Highlighted Meeting Dates
- Artificial Intelligence added to EBM-Applied: The committee today approved a content change request for MS1 course Evidence-Based Medicine (Applied) to add AI/machine learning sessions to their schedule, helping to fulfill recommendations from a recent AI/ML Task Force. EBM-A will add three hours of introductory content (2 hours of large group time, and one hour of asynchronous videos), replacing unused/extra independent study hours. The new content will tie to the eight overall AI/ML competencies for medical students, focusing on clinical application as much as possible, with a pre-test/post-test methodology to evaluate the innovation.
- Visual Learning Equity: MS3/CSTP student Jordan Lamb presented her work on skin images in the curriculum. After reviewing over 1000 images in MS1-2 slides and syllabi, she found that about 70% showed rashes or lesions in white skin. While better than reported national averages (75-80%), this limitation can make it harder for our learners to appreciate dermatological findings in diverse populations. Ms. Lamb and her colleagues (including mentor Dr. Alaina James) made concrete recommendations for course directors, particularly the best practice of “spectrum slides” showing a finding in white, black, and brown skin. A resource guide with more information will be circulated to all course directors, with follow-up and monitoring and assure progress.
- Social Medicine: The thread update from today focused on ways to integrate social medicine content into existing curriculum, highlighting a video created for Immunology on a clinical case with important determinants of health that impacted care. The thread collaborated with the course directors on this three-minute video which students used as a prompt for self-directed learning and discussion. The Social Medicine thread reports on its work at every Curriculum Committee meeting.
- Admissions Prerequisites: The committee reviewed current admissions prerequisites, including two semesters of biology, chemistry, physics, and one semester of writing, biochemistry, and statistics. A proposal to reduce organic chemistry from two to one semester was approved, along with recommendations on individualized substitutions (e.g., lab experience can substitute for certain lab courses).
- OB/GYN Clerkship Report: The four-week required clinical clerkship provided its annual update, noting significant improvements in the provision of regular feedback as well as an increase in SHELF exam scores. The clerkship has enhanced clinical skill sessions, antiracism content, and general advising (using residents), with innovative interprofessional experiences.
- Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Task Force: The AI/ML task force presented its final report. The seven-member group noted current gaps in formal content despite faculty expertise and extensive student interest. Ideas about how to integrate content in the existing curriculum were discussed, along with asynchronous learning options and elective or extracurricular experiences. The committee was very supportive and asked for more time to discuss and consider next steps.
- New Elective Approved: Community Emergency Medicine: UPMC Hamot has developed a new elective experience for MS4s interested in emergency medicine outside of the local academic setting. Up to two students monthly can stay in Erie and work 14 10-hour ER shifts, learning about triage, recognizing common conditions, basic procedures, and developing treatment plans. UPSOM students interested in EM must take EM 5450 as a home rotation prerequisite.
- Dental Medicine as part of the Specialty Care Clerkship: The committee reviewed the Specialty Care Clerkship, with particular attention to the new Dental Medicine weeklong experience, which has been going well. It may be possible to shift some of the experiences from general dental to Oral Maxillo-Facial Surgery (OMFS), to help students get a broader range of oral health training.
- Pediatric Immunology ILS approved: Drs. Laura West and Mel Tavarez have developed an important addition to our Integrated Life Sciences program, a selective requirement for MS4s. In response to students requesting another option for those interested in pediatrics, this ILS will cover immunizations, inflammation, and immunology in its revisit of basic science relevant to clinical practice. Ten students will be able to take this course in Period 10 beginning in 2022.
- Family Medicine Clerkship reviewed: Dr. Robin Maier shared an update on her required clerkship. Students spend a month at one of 17 regional sites where they see a wide variety of conditions, do home visits, online cases, and weekly didactics. Grading is based on clinical evaluations that tie directly to learning objectives, as well as a six-station OSCE and a SHELF exam. Evaluations are adjusted and reviewed by a grading committee to assure equity and prevent bias. A new student advisory group has suggested changes to orientation, didactics, and the OSCE. Overall quality of the clerkship is rated highly (92% satisfied), and there are no learning environment citations reported.
