The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

Medical Education Program Highlights The University of Chicago matriculated its first class of medical students in 1927 and continues to serve as a leader in training physicians and scientists. The great traditions that underlie our school’s history include a full-time teaching faculty, a strong emphasis on research and translating biomedical discoveries to the bedside, and stalwart commitment to outstanding care of individual patients and communities. The University of Chicago is committed to training future leaders who will contribute broadly to society. This commitment is reflected in the class composition, which is highly diverse in racial and ethnic background, socioeconomic status, geographic origin, age, identity, undergraduate and graduate institution, and field of study. A typical class will represent 35 different home states with approximately 30% of recent classes consisting of individuals who are underrepresented in medicine. Matriculants will have completed over 40 different undergraduate majors and about half will have taken one or more years off prior to medical school to work, volunteer, or pursue another graduate degree. The curriculum at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine (PSOM) includes several unique features. In keeping with the great tradition of scholarly work, the longitudinal Scholarship and Discovery Program teaches students to develop the necessary skills to complete a rigorous mentored scholarly project by the time of graduation, focusing on 1 of 5 tracks: scientific investigation (basic science, clinical research, and social sciences), community health, global health, health care delivery sciences, or medical education. Another highlight includes the personal and professional development thread, a longitudinal program that includes career exploration and advising, student leadership development, practical skills to maintain resilience, and a focus on inclusivity with training in civil discourse. Finally, students participate in early clinical experiences that are anchored in longitudinal, interprofessional teams. Working alongside colleagues from nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, and other health professions, students learn critical teamwork skills, as well as scope of practice of these disciplines, to provide patient-centered care. Curriculum Curriculum description See Supplemental Digital Appendix 1—Curriculum Map—at https://links.lww.com/ACADMED/A857. Curriculum changes since 2010 Since the implementation of the Pritzker Initiative Curriculum in 2009, the curriculum has evolved in response to student feedback, continuous quality improvement efforts, a changing medical education landscape, and new opportunities. Through our participation in the American Medical Association ChangeMed Consortium, we implemented the VISTA (Value, Improvement, Safety, Team Training, and Advocacy) curriculum, a longitudinal thread focused on training in health care delivery science. In the preclinical curriculum, instructional methodologies continue to emphasize case-based learning. Other discrete changes include re-sequencing of specific courses to enhance opportunities for self-directed learning and cocurricular activities as well as the implementation of a longitudinal curriculum in interprofessional education. We have increased opportunities for elective time during the clinical years for career exploration and professional development. Finally, there are increased opportunities for students to focus on postclerkship skills and preparedness for transitioning to residency. Assessment The medical education program objectives are derived from the Physician Competency Reference Set and are reviewed and revised annually. Since our most recent curricular renewal, our focus has been to diversify and increase the frequency of student assessment to make informed decisions regarding the attainment of competence in a domain. Preclinical students receive multiple formative assessments in the form of institutionally developed written and laboratory practical examinations, as well as multisource assessment from peers, peer educators, standardized patients, and faculty. The clinical clerkship years include clinical documentation review as well as standardized observed clinical encounters and oral patient presentations. See Supplemental Digital Appendix 2—Program Objectives and Assessment Methods—at https://links.lww.com/ACADMED/A857. Pedagogy The University of Chicago PSOM employs multimodal instructional strategies to ensure learners of all types are able to effectively engage with the curriculum. The scientific foundations of medicine use interactive large-group teaching, case-based learning, and laboratory instruction. The longitudinal program and clinical skills rely upon ambulatory and inpatient clinical experiences, simulation, and standardized patients. Preceptorships and peer teaching facilitate a smooth transition to the clerkships and postclerkship year, where students use clinical experiences, small-group discussion, and case-based learning to reframe basic science knowledge in the context of bedside care, as well as perform career and scholarly exploration. Finally, time for independent study throughout the curriculum provides the opportunity for self-directed, lifelong learning skills. Clinical experiences The University of Chicago PSOM utilizes 2 main sites for inpatient clinical instruction: the University of Chicago Medicine, a tertiary care academic medical center, and NorthShore University HealthSystem, our primary teaching affiliate, an integrated health system serving patients throughout the Chicago area. Ambulatory experiences take place in various community-based clinics, including federally qualified health centers on the South Side of Chicago. Students experience significant actual and standardized patient encounters early in their time at PSOM, performing more than a dozen standardized encounters in their first year alone. In addition, students have a 10-week faculty preceptor experience in which they refine oral case presentation skills in preparation for a seamless transition to the clinical wards. Students participate in their first required clinical experience in the fall of their first year when resident preceptors introduce them to the hospital environment and provide opportunities for history-taking practice, as well as feedback. Students at PSOM also participate in a longitudinal clinical experience throughout their first year entitled the Longitudinal Program and are required to participate in a quarterly longitudinal, interprofessional experience where they are immersed in the clinical experiences alongside physical and occupational therapy, nursing, pharmacy, speech and language pathology, and nutrition. This interprofessional experience continues in the subsequent curricular years, consistent with students’ growing clinical capabilities. Required and elective community-based rotations occur at one of several affiliated family