A path to excellence: UMMS makes more options available to medical students

The path to becoming a physician has many twists and turns and medical students must make decisions about different paths that lie ahead for them.

As the University of Michigan Medical School transforms its curriculum, students will find more options available for them to develop an area of passion within a particular area of study through an expanded list of Paths of Excellence (PoE).

PoE provide students with the opportunity to explore an area of scholarly concentration through participation in sessions over four years of their training, and completing a capstone project guided by a path advisor. The current curriculum offers PoE in Ethics, Global Health and Disparities, and Health Policy and Health Economics.

In August 2016, all students who enter the University of Michigan at this time will face a choice of a PoE. UMMS is expanding the number of PoE to increase areas of opportunity and to help meet student demand. A recent survey of students, and recommendations from the PoE workgroup, identified the following path concentrations as having a high level of student interest and institutional opportunity, beyond what is currently in place:

Entrepreneurship
Medical Decision Making
Medical Education
Medical Humanities
Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
Scientific Discovery

UMMS is accepting proposals for these additional paths to begin in August 2015 or August 2016. Proposals for the 2015-16 academic year will be due by June 30, 2015. Groups or faculty interested in directing and/or leading a PoE, or who have additional path ideas not currently under consideration, are encouraged to review and submit a proposal form found on this page.

For more information, or for questions, contact Heather Wagenschutz at­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ hmwags@umich.edu or 615-4886.