Guiding Principles for Curricular Reform

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Vision: Our graduates will be physician leaders capable of transforming the health of diverse communities.

Mission: Through a longitudinally integrated curriculum, we aim to educate physician leaders who are curious, life-long learners with a commitment to serve the profession, our patients, and society.

Values/Pillars: Leadership, Curiosity, Commitment

1. We want our student outcomes to be tightly linked to our curricular content and delivery; therefore, we aim for our new curriculum to be Outcomes Based: Our curriculum content, structure, and instructional strategies should support the type of physicians we want to produce with assessments that enhance learning.New research in medical education and strategies for improved adult learning aim to inform curricular approaches, therefore we aim for our new curriculum to be Evidence Based: Our curriculum content, structure, and instructional strategies should be based in sound educational theory when possible.  When not possible, we will strive to add to the evidence base through rigorous program evaluation.
2. Current structures in clinical care and in teaching lead to fragmentation of relationships between students, teachers, and patients; we aim for our new curriculum to focus on a diversity of Longitudinal Relationships: Many of the desired attributes we hope students develop are learned by example.  The program must bring students into contact with strong, positive role models who are clinicians, investigators, peers, patients, advocates, and community members.
3. The science of medicine is evolving at a rapid pace necessitating integration of relevant scientific concepts throughout medical training and into practice, therefore we aim to enhance the integration of foundational and more complex scientific concepts: The scientific knowledge and principles relevant to clinical medicine need to be ‘integrated and sequenced optimally’ across all years of medical school. Advanced sciences should be explored later in the curriculum, in the context of patient care experiences.
4. Physician leaders of tomorrow need to be well-rounded while also developing unique areas of expertise, therefore our new curriculum will create opportunities for  Individualization: Students will have choice in their learning and time to pursue an area(s) of interest in depth, and to individualize their learning, especially as they advance toward graduation outcomes and choose careers paths.
5. In some cases, the complexity of the clinical care environment and pressures for efficient care have sidelined our learners further from the bedside, therefore we aim for our new curriculum to enhance authentic, patient-centered experiences as early as possible in the clinical and community environments: The environment needs to provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their ability to act with regard for others (e.g., involvement with patients or community, service experiences) and demonstrate progressive competency in these interactions.
6. In the face of the exponentially expanding knowledge, rapidly changing health care, and evolving societal systems, we recognize the importance of vitality and well-being.  Our curriculum will support student and faculty vitality through meaningful relationships, connection to purpose, and personal development that emphasizes sustainability and the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion.
7. Given the rapid pace of evolution of the medical sciences, we recognize that we cannot teach our students everything during the four years of medical school, therefore we strive to create graduates with a Growth Mindset: Graduates must be equipped with skills for a lifetime of inquiry, critical thinking and ultimately, the ability to make informed, evidence-based decisions in the face of uncertainty.