- AOC in Reconstructive and Regenerative Medicine: Dr. Peter Rubin, Chair of Plastic Surgery, presented a proposal to create a new Area of Concentration for students interested in reconstructive medicine—particularly surgical subspecialties of plastics, orthopedics, urology, and otolaryngology. The program will include workshops, reflective shadowing, and elective courses. Over 50 students have expressed interest. The committee approved AOC-RRM as our 13th AOC.
- IP Geriatrics Week: This four-day clinical focus course occurs in October for MS3s. New course directors Drs. Jason Chang and Huai Cheng have responded to student feedback by simplifying the experience, broadening its frame, and eliminating a team challenge experience that wasn’t essential. Instead, they’ve ramped up interprofessional small group experiences. The committee approved the changes.
- Educational Program Objectives 6 and 7: These EPOs detail expectations for learner achievement in history-taking and the physical exam. The committee approved EPO-6 but asked a working group to review EPO-7 (the physical exam) to add specificity, synthesize items, and eliminate unnecessary components.
- Social Medicine Thread_Refugee/Immigrant Health: Dr. Bui and the social medicine fellows announced a new activity for MS1s on this topic (October 15, 2021), which will include a stakeholder panel, training on how to use interpreters, and a discussion of the challenges faced by immigrants in our health system.
- New Elective: Medical Nutrition: The Committee approved a new elective, brought forward by Dr. Kristen Ehrenberger, for a senior experience in nutrition, providing the basics on the diagnosis and treatment of nutritional conditions (e.g., dehydration), calculations for infant feeding, an awareness of social determinants related to food, and how to counsel patients about diets and supplements. This online course will be Pass/Fail and available in Period 9.
- Coaching Program: Dr. Suzi Templer, UPSOM’s Director of Coaching Services, presented on her program, which provides guidance for 70 MS1-2 students facing academic challenges. Coaches work individually with learners to help them grow, increasing motivation and assisting them in developing lifelong learning skills so they can reach their goals. This program is being piloted, with the goal of expanding to more students over time.
- Graduation Questionnaire: Curriculum Committee subcommittees are reviewing GQ data from the Class of 2021. While there are areas that dropped in terms of student satisfaction, that will require attention and work, the overall trends remain strong. For instance, 93% of our senior students rated said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their overall PittMed education, placing us in the 80th percentile nationally. Fully 95% were satisfied with their readiness for residency, up from the previous year.
- Curriculum Reform: Task force leaders presented their third quarterly update on the group’s deliberations on the new curriculum. The Foundations segment will shrink to 15 months, featuring a 10-week “Keystone fundamentals” basic science deep dive, followed by organ systems that integrate basic science throughout using case-based and active learning approaches taught by dedicated educators. The one-year clerkship phase will begin in January, followed by a 16-month “beyond” phase for electives (including two-week “tastes”). The schedule will include one month dedicated study periods for board exams, a 10-week summer phase after the first year (allowing for research), a research requirement, and interspersed flex weeks for integration and wellness. Six threads will run through the curriculum, including social medicine, interprofessional education, critical reasoning, clinical skills, and leadership. Tracks (“minors” like AOCs) will allow for further individual explorations. We trying to build a longitudinal integrated clerkship experience and working to develop remediation plans. The final report will be brought to the Committee in December for a vote, with the next phase in 2022 focused on implementation to allow for rollout in Fall 2023.
- Professional Enrichment Courses (PECs): Dr. Stephanie Gonzalez summarized our PECs (formerly known as mini-electives), which allow MS1-2s individual exploration outside the regular curriculum. The program began in 2006 with nine courses and 14 enrollees, and last year set records with 44 courses and 576 enrollees (with demand increased due to pandemic-related limitations on other experiences). The program is working to address scheduling and enrollment challenges but has been quite successful overall and is an engine for curricular innovation at UPSOM.
- MS2 Class Report: Student representatives surveyed their class about the second year experience, with 76 students responding (50%). Students reported high use of external resources, with a weak correlation to self-reported Step 1 performance. Study weeks did not correlate with Step score. Students learning remotely most missed clinical skills experiences and extracurricular activities. They were not sure about the effects of open book exams (delivered remotely) but 70% encouraged a return to closed-resource assessments. Finally, students felt that pandemic-related social isolation was significantly impactful for them and may have affected their Step 1 preparation. Ideas were discussed to improve student support.
