In 2015, the School of Medicine’s redesigned educational curriculum will “go live.” The medical school is set to begin the new integrated course curriculum in August 2015 as students in the Class of 2019 enter their first year of medical school. Incoming third-year students—members of the Class of 2017—will begin the clerkship component of the redesigned curriculum two months earlier, in June 2015.
The new curriculum is designed to embrace the proud traditions of the School of Medicine, including the “Yale System” of medical education, while keeping an eye towards the future. Among its features are the integration of basic and clinical science content (which will be organized across sequential theme-based courses), a longitudinal clinical experience in which students will be directly involved in patient care from the beginning of medical school, and a redesigned clerkship year that features four 12-week integrated blocks, which combine disciplines and provide opportunities for greater continuity with patients, teams, and mentors.
Says Richard Belitsky, M.D., deputy dean for education, “We are excited about the launch of our new curriculum. It is an important step in ensuring that our students have the best possible learning experience and graduate fully prepared to become exceptional physicians, ready to meet the needs and face the challenges of our rapidly evolving healthcare system as tomorrow’s leaders in medicine and science.”
A website has been developed to outline the changes in more detail, answer frequently asked questions, and keep the community updated on the progress of the building of the new curriculum. Please visit the curriculum site.