University of Virginia School of Medicine
Curriculum Committee
Minutes 08.05.99

The Curriculum Committee met August 5, 1999 at 4:00 in the Pediatric Pathology Conference Room.

Present (underlined) were: Reid Adams, Robert Bloodgood, Anita Clayton, Al Connors, Gene Corbett, Donald Innes (Chair), Steven Meixel, Jerry Short, Bill Wilson, Robb Williams, Debra Reed (Secretary)

The meeting was opened with introductions and a brief background review by Don Innes on the creation and goals of the Curriculum Committee.

In the most recent LCME review, the LCME expressed its disappointment with the failure (of the Medical School) to satisfactorily address several accreditation shortcomings that were noted in the 1991 survey. Among these, were management and evaluation of the curriculum in accordance with accreditation requirements; inadequate evaluation of the education program effectiveness through assessment of learning outcomes, slow pace of expanding students' education experience in ambulatory care and the lack of faculty bylaws as required by accreditation standards. A NIH report on the Medical School MSTP program also criticized the program for similar problems and in part as a result, funding for the program was not renewed. In "Looking Back - Students Evaluate the First Two Years of Medical School," Dean's town meetings, Mulholland reports and other critiques the students have focused on similar issues.

In response, Dean Carey established the position of "Dean of Curriculum" and appointed Donald Innes to this position. The Curriculum Committee will be the body to oversee the curriculum. The CC will manage the curriculum through a process of monitoring, evaluation and appropriate response.

DRAFT: The Curriculum Committee is responsible for defining the goals and objectives of the curriculum; for developing a working plan including teaching responsibilities for each course and clerkship ; for delineating an overall schedule; for coordinating implementation of the plan and for managing a program of continuous curricular evaluation and improvement. The Curriculum Committee works in conjunction with the Curriculum Support Committee in evaluation of the educational structure and programs (including all courses, clerkships and elective activities, and instructors). The Curriculum Committee adjusts the curriculum as appropriate based on Curriculum Support Committee findings.

The Curriculum Committee executes the curriculum through the operations of the "Principles of Medicine Committee" and "Clinical Medicine Committee" committees which act as both the sensors and effectors for the Curriculum Committee.

Members of the committee were selected because they are all leaders at the Medical Center, thinkers, open minded, visionaries, have a dedication to medical education and understand the survival skill of adaptability. Core vision and purpose statements were presented.

Core Values for Medical Education at UVA:

Attract, motivate and guide outstanding people by nurturing the dreams of those embarking on a career in medicine

Engage the creative abilities of people to generate new knowledge and improve the quality of life

Foster excellence in medical education which blends compassion, technical ability and thirst for knowledge

Core Purpose for Medical Education at UVA:

To train physicians to help people achieve healthy productive lives and advance knowledge in the medical sciences

Our goal as a committee should be to have other medical schools look to our curriculum as a model a few years down the road. We will need to prove that what we do actually helps. One of our first tasks will be to devise a means of monitoring the curriculum. We will need to work closely with Dr. Short's Support Committee to devise useful evaluative tools. We must format a strategy for an appropriate response and then educate our faculty as to the importance and value of their teaching work.

Each member was asked to determine what they believe the goals medical education at UVA should be and discuss this at the next meeting.

Don Innes recently attended the International Association of Medical Student Educators in Washington, DC. He will present summaries of segments of the meeting at future CC meetings and encouraged others to bring education related information from all sources to our meetings. "integration is in the mind of the learner"

A timetable for these curriculum adjustments was briefly discussed. Dr. Innes would like to have a broad plan established by November 1999 and begin implementation of this plan by the year 2001.

We may wish to invite guest speakers to inform us in regard to curricular matters. We may invite Dean Carey to a future meeting for a discussion of strategy. Don Innes will consult with Munsey Wheby regarding this.

Regular weekly meetings will be held Thursday at 4:00 p.m. in the Pediatric Pathology Conference Room.

Donald J. Innes, Jr., M.D.