- USMLE Policy: The Committee discussed a revision to our USMLE Policy, triggered by the elimination of Step 2CS and changes in practice around testing support. Key elements included new oversight and procedures around Step 1 extension requests and re-entry after second attempts, as well as automatic leaves of absence if students fail. The policy will be sent to the Dean for approval.
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MS1 Report: The Class of 2024 issued their annual report on the first year curriculum. Students enjoyed curricular flexibility, review sessions, and audience response; they were open to changes being discussed for curriculum reform. MS1s made suggestions about improving clinical integration, shortening/focusing content, using pre-recorded videos for lectures, improving the training of small group facilitators, and improving the assessment with more practice questions and exam review opportunities. These suggestions will be reviewed by the Curriculum Committee’s Executive Subcommittee and other groups; efforts have already been underway to address many of these concerns.
- Foundations Segment Review: Dr. Lance-Jones presented an overview of our MS1-2 segment. Strengths/highlights included the addition of our summer physiology course, improvements in clinical relevance, the introduction of the Racism in Medicine course, and the expansion of the Skin-MSK course. Our Step 1 scores and pass rates remain above national average, with 85% of MS1s and 91% of MS2s reporting satisfaction with their respective year of curriculum (up 10% from previous years). Opportunities/goals include improving our assessment system, supporting faculty development, weaving social medicine through more, and enhancing integration. The committee approved the report and directions.
- Artificial Intelligence Task Force: The committee approved the creation of a task force to make recommendations on how best to teach AI and machine learning in our curriculum. This will include current mapping and suggested objectives. The group, led by Dr. Giselle Hamad, will include students and faculty.
- Mapping/Integration Subcommittee Leadership: Dr. Marie DeFrances was approved to become a co-chair, with Dr. Will Walker, for this standing subcommittee, replacing Dr. Joseph Yanta.
- Race/eGFR Module Approved: The Renal course was approved to add a required self-learning workshop on the use of eGFR, and the bias issues that emerge in that context, as part of the Social Medicine thread.
- EPO-1 Review: Basic Science: The committee conducted mapping, a review, and a discussion of our first educational program objective, on the normal structure and function of the body, with recommendations to consolidate some of the subobjectives that are conceptually related. The committee also asked course directors to meet more regularly with OMED’s mapping team to ensure accurate content tagging.
- Overall Curriculum Review: We reviewed curriculum outcome data from CCQI and discussed how best to conduct a full review. We determined that because the Curriculum Reform Task Force has already been working on a curriculum review and recommendations, we would delegate the committee’s full review to the task force, with recommendations to be presented to the full committee later in the year.
- Tobacco: Our Mapping/Integration Subcommittee recommended enhancing coverage of tobacco in the curriculum and in our objectives. Today we approved adding a smoking cessation workshop to the Adult Outpatient Medicine Clerkship, and strengthening objectives by specifically calling out tobacco—including new objectives on advocacy and population health related to tobacco control.
- Objectives: We approved our current educational program objectives today and will begin deeper dives into each EPO at subsequent meetings, with members reviewing content prior to discussion and making any necessary changes one EPO at a time.
- Conscientious Objection: This ethical topic was removed from the Ethics, Law and Professionalism course to make way for expanded reproductive health discussions, which would include conscientious objection to a lesser extent. Supplemental material and additional touchpoints on the topic would be developed, especially for the clinical phase.
- Artificial Intelligence: The Curriculum Committee is planning to create a task force focused on AI and machine learning, and how we might best think about this content area in our future curriculum.
- Course Evaluation Subcommittee: This group reported on trends from the past year in terms of student evaluations and course interventions. Courses have increased their attention to social medicine/justice content, learner engagement, faculty development, syllabus quality, as well as assessment frequency and preparation.
- Patient, Physician and Society: The block reported on their five courses, which support 13 out of our 34 current EPO’s with creative formats and assessments. PPS courses are the top-rated in the MS1-2 curriculum. We discussed faculty development challenges, especially dealing with sensitive topics in small groups, and how to improve facilitator readiness. We also discussed proposals of how to thread this content area in the new curriculum.
