Learning about curricular transformation: Details spreading via web, word-of-mouth
As momentum builds in the transformation of the medical student curriculum — heading toward the faculty vote to take place June 10-24, 2015 — faculty, staff and students have access to a wealth of information to learn more about how University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) is planning to educate the physicians of the future.
This includes the Curriculum Strategic Planning website, which features a helpful section on frequently asked questions (FAQs), UMHS Headlines, and numerous updates that have been sent by Medical School leadership to the school community.
Interested parties also can learn more from their home departments. Many faculty, staff and students in your own areas have played key roles in sculpting plans for the new curriculum. Members of the steering, operating and student advisory committees, as well as working groups formed around the trunk, branches, leadership, inter-professional education, paths of excellence, assessment and the M-Home, serve as ambassadors — helping to disseminate information and answer questions.
UMMS departmental leaders also are taking a more active role in advancing concepts and ideas for the new curriculum. The chairs of the school’s 29 clinical and basic science departments have organized meetings where updates were presented directly to faculty on the ongoing transformation process.
The chairs, and each of their departments’ chief department administrators, have been asked to continue to spread the word about the curricular changes, working with their own faculty. Many have been active participants since 2012 when Medical School Dean James O. Woolliscroft, M.D., asked the Curriculum Policy Committee to explore new curriculum models to address the current challenges in health care and medical education.
In addition to the resources mentioned here, all faculty will have the opportunity to learn more in-person at a town hall meeting from 5:30-7:30 p.m. June 3 in Dow Auditorium of the Towsley Center for Continuing Medical Education.
Website: http://curriculum.med.umich.edu/
