The Longitudinal Coaching Program stems from the 2022 Yale School of Medicine Strategic Plan for Medical Education. Starting with the MD Class of 2027, a longitudinal coach is assigned to each student. The coach works with the student throughout their Yale School of Medicine (YSM) undergraduate medical education training, supporting the student's professional development and reviewing individual progress in meeting the milestones toward attaining YSM's nine MD Program competencies.
These competencies are the knowledge, skills, and attributes that all MD students should achieve to be prepared for the next phase of medical training. Each competency is further defined by the school’s educational program objectives (EPOs), with measurable or observable milestones for each of the three phases of the MD curriculum—pre-clerkship, clerkship, and advanced training period.
Longitudinal coaches help students monitor their progress in meeting these milestones by, together with the student, reviewing the student's formative and summative assessments, self-reflections, narrative feedback, and other relevant data. They assist their students in identifying progress and achievement, as well as areas for improvement or potential concern across the four-year curriculum. Coaches work with each of their students to develop goals and action plans that are customized to the student's needs and learning style. The coaches, as part of a larger team, also help students overcome learning challenges.