medicine clinics throughout Chicago and the surrounding area. Students may be assigned to any of more than 30 sites that serve diverse populations, from Spanish-speaking only to primarily Asian American communities, as well as other clinical partners such as the Howard Brown Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community. Curricular Governance The Education Executive Committee (EEC), chaired by the dean for medical education and reporting to the dean of the division of the biological sciences and PSOM, is responsible for making and endorsing educational policy, oversight of curriculum review committees, integration with graduate medical education, and other aspects of the Biological Sciences Division. The EEC has responsibility for all aspects of the medical educational program, including the medical school, Medical Scientist Training Program, admissions, and student affairs policies. The Curriculum Steering Committee (CSC), chaired by the associate dean for evaluation and continuous quality improvement, is the committee responsible for reviewing curricular policy and making recommendations to the curricular subcommittees. The CSC comprises educational leadership, including the chairs of the Preclinical Curriculum Review Committee (PCRC) and the Clinical Curriculum Review Committee (CCRC), educational leadership from our teaching affiliate, and student representation. The CSC performs an annual review of the curriculum, including key process indicators such as pertinent LCME-related elements and national benchmark data from the AAMC. The PCRC is composed of preclinical course leadership, administrative staff, and elected student curriculum representatives. It meets quarterly to perform course reviews and targeted faculty development. The CCRC meets every other month and includes all clerkship directors, as well as administrative staff, student representatives, and the director of fourth-year studies. The CCRC discusses clerkship ratings quarterly, as well as pertinent clerkship metrics such as student mistreatment, midclerkship feedback, and observation of history and physical examination skills. The curriculum at the University of Chicago PSOM is governed centrally through a robust oversight structure, described above. Education Staff The Medical School Education Team consists of the executive director of medical school education and assistant director of medical school education, who oversee operations, including planning, implementation, and oversight of the Curriculum Team staff. These include the registrar, who maintains student records and manages visiting students; the manager of medical education, who supports faculty professional development in medical education; the assistant manager of scholarly activities, who supports the scholarship and discovery curricular thread; 2 curriculum management specialists, who provide technical support and maintain the learning management system as well as evaluation delivery, analysis, and curriculum mapping; the senior programmer analyst and learning technology specialist, who oversee and manage the medical education data warehouse; the clinical performance center and standardized patient program team; and the medical school education administrator, who maintains schedules and provides administrative support to the executive administrative leadership. The dean for medical education is responsible for the oversight of the medical education continuum that includes undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education, as well as simulation. Each part of the continuum is supported by its own faculty leaders and administrative staff. Within the medical school, the medical education staff oversees and supports the curriculum and academic support for students. Separate staff groups support student affairs, admissions, financial aid, and diversity and inclusion. See Figure 1—Organizational leadership chart.Figure 1: Organizational leadership chart.Faculty Development and Support in Education PSOM has long invested in the development and recognition of educators and teachers. In 2019, PSOM created the inaugural position of associate dean for faculty development in medical education, whose role is to oversee all efforts in this area, which include the programs described below. The Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators (ADME) is our educator academy, currently in its second decade. The ADME is an honorific academy with a service component, with 2 levels of membership—fellow and master—all of who are faculty. Fellows have a 5-year renewable term, and masters are elected for life. The mission of the ADME is to promote excellence in teaching at PSOM; support scholarship among medical educators; enhance the PSOM curriculum by supporting, recognizing, and rewarding outstanding teachers; build a community among medical educators; and facilitate the creation of an environment that enhances the status of medical educators at the University of Chicago. The ADME supports numerous programs to fulfill its mission, including the Faculty Advancing Medical Education (FAME) Program and Teaching Consultation Program. In addition, it hosts an annual medical education day event that includes a nationally known keynote speaker, a workshop-based retreat for clerkship and program directors, a poster session of medical education scholarship, plenary presentations, and induction of new fellows and masters into the ADME. The ADME also sponsors 2 grants annually to support medical education scholarship. FAME is the premier program at PSOM for developing teachers. The program offers workshops 3 times per year to all faculty at Pritzker and NorthShore University Health System. We also offer “targeted FAME” sessions, coordinated with departments and tailored to specific faculty development needs. Most recently, we have offered SNIPPETS, 20-minute skills-focused sessions incorporated into standing departmental meetings. Individual coaching is as important for personal growth, which is why we offer the Teaching Consultation Service. This model peer observation program is offered to all faculty and offers 1-on-1 observation of teaching in clinical, small-group, and large-group sessions. Consultants are trained members of the academy who pre-brief with participants regarding their goals, observe actual teaching sessions, and debrief performance. To develop medical education scholars, we offer the Medical Education Research Innovation Teaching and Scholarship (MERITS) fellowship program. This is a 1-year program that consists of didactic sessions on curriculum development, scholarship in medical education, and the theory and practice of teaching as well as mentored projects. A GME-specific MERITS program is also offered to residents across programs who are interested in medical education. We encourage the sharing of scholarship through the monthly Research in Medical Education lecture series that allow faculty, staff, and trainees to present their medical education projects to the larger medical education community.