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Clinical Procedures: We reviewed EPO-8 and the Clinical Procedures Course (CPC) to determine both validity and best approaches. The Curriculum Committee certified that the EPO and its 10 required procedures can stand as is, accurately reflecting what we want our students to do by graduation. Recommendations were made to enhance CPC to better prepare our students for clerkships, eliminating less relevant procedural training (paracentesis, regional anesthesia, NG tube and Foley placement, line placement, lumbar punctures) and increasing focus on basic life-saving skills and other procedural skills that require multiple touchpoints to build competency (IV placement, EKG/CXR interpretation, airway management, and sterile technique).
- Dental Medicine: The Committee voted to include a one-week Dental Medicine experience into the Specialty Care Clinic (replacing Pediatric Emergency Medicine, which has integrated with the Pediatric Clerkship). Students will visit a medley of seven different sites under the supervision of dental faculty, learning how to take a good history and exam, when to refer, what to look for, and how to communicate findings. Care disparities will also be addressed.
- Online Curriculum Review: Drs. Lance-Jones and McGee shared a brief review of our virtual and hybrid curriculum delivery options—what we’ve done, what’s worked, and what we might consider for the future. The group emphasized the value of in-person experiences, closed-book assessments, exam reviews, and Panopto pre-recordings followed by active learning discussions.
- MS4 Class Report: Our 4th year class representatives presented a summary of their class’s thoughts about that phase of the curriculum, based on surveys and discussions. They recommended better communication about curricular requirements, more support for the ERAS/SOAP processes, expanded AI and ILS options, and a tighter Boot Camp schedule. These ideas will be reviewed by the Executive Subcommittee next. The committee thanks these outgoing representatives for their service.
- Social Medicine: At the behest of CCQI and with the support of our Social Medicine thread, we will be adding questions to our student surveys about the curriculum, assessing the adequacy of a course/clerkship’s coverage of diverse populations and social determinants of health. These will be used to better monitor how well the thread is performing across the curriculum..
- Clerkship Grading Changes: To improve equity and transparency in grading, all clerkships will be abandoning SHELF cutoffs for the Honors grade for the next academic year and beyond.
- USMLE Policy: Curriculum Committee had planned to vote on a revision to this policy but tabled the request to address student suggestions. It will be reworked and brought back to the committee at a later meeting.
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine: The committee deliberated on whether to keep our curricular week of PEM in its current slot in the Pediatric Clerkship, or return it to the Specialty Care Clerkship (SCC) where it had been pre-pandemic. Because PEM better integrates with the rest of pediatrics, and because the pediatrics SHELF exam heavily includes PEM material, the committee felt it would be better to keep it in the Pediatric Clerkship for the coming academic year. SCC will plan to add a week of Dental Medicine, which will be discussed at an upcoming Curriculum Committee meeting.
- MS3 Class Report: The 3rd year student representatives to the Curriculum Committee presented an overview of the state of that segment of curriculum, focusing on preparation for clerkships, expectations, and career development. Students felt they were generally well-prepared but wanted more reinforcement on clinical procedures and clinical reasoning. Students recommended more clarity and transparency in terms of clerkships objectives and assessments, and more flexibility for career exploration. Recommendations were discussed and will be channeled to relevant groups, particularly the Curriculum Reform Task Force.
- Anti-Racism Curriculum: Two new didactic sessions on race and medicine were approved, one in Introduction to Psychiatry, the other in the OB/GYN clerkship.
- New Curriculum Committee Members: Four new members were introduced, two elected and two appointed: Drs. Andrew McCormick and Orquidia Torres from Pediatrics, Dr. Steve Truschel (Cell Biology), and Dr. Rani Schuchert (Surgery).
- Curriculum Committee membership: We are expanding membership to 21 faculty, to handle increased work related to curriculum reform and other exigencies. Two newly elected members and two newly appointed members will be announced shortly.
- Curriculum Committee membership: We are expanding membership to 21 faculty, to handle increased work related to curriculum reform and other exigencies. Two newly elected members and two newly appointed members will be announced shortly.
- Acting Internship expansion: After lengthy reviews of all our AI’s and subinternships, including discussions with faculty and program directors, we have decided to expand school-approved AI’s to include ENT, PM+R, and CT Surgery (in addition to the traditional Medicine, Surgery, Family Medicine, and Pediatrics). This will give students more flexibility and focus without disadvantaging anyone when it comes time for match decisions. Efforts will be made to assure quality control across all AI’s going forward.
