Scaling up a Global Health and Disparities Path of Excellence Pilot Program at the University of Michigan Medical School

Abstract

Problem Transforming medical school curricula to train physicians to better address society's needs is a complex task, as students must develop expertise in areas other than clinical medicine. Approach In 2010, the University of Michigan Medical School (UMMS) launched the Global Health and Disparities (GHD) Path of Excellence as part of a larger curriculum transformation. The GHD Path is a co-curriculum with the goal of ameliorating health disparities in the United States and abroad. It was developed iteratively based on student and faculty feedback. Student feedback emphasized the value of the relationships with faculty and other students, the capstone project, and exposure to role models and professional networks. Faculty described the joy of interacting with students and the desire for recognition by their departments for their role as an advisor. Outcomes Informed by the GHD Path experience, UMMS embraced the Path model, which emphasized professional relationships, career development, and high-impact scholarly work, making it different from the traditional medical curriculum, and the school implemented 7 other Paths between 2013 and 2018. Elements common to all Paths include a capstone project, a longitudinal advisor separate from the capstone advisor, exposure to role models and leaders, and the dissemination of scholarly work to promote networking. Next Steps Next steps for the Paths of Excellence include developing methods to systematically monitor students' progress, facilitating mentoring skills in and recognizing faculty advisors, and measuring the long-term impact of the Paths on students and society.