If I Had a Clean Slate ... New Medical School Curricula

We read the journals and listen to the seminars about exciting new paths for medical education in the 21st century, and then face the reality of time, money, space and intransigence. What would I do if I had a clean slate?

We read the journals and listen to the seminars about exciting new paths for medical education in the 21st century, and then face the reality of time, money, space and intransigence. What would I do if I had a clean slate? This seminar series will provide an overview of contemporary possibilities and then focus on some of the ways five new medical schools from around the world faced the opportunities and challenges of developing their curricula. They incorporated the latest approaches in simulation and virtual-patient teaching, integrative learning, early and continued patient contact, and even restructured the way faculty are appointed to departments. Each medical school has its own approaches and limitations yet there are common goals from which we can all learn. This webcast series will highlight new educational approaches in medical education and practical experiences for their implementation.

Presenter:  Kathryn K. McMahon, Ph.D. and David Steele, Ph.D.
 

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) was created by the Government of Ontario with a specific social accountability mandate "To provide innovative undergraduate and post graduate medical education programs to met the needs of the students and the health care needs of the underserved population of Northern Ontario".

As the first new fully accredited medical school in Canada in over 30 years, the original class of fifty-five students graduated in May of 2009. This presentation describes the curriculum experiences created to meet the needs of the students and people of Northern Ontario and the processes involved in an area of 1,000,000 square kilometers challenged by economic, geographic and political factors.

Objectives:

Describe the "engagement" strategies employed to obtain consensus on curricular direction for NOSM

Identify innovative features of the NOSM curriculum in contrast with "traditional" curricular models

Describe the integrative nature of the NOSM curriculum with a focus on the medical or explanatory sciences

Identify the nature of Governance in a medical school as "not-for-profit corporation" with two university partners

Define the impact of 70 partner communities on communication, construction and institutional culture.  

Presenter:  Joel Lanphear, Ph.D. & Marie Matte

UCF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE CURRICULUM

The learning experience for the MD program at the University of Central Florida is a unique blend of state-of-the-art technology, virtual patients, standardized patients, simulation, clinical experiences, laboratory experiences, research, small group sessions, and interactive didactic lectures.

The UCF curriculum fully integrates basic and clinical sciences across all four years. The first year modules focus on a fundamental understanding of how various basic science disciplines relate to the normal human body. The second year takes an organ system approach to the study of clinical disease, pathological processes and treatment. Basic concepts are reinforced in the clerkship years through lectures, capstone cases, simulations, journal clubs and conferences. Psychosocial issues, cultural differences, communication skills, and physical diagnosis skills as they relate to patient care are integrated throughout all four years.

Clinical experiences are integral to first two years in the Community of Practice. Twice a month students work with community preceptors where they apply their studies to real patients and gain experience in communication, history taking, physical exam skills, cultural competency, and familiarity with the basic business of a medical practice.

The Focused Individualized Research Experience module (FIRE) is a two year module in which students pursue scholarly projects limited only by their imagination. These projects include every aspect of medicine from bench to clinical research, quality of care, hospitality, quality of life, disease prevention, legal aspects, and more.

Longitudinal Curricular Themes (LCTs) emphasize critical aspects of medicine not addressed in the core curriculum. These LCTs include Ethics and Humanities, Professionalism, Gender-Based Medicine, Medical Informatics, Medical Spanish, Medical Nutrition, Geriatrics, Palliative Care, Cultural Medicine, Medical Imaging, Service Learning, and Patient Safety. Overall, curriculum at UCF fully integrates basic science and clinical medicine, and provides students an appreciation of cultural diversity, fosters professionalism, and ignites a passion for lifelong learning.

Presenter: Lynn Crespo, Ph.D

About 7 years ago, discussion began about starting a new medical school in northeast Pennsylvania. During this time a group of physicians and civic leaders met on a regular basis on Saturday mornings to map a path for the establishment of The Commonwealth Medical College (TCMC). A founding Dean was recruited and 18 months later preliminary accreditation was granted by the LCME and, TCMC, the nation's newest medical school, was underway. Significant financial contributions from Blue Cross of Northeast Pennsylvania and other public and private sources allowed for the faculty and staff to grow to over 160 employees and for the construction of a new building which will be completed in 2011. There has been an overwhelming positive response locally from the community of Scranton as well as the whole northeast Pennsylvania region which makes this endeavor all the more exciting and has facilitated the entree of our students into the community. Other communities in the region, such as Wilkes-Barre and Williamsport, have joined in and TCMC expects to see more communities become a part of this endeavor.

The community support has allowed for innovation in the curriculum with respect to student-patient interactions. Beginning in the first year, students will have three 1-week rotations in a physician's office in one of the regional cities. Half the day will be spent shadowing a physician and the other half of the day will be directed towards working on a community health project. Students, under supervision of a clinician, will be encouraged to apply what they have been learning in their course work during these sessions with patients. A similar series of three 1-week rotations will occur in the second year as well. The third year will not be composed of the traditional individual clerkship rotations but rather it is designed as a longitudinal experience. The mentor the students worked with in their 6 weeks of community experience in the first two years will remain their mentor into the third year. Additionally, during the students' 4 years at TCMC, they will follow a multigenerational family through their interactions in the healthcare system so they can see the diversity of health care and its effect on families. During their encounters, the students will prepare reflective pieces on their interactions with the family.

Other innovations include recruitment of experienced educators whose main task is the education of students and educational scholarship, heavy emphasis on deliberate practice through the use of a state-of-the-art clinical skills and simulation center, and maximizing the usefulness of students' time in class through small group activities and active large group sessions.

Presenter: Robert M. D'Alessandri, MD & Gerald Tracy, MD

Presenter: Sandy Cook, Ph.D.