusion (SADI) in Fall 2017, with the goals of enhancing the curriculum, increasing the visibility of diverse peoples within the medical school and the healthcare system, and supporting the experience of these peoples. Outcomes:The report herein describes the formation of the Student Advocates for Diversity and Inclusion and its initial steps, including the modification of curricular practices and the development of extracurricular programs.Conclusion: SADI may serve as one example of the power of students to transform medical education. Other students and schools can use the committee and its successes and challenges to implement similar programs at their respective institutions, with the goal of achieving diversity and inclusion more broadly across the medical education system. ProblemThe medical community has long grappled with the challenges of physician diversity and health disparities. In 2018, Moss J, Hardy E, Cooley K, Cuffe S, Lang M, Kennedy A MedEdPublish Eliza Hardy is a fourth-year medical student at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville and a founding member of the Student Advocates for Diversity and Inclusion. Student doctor Keiko Cooley is a third-year medical student at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville and a founding member of the Student Advocates for Diversity and Inclusion. Samantha Cuffe (Shelhoss) is a third-year medical student at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville and a founding member of the Student Advocates for Diversity and Inclusion. ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9710-3572Madeline Lang is a fourth-year medical student at