The Curriculum Innovations Work Group (CIWG) was formed in October 2014 by the College of Medicine Curriculum Committee. The group’s task was to investigate and recommend a new framework for the medical school curriculum. In April, the Curriculum Committee approved the three-phase framework.
The CIWG has identified five overarching goals for UNMC curricular redesign:
- Integration throughout the curriculum – this includes greater integration between clinical and pre-clinical learning experiences as well as greater integration between and within a core(s).
- Earlier clinical experiences – in addition to an enhanced longitudinal clinical experience in the pre-clinical years, students should have a greater opportunity for career exploration prior to applying for the residency match process.
- Enhanced M4 year – the final year of medical school should be structured to provide robust learning experiences that facilitate a student's transition into residency in their chosen field.
- New competencies – there is a need to have purposeful curricular learning experiences and integration of assessment in new and emerging competencies (e.g. quality improvement, population health, patient safety, health systems).
- Structure of existing cores – to facilitate student learning and application of basic science knowledge to the clinical environment, the curriculum should be organized around human organ systems with foundational knowledge about basic sciences and clinical skills embedded into each core in a longitudinal fashion. Key curricular themes or "threads" will be woven throughout the four-year curriculum.
Faculty interested in working on the new medical school curriculum should contact Renee Alley.