Transcript Curriculum Revision

Student-Directed Curricular Renovation within a
Department of Family Medicine
Nicole Y. Ottens, DO, PGY1, Midwestern University/CCOM
Donald J. Sefcik, DO, MBA, Associate Dean, Midwestern University/CCOM
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Background
Medicine and medical education are dynamic. In response, medical
school faculty are constantly revising their educational objectives
and methodologies. Frequently, these modifications occur within
the confines of individual courses or departments. The end result is
curricular change that can be fragmented; some subject matter
may be unnecessarily duplicated while other subject matter is
omitted. As educational consumers, medical students are ideally
positioned to critique the curriculum and make recommendations
for its enhancement.
Introduction
The MWU/CCOM Department of Family Medicine recognized the
unique perspective of its medical students and their ability to
perceive the strengths, weaknesses, redundancies and deficiencies
of its curriculum. Recognizing a disparity between the faculty’s
rationale for the curriculum and the students’ perception of the
curriculum, the department chair created a forum to improve
communication between the students, faculty, staff and
administration.
During the Fall of 2001, all MS1 and MS2 students were
encouraged to apply for membership on a student-directed
curriculum reform advisory panel. The application consisted of three
questions:
• Why do you want be a member of this panel?
• If selected, what will be your number one agenda item?
• What education-related experiences can you bring to the group?
The goal was to create a balanced group by selecting students
based upon response diversity, previous experiences and openness
to ideas. The group started with 8 students (4 MS1s and 4 MS2s);
four MS1s have been added each year since.
Initially, the Department Chair selected the students and
facilitated the group’s discussions. To improve student comfort
with the process and foster teambuilding during the second
year, the Department Chair selected a student to chair the
panel.
Discussion
The original and primary goals of the student panel were to review,
analyze and critique the educational structure and curriculum
limited to the courses offered by the Department of Family Medicine
during the preclinical (MS1 and MS2) years.
The group met quarterly to discuss the students’ perception of the
courses and offer their suggestions for improvement. The value of
the students’ perspectives regarding opportunities for curricular
enhancement was immediately recognized and curricular changes
were implemented after the first meeting.
The emphasis of the panel’s recommendations focused on
curricular issues initially. The first changes were logistical and
focused on student needs and wants. These changes included:
• Combining two quasi-related MS2 clinical courses into
a much more robust course - the Practice of Medicine (POM)
• Improving the effectiveness of clinical lab sessions
 More clinical faculty were recruited to attend each session
 Checklists for clinical skills were expanded and refined
 Inter-rater variability during assessments was reduced
• The establishment of an early clinical contact program (ECCP)
Subsequent to piloting and institutionalizing these well-received
and more student-centered curricular changes, the panel has
increasingly become recognized as a forum for the student body’s
voice to be heard. Students genuinely feel their ideals, concerns
and suggestions about their education are being taking seriously
and acted upon.
The panel members have also learned how to negotiate change in
a structured environment, how to work within a group to creatively
solve problems, and how to professionally and maturely approach
the faculty, departments and administration.
Although the original members of the panel have all graduated,
they continue to share their experiences and suggestions with the
group, ensuring that those that follow in their footsteps receive the
best educational opportunities possible.
Outcomes
• Positive curricular renovation
 Creation of more comprehensive preclinical courses
 Enhancement of the clerkship scheduling process
 Improvement in COMLEX preparatory exercises
 Initiation of annual comprehensive examinations
 More congruence between assessments & teaching
 Current college-wide curricular review
• Enhanced faculty-student dialogue
• Improved student member skill sets
 Leadership
 Negotiation
 Problem-solving
 Teambuilding
Conclusions
A student-directed curriculum reform advisory panel has been
very successful at MWU/CCOM. The group provides valuable
insight into the curriculum from the students’ perspective.
Many faculty and students have embraced the panel as a full
partner in curricular improvement.
During the past four years, several benefits have been
experienced by the student members of the panel, including:
• Improved problem-solving skills
• Better communication and negotiation skills
• Teambuilding and leadership skills
• Insight into curricular design and development
• Prepared to become future academic leaders