June 15, 2026
June 1, 2026
May 4, 2026
March 2, 2026
February 2, 2026
January 5, 2026
June 15, 2026
- Discovery Weeks: Drs. John Szymusiak and Graciela Bauza shared their teaching/assessment plant for the Discovery Weeks, a new required pass-fail five-week intersession course in Clerkships/Bridges phase. Students will have about 25 hours of synchronous sessions in the July start, with a focus on nutrition, health systems science, and wellbeing. Thread integration, MOUD, and Longitudinal Alliance Program sessions will take place here, along with administrative requirements like BLS and mask-fitting--which will reduce the need to pull students off of other rotations. Students will be assessed on learning objectives through modules, quizzes, and classroom participation. A flexible make-up system will allow students to complete requirements even if they have to miss the week due to conflicting schedules, with course director approval. The Bridges Phase Subcommittee reviewed the plan and recommended that Curriculum Committee approve it, which it did.
- New Course: Purpose and Practice of Becoming a Physician: The Foundations Phase Subcommittee reviewed an alteration to an existing MS1 course, Introduction to Being a Physician. The proposal combines IBP sessions with orientation sessions from the previous week into a two-week integrated course with a focus on professional identity development, welcoming new students to PittMed. Drs. Jason Chang and Amanda Brown will remain co-directors, along with Katie Maietta and Dr. Allison Serra who are newly added. A more rigorous assessment plan was created for the new course, with module completion, faculty assessments, quizzes, and other strategies for students to assure completion of learning objectives. The integrated schedule allows for shorter synchronous days and plenty of time for community-building. The Committee approved the new course.
- Content Change: AI Added to EDR: Evidence, Discovery and Reasoning (EDR) slightly altered course learning objectives to better highlight what is taught (e.g., about the scientific method). Although EDR1-3 CLOs had been merged, the mapping core feels it will be easier to track content by separating them out again. In EDR2, new content about AI will be added, to help students better understand how to appraise AI's review of scientific literature.
June 1, 2026
- Acting Internship selective: CT Surgery option removed for CO28: The Bridges Phase Subcommittee has reviewed our acting internship selective and recommended removing the CT Surgery option. Very few students take it, and students entering CT surgery specialty should take a Surgery AI anyway to be competitive. CT Surgery will remain a valued elective, still important for those interested in the field.
- Oncology Renamed: The Oncology course, which already includes significant hematology content, has been renamed Hematology-Oncology, to reflect that mix of content. Course learning objectives were consolidated and updated to reflect the change. No alteration in course content or length will be necessary.
- Integrated Life Sciences Course Approved: The ILS course will run in February of the MS4 year beginning in 2027. The full teaching plan was reviewed by the Curriculum Committee and approved. Students will have a four-week return to basic science experience, a mix of large and small groups, with synchronous activity in the morning and self-directed learning in the afternoons.
May 4, 2026
- Whole Curriculum Review: During the past month, culminating in synchronous discussions on 4/20/26 and 5/4/26, the Curriculum Committee engaged in a deep Whole Curriculum Review, building on previous phase, course, and longitudinal program reviews. Faculty and student members explored data related to student performance and curricular outcomes, including student satisfaction, assessments, residency readiness, content performance, and curricular mapping. We then reviewed all 34 educational program objectives (EPOs) to determine, for each, if we are teaching that competency, if we are assessing it, and if students are adequately achieving it. Pre-votes were held asynchronously, followed by synchronous discussion and re-voting. Several EPOs were identified as "needing improvement," including 21 and 33 (social determinants and structural competency), 15 (testing), and 30 (high-value care). After lengthy discussion about our data and EPOs, the Committee finalized a WCR workplan of four key items: reviewing/revising key EPOs for clarity/focus, integrating foundational science topics better, making assessment more robust, and deepening/accelerating content in health systems science and social determinants of health. An executive summary will be prepared and further action steps will be developed.
March 2, 2026
- History of Medicine Collection: Cassie Nespor, MLIS shared a detailed inventory of the Falk Library's history of medicine resources, dating back to the 15th century. Educators could use the collection for assignments or research, and a flex week is being considered. This is also part of our effort to strengthen offerings in medical humanities.
