University of Virginia School of  Medicine
Curriculum Committee
Minutes
10.01.09

Pediatric Conference Room, 4:00 p.m.                       

Present (underlined) were: Gretchen Arnold,  Dan Becker, Robert Bloodgood, Megan Bray, Eugene Corbett, Thomas Gampper, Wendy Golden, Donald Innes (Chair), Keith Littlewood, Veronica Michaelsen, Mohan Nadkarni, Chris Peterson, Jerry Short, Linda Waggoner-Fountain, Bill Wilson (Acting Chair),  Mary Kate Worden,  Lisa Herrmann, Evan Lapinsky, Brad Bradenham, Debra Reed (secretary)

1. Principles of Medicine Committee Report to the Curriculum Committee (1 yr versus 3 yr) Bob Bloodgood presented an excellent report including valuable assessment data. 
   
   Major Activities: (all related to the Pre-Clerkship portion of the Curriculum)
   Change to Pass/Fail grading and evaluation of its impact
   Implementation and evaluation of Pre-clerkship portion of the Cells to Society curriculum (started in Fall 2005)
   Study of lecture attendance issues
   Regular evaluation and improvement of the courses and support services (John Jackson et al.) for the courses
   
   Sources of Data:
   Student Performance Data
   Course evaluation data
   Well-being survey data
   Other student surveys
   USMLE Step 1 data 
   
   
   Specific Pre-Clerkship Changes in the New "Cells to Society" Curriculum
   Foundations of Medicine versus Core Systems
   Loss of 2 months of pre-Clerkship instruction/assessment time
   Year 1 starts earlier and ends later; more vacation time added
   6 weeks of Core Systems at end of Year 1 before summer break
   Summer break between Yrs 1 and 2 reduced from 12 to 9 weeks
   Year 2 ends earlier (mid-March) - hence Clerkships start earlier
   Cells to Society-An Introduction
   Switch from 3 to 2 exams/course
   Experiment in one course (MMG; Thanksgiving-Winter Break Yr 1)
   Introduction of Exploratory - soon renamed as SIM
   More use of on-line graded quizzes and introduction of ARS
   Increased coordination of Pathology, Pharmacology and PoM2
   New Patient Clinician Encounter experience in the first 2 years of curriculum
   
   
   
   
   
   
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   Problems that arose in 1^st semester of introduction of the new  "Cells to Society"
   curriculum
   Problems with exploratory/SIM
   Problems with Gross Anatomy schedule (4 times per week)
   Complaints about the Cumulative Honors component of Pass/fail
   Student concern about change from 3 to 2 exams/course
   Serious Drop in Well-Being
   
   Immediate action was taken to address all three of these issues and the next Class showed a dramatic rise in the Well-being index.  Good example of a collaboration between the Principles of Medicine and the Curriculum Committee.
   
   
   
   
   
   Conclusions of the Pass/Fail Grading Study
   
   Academic Performance (Courses and Clerkships): No Change
   Performance on USMLE Step I and Step2CK: No Change
   Attendance at Lectures: No Change
   Residency Placement "Success": No Change
   Student Satisfaction with Their Medical Education:  Significant increase for Semesters 1-4
   Student Satisfaction with Their Personal Life: Significant increase for Semesters 1-3
   Student Well-being:  Significant increase for Semesters 1-3
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   The Committee thanked Dr. Bloodgood and the Priniciples of Medicine Committee for this excellent in-depth report. 

William Wilson
dmr