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Curricular Innovation

Curricular Reform

Mount Sinai is undergoing a major curriculum reform, with the goal of producing "physicians and scientists who are prepared to enter society as informed advocates and activists, able to advance science and clinical care, and capable of promoting change." The new curriculum will aim to achieve the following:

  • Integration across scientific disciplines
  • Integration between basic science and clinical medicine
  • Longitudinal clinical experiences as a focus of clinical training
  • An experience that is broader and deeper than traditional models of medical education
  • An educational paradigm that promotes self-directed and lifelong learning

Other elements in the new curriculum include a focus on patient-centered, service-oriented education that is informed by the humanities. Lastly there will be a major emphasis on scholarship and investigation, with plans for a fourth year that has dedicated time available for independent, mentored projects.

The core elements of the new curriculum are detailed in the table. More details will follow in the coming months.

Table 1. Core Elements of the New Mount Sinai Curriculum
Element Explanation
Patient-Centered Longitudinal patient experiences that foster development of relationships and allow students to see the full spectrum and course of illnesses and diseases. Students will be assigned a growing panel of patients with chronic illness and will have an evolving role in the care of these patients, from acquaintance to advocacy to actual participation in care.
Humanistic Focus on making broadly and deeply informed, conscientious practitioners and/or investigators.
Socially Relevant A curriculum that addresses major issues that influence the health of societies and promotes student service and advocacy.
Translational A curriculum that teaches the basic and clinical sciences in an integrated way that reinforces key concepts. We will work towards an appropriately integrated systems-based curriculum for the first two years.
Individualized A curriculum that is flexible to meet the individual needs of students. The curriculum will be competency-based, allowing students to reach milestones at different developmental stages, thereby tailoring their years in medical school to best suit their educational needs and interests.
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