Some medical schools are updating their curriculum to provide greater depth to disease education.
A rise in AI, patient demands and increased awareness of health equity and social determinants of health have pushed organizations to evaluate physicians' preparedness as they enter the field. The spotlight has fallen on a few areas, including nutrition and substance use disorder, that could use more in-depth training. These needs are fueling a push to update how medical schools train physicians for the future of healthcare.
Meanwhile, some leaders are questioning the medical school accreditation process and calling for changes.
Here are five notable updates:
1. A recent opinion piece by NYU Langone leaders published in The Washington Post also questioned the medical school accreditation process. Two NYU Langone executives, Robert Grossman, MD, CEO of NYU Langone Health and dean of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, and Steven Abramson, MD, executive vice president of the health system and vice dean of the medical school, said that the Liaison Committee on Medical Education's method of accrediting medical schools is are overly complex, expensive and error prone, diverting attention and resources from physician training. They called for the LCME to simplify the review process and address the potential conflict of interest of former employees becoming consultants for the process.
2. The LCME defended its accreditation process and said it is designed to be thorough, but the organization offers numerous free resources and support to help reduce costs to medical schools. The LCME's decisions are guided by a structured review process and conflict-of-interest policies, ensuring consistent and fair decisions when formal reviews occur every eight years, the group said. The LCME also pushes to make accreditation focused on outcomes over process, arguing that this approach overlooks the comprehensive competencies required to become a physician.
3. Researchers at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine are developing a curriculum around care for patients with substance use disorders. Typically, students receive a few lectures on the topic, but this new curriculum would provide an in-depth education on treating substance use disorders as a disease and addressing biases.
4. Other universities are also changing the curriculum to provide a robust education. Aurora-based University of Colorado School of Medicine was the first in the nation to fully transition to an education model where students train in multiple specialties at once. New York City-based Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is also launching a foundational module before starting classes about each organ system.
5. A panel also identified and recommended 36 nutrition competencies that should be included in medical schools and training. The panel, made of 37 medical educators, nutrition scientists, practicing physicians, medical residency directors and registered dietitian nutritionists, said the competencies fall within foundational nutrition knowledge, assessment and diagnosis, communication skills, public health, collaborative support and treatment for specific conditions, and indications for referral. The top recommendation was to provide evidence-based, culturally sensitive nutrition and food recommendations that focused on prevention and treatment of diseases.