- Curriculum Reform update: Task force leaders presented an interim report on current discussions of their proposals related to the new curriculum, which will be delivered to the Curriculum Committee by the end of 2021. The group will recommend a Foundations phase of 15 months, including a 10-week “keystone fundamentals” section priming students for integrated organ systems to follow, as well as a 10-week summer vacation after first year. The format would be weekly cases, requiring pre-work and weekly formative assessments. Students would spend one day per week on clinical skill development. This phase will be led by dedicated educators, trained and compensated for their teaching across the segment. Flex weeks would intersperse throughout the curriculum to allow for self-care, remediation, or other activities. In the Clerkships and Beyond phase, students would begin with a 2-4 week preclerkship week followed by 12 months of required clerkships and then 2-6 week electives, with flexibility for students to tailor their 4th year experiences better. Step 1 would follow Foundations, led in by a standard six-week dedicated study period, with successful completion required before clerkships can begin. Step 2 CK would occur after clerkships and before ERAS, after a one-month dedicated study period. Tracks or “minors” would allow for exploration of content areas throughout, and important threads like social medicine and leadership would be woven throughout. LRP would continue as a requirement with broader parameters for project inclusion. Other ideas are being incorporated; the CR Idea Competition, for instance, will wrap up 4/19 with final presentations and judging.
- Mapping/Integration: The M/I Subcommittee, led by chairs Drs. Will Walker and Joe Yanta, reported on its progress over the past year. They specifically mapped seven content areas and made recommendations to the committee on what could be improved to better cover content across the curriculum. Two areas were deemed curricular strengths (clinical skills, pathology). Three areas were considered adequate but could be better (palliative care, LGBTQ+ health, cultural competence). And two areas were deemed weak (tobacco, biomedical informatics). The full committee agreed to have OMED use the subcommittee’s recommendations to develop a plan on strengthening coverage of tobacco and health, which will be presented for consideration within three months. Informatics will be considered more generally to determine how much content should be in our curriculum going forward.
- Performance-Based Assessment/CCA: Led by chair Dr. Reed Van Deusen, the PBA Subcommittee continues its work developing and maintaining the quality of clinical skills in the curriculum, particularly human-based simulation. With the elimination of Step 2-CS, PBA recommended that we spend this year piloting an updated 9-station required clinical competency assessment (CCA) in July with the goal of establishing CCA as a graduation requirement in 2022 (for the Class of 2023). At that point, the CCA will move to six stations, and if a student fails to achieve a minimum criterion, they would remediate and take a 10-station exam which they would be required to complete before graduation. The Curriculum Committee approved this plan.
- Surgery Clerkship Grading: Surgery proposed a change in their assessment system for AY2022, lowering the amount of weight attached to clinical evaluations from 70% to 60%, and adding 10% for weekly open-resource content quizzes to help students keep up with didactics throughout the eight-week clerkship. An enhanced case report on social determinants was also proposed. Although student representatives had concerns about how difficult the quizzes would be on a busy clerkship, this proposal was approved by both the Clerkship Directors Subcommittee and full Curriculum Committee, to take effect in May.
- Clerkship Overlap: As part of the COVID transition phase, eight-week clerkships in April-May will need to accommodate double-capacity when the rising MS3s begin their year. Medicine and Pediatrics will manage this by having veteran students complete six weeks of in-person clinical experiences before moving to a two-week consolidation period that will combine didactics with SHELF preparation; rising MS3s will spend their first two weeks doing enhanced orientation activities focused on clinical reasoning and exam skills, before beginning their six weeks of in-person clinical. Surgery/Anesthesiology will manage it by having rising MS3s begin with the anesthesia experience. The plans were approved.
- New Neurology Elective: A proposal for a new elective in the epilepsy monitoring unit was unanimously approved by the full committee.
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Introduction to Patient Care Block Report: Dr. Melissa McNeil presented her report on the block, which includes Intro and Advanced Medical Interviewing and Physical Exam courses, Clinical Experiences, and Clinical Procedures. IPC had significant changes this past year in response to the pandemic, with many experiences being done virtually or with standardized patients. Boosters will be held during later months, and changes are being evaluated to determine what should continue next year. Dr. McNeil is stepping down as IPE course director and IPC block director; Drs. Allie Dakroub and Drew Klein are taking over IPE, and Dr. Reed Van Deusen is taking over block leadership.