- First Longitudinal Elective Approved: After approving the format for longitudinal electives, the Curriculum Committee approved our first Longitudinal Apprentice Clinical Experience—LACE. Led by Drs. Vanderberg, Mikes, and Gaesser, this elective pairs up Bridges students for longitudinal preceptor relationships in areas of their choosing, allowing students patient continuity where possible, and facilitating transition to residency. Students will typically do 4 hours every other week, gaining 2 weeks of elective credit for every six months they are in the program. Nearly 40 students have expressed interest, and the Bridges Phase Subcommittee had already approved the elective.
- Admissions Prerequisites: We reviewed our current list of prerequisites for admission. Dr. Stephanie Gonzalez updated the Curriculum Committee on changes to the applicant pool, particularly the number of students who are majoring in neuroscience. Although most students do not have or require neuroscience experience to succeed in the curriculum, the committee felt that most neuroscience courses should allow students to fulfill our one year biology requirement. The committee approved the prerequisite list with that alteration.
- UPSOM Strategic Planning: Dr. Abbas Hyderi shared a draft of the education arm of PittMed's strategic plan, which focused on our goals of recruiting better learners, achieving better learning outcomes, building leadership through graduate programs, and innovating and disseminating more. Committee discussion focused on metrics related to learner readiness. Dr. Hyderi will consider these comments as the draft is revised and finalized.
February 2, 2026
- Communication Curriculum: Dr. Doug White, UPSOM's new Associate Dean for Bioethics and Humanism in Medicine, shared a preliminary review of communication curriculum in the MD program. Many strengths were noted, particularly around basic skill training, task training (e.g., motivational interviewing), and assessment across time. Opportunities for improvement were discussed, particularly around shared-decision-making, use of AI, and increased spaced repetition/practice. The Committee agreed to form a task force to explore possible interventions.
- Longitudinal Electives: Dr. Eloho Ufomata and the Bridges Phase Subcommittee presented a framework for a new kind of curricular unit—longitudinal electives. The proposal would allow students in the Bridges phase to take up to two longitudinal electives, which would provide up to four weeks of credit towards elective requirements. Specific parameters, exceptions, and procedures were reviewed. The proposal was approved by the Committee, directing new longitudinal elective proposals to BPS for review effective immediately.
- Policy Review: The Countersignature policy was eliminated, as it duplicated policies of our clinical affiliates and was not necessary to repeat. The Policy on Timing of Academic Procedure Changes was considered for elimination but the Committee felt it provided important protections to students and should instead by revised/simplified.
January 5, 2026
- Anesthesiology: The Curriculum Committee voted to reclassify Anesthesiology from a clerkship to a required rotation. The Anesthesiology clerkship had been very different from other clerkships: 2 weeks instead of 4, with an option for 4 weeks that other clerkships didn't have; 50% of the 2wk experience was simulation; midrotation feedback was difficult to achieve because of the structure; it was the only clerkship not have an NBME Subject Exam; and it could be taken in either the Clerkships or Bridges phase. Reclassifying it as a graduation requirement allows students to take whatever version of the important content fits their interest and timing, and eliminating the clerkship designation will make it easier for some students to take away rotations. The change will be effective in February 2026 for the Class of 2028.
- Clerkship Quizzing: The Curriculum Committee voted to alter clerkship assessment components effective February 2026, adding 5% of the grade for weekly quizzes to improve student medical knowledge acquisition and NBME Subject Exam readiness. OB/GYN, which already was piloting quizzing at 10%, will remain as such. Other clerkships reduced the weighting of the clinical assessment to allow for the quizzing. Quizzing will align with didactic content; students will have multiple attempts to achieve a 70% passing threshold on these take-home assessments in order to be eligible for the full 5% credit.
- New AI Assessment Form and Altered EPO/CLO/AM Crosswalk: The Bridges Phase Subcommittee proposed a new assessment form for students taking acting internships and advanced clinical electives, based on the recently revised structure of the clerkships assessment form, with competency-based items on a developmental Likert scale linked directly to course learning objectives, with more specific behavioral anchors. Minor adjustments to the common AI crosswalk were necessary to achieve fidelity. The form will take effect in the next academic year.
- Bridges Phase Report: The Bridges Phase Subcommittee, led by Dr. Eloho Ufomata, presented their phase review to the Curriculum. Highlights included high levels of student achievement and satisfaction, excellent LCME process measures, and positive overall outcomes. A number of action items were reviewed to further improve the phase, with specific items on the high-level work plan: reviews of two EPOs (19—care in multiple settings; 30—high value care) and a review of the CCA. These items will be reviewed by the Committee in six months.