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Pediatrics Clerkship Report: Drs. Aimee Biller and John Szymusiak presented their report on the clerkship functioning. Peds consolidated inpatient and outpatient into a new eight-week experience, which also includes Peds EM and Child Psychiatry. New learning objectives were mapped to competencies and UPSOM program objectives. Antiracism curriculum was added. Student satisfaction is quite high, above 90% for overall quality, organization, and feedback. LCME process measures are excellent in terms of observed H+Ps and grade turnaround. Decisions will need to be made about the placement of Peds EM and how to manage the coming “overlap” during periods 12/1.
- Step 2CS no longer a graduation requirement
- With the USMLE’s decision to abandon their Step 2 Clinical Skills examination, UPSOM has withdrawn its requirement that all our students must pass that exam to graduate. We are exploring ways to enhance our own summative clinical skills assessment, the CCA, which may at some point in the future, replace 2CS as a graduation requirement.
- Anesthesiology not required for graduation during the Covid Transition Phase
- Due to lack of availability of clinical experiences due to the pandemic, anesthesiology will not be required of graduating students in either the Class of 2021 or 2022. Beginning with the Class of 2023, Anesthesiology will return as a two-week required clerkship (effective May 2021).
- Social Medicine curriculum feedback process
- Any students or faculty who have feedback about any content related to social medicine (race, determinants, LGBTQ+, etc.) can reach out to Social Medicine thread leaders, Drs. Bui, Ufomata, or Faeder, to discuss concerns. They will also be reviewing comments that come in through course/clerkship evaluations and other means, facilitating resolution and tracking outcomes to assure accountability.
- OB/GYN improves processes
- In response to student concerns about feedback and didactics, the OB/GYN clerkship has instituted several changes to increase continuity and clinical exposures, with administrative structures around feedback enhancing follow-through by preceptors. Early results have shown clear improvement.
- Curriculum Reform: Phase 2 Quarterly Report
- Dr. Mike Elnicki and Peter Drain shared their first formal update on the curriculum reform process. For now, the new “Three Rivers Curriculum” is expected to feature a shorter pass/fail Foundations phase, beginning in August and ending after 15 months, in December of 2nd year. There will still be a summer break but a shorter one. The active learning mode of teaching hasn’t been finalized but will feature weekly formative assessments. A core group of longitudinal educators will provide teaching, and content will be more integrated across blocks and segments (e.g., Foundations of Medicine concurrent with Organ Systems). Students will still be expected to do a capstone research project of some kind, and USMLEs will continue to be required. The time for students to take Step 1 has not yet been determined but likely will be immediately after the Foundations phase. Enhanced threads for social medicine, interprofessional education, and leadership will weave through the curriculum. Core clerkships are expected to be maintained but the length and sequence are being discussed. Town Halls are being planned for more detailed reporting and discussions, especially to solicit ideas and reactions from stakeholders. Many issues are yet to be addressed, including whether to include tracks, what the 4th year would like, and how to integrate our STPs in the overall curriculum. All of these recommendations will need to be approved by CC prior to eventual rollout in 2023-4.
- Psychiatry Clerkship: Annual Report
- Dr. Neeta Shenai presented her report on the clerkship functioning, with no major issues identified. She is embarking on a study of implicit bias in narrative grading reports, to help improve equity and quality of assessment.
- Limitations on Clinical Rotations at UPMC
- Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, UPMC has placed limitations on MS3s rotating at certain clinical sites. About 12 students were affected and had to have clerkships rescheduled. Work is underway to assure that no students need to have their schedules shifted next month.
- SP Program Diversity
- Dr. Reed Van Deusen shared efforts to improve the diversity of our standardized patients. Currently 16% of our 139 SPs come from underrepresented backgrounds. A new staff member was hired to help increase this proportion.
- Step 2CS Requirement Waived for the Class of 2021
- Because NBME suspended administration of 2CS, senior students will not be able to take this exam this year. This has been a graduation requirement, but the Committee agreed to waive the requirement because of the pandemic emergency and its effects. Our graduates have taken our internal CCA, which validates similar clinical skill competencies, and they will likely be required to take 2CS when it becomes available again next year.
- New Curricular Components Approved: ID AOC, Addictions elective
- The Committee approved a new Area of Concentration in Infectious Diseases (“The Bug Club”) which focuses on career development, research, and clinical experiences related to ID (including weekly conferences, mentorship, and research opportunities). Almost 20 MS1s have expressed interested. Meanwhile, a new elective was approved—Substance Use Disorders in General Medical Settings. Led by Drs. Payel Roy and Julie Childers, this clinical rotation will host students on the addiction consult service, doing methadone treatment and ambulatory detoxification, and taking care of perinatal patients at Magee. Up to two students a month will be accommodated throughout the year.
- Adult Outpatient Medicine Clerkship: Annual Report
- Dr. Amar Kohli presented an update on the first year of AOMC, the adult component of CAMPC that split off in AY21. Students do four weeks in ambulatory sites (PACT, cardiology, women’s health, general medicine, etc.), with significant telemedicine components this year. All students do a half day weekly in a psychiatry clinic. The rotation concludes with a SHELF exam and OSCE, comprising half the grade. 90% of students rated AOMC outstanding or good and 87% felt they got sufficient feedback. The clerkship is working on improving grade transparency and equity.
- Slate of Curriculum Committee Member Nominees approved
- The Nominations Subcommittee reviewed over 30 faculty nominated to fill two vacant spots on the Committee. Based on criteria such as commitment, experience, and diversity, a slate of 10 was selected for a faculty-wide vote. The full Committee approved the slate today, with the vote to be completed by 12/18.
- Curriculum Colloquium planning
- We are planning our colloquium for early February. The theme will be social justice in the curriculum. Education award nominations are being requested, with the deadline December 14th— go to the website for more information, including background on a new award, the Social Justice Education Award.
- Resource Subcommittee review
- The subcommittee approved an important grant request from the last academic year to secure suture kits for students, used now mostly in clerkships, mini-electives, and the Skin-MSK course. Limited funds are available to support projects seeking to improve the curriculum—deadline is 1/1/21. See the Resource Subcommittee website for more information on this process.
- Content Change request approved for pediatric clerkship
- Pediatric clerkship will be adding a 1.5-hour video-triggered antiracism workshop co-facilitated with community experts who will be focusing on social determinants of health. This will further support a curriculum-wide educational program objective on racism and medicine.
- GME Update
- Dr. Evan Waxman reported on the school’s collaborations with GME, highlighting in particular a faculty development option featuring brief podcasts on education topics (e.g., giving feedback effectively). We also discussed the increase in applications and anxiety during this virtual interviewing season.
- AOC Health Systems Science approved
- Dr. Allison DeKosky and other faculty and students proposed a new Area of Concentration in Health Systems Science, including quality/safety, health policy, politics and law, and much more, with students expected to engage in didactic experiences, scholarly work, and other experiential activities to help participants learn how best to improve health care delivery. This will be our 11th AOC. Click here for a full list of AOCs.
- New MS-1 members welcomed
- Four new MS-1s were just elected to serve on the Curriculum Committee, attending their first meeting now. Please welcome: Joseph Mocharnuk, Nerone Douglas, Sean Sweat, and Varun Mandi.
- Mapping/Integration subcommittee leadership approved
- Dr. Will Walker will join Dr. Joseph Yanta as co-chairs of the Curriculum Mapping and Integration Subcommittee, charged with monitoring the adequacy of our coverage of key content areas and ensuring appropriate integration across the curriculum. Dr. Bill Yates will be stepping down.
- CCQI reports on curricular response to Covid-19 pandemic
- Based on a timeline review and survey results, CCQI explored how our curriculum responded to the pandemic, finding a number of successes: on-time graduation, quick conversion to remote learning, focus on safety, and a continuation of committee business. Communication started out poor but improved. CCQI recommends strengthening faculty/student support for online learning, improving technology resources, more centralized communication approaches, and continuing remote committee work even when the pandemic resolves.
- MS-4 segment review
- Dr. Laurie Knepper, head of the MS-4 Curriculum Subcommittee, presented a segment review, focusing on Integrated Life Sciences (ILS), boot camps, and acting internships. Student satisfaction is generally very high and students feel prepared to start residencies after this year. To improve the quality of the segment, we discussed making all ILS courses pass/fail and creating a process for the creation of new ILS courses to meet student need; creating 2-week electives; and considering the retention of new AIs added during the pandemic.