The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has reimagined its curriculum to focus on early research involvement, long-lasting mentorship and on topics such as leadership and social justice.
The New York City-based medical school will debut the ASCEND curriculum this academic year. The curriculum kicks off with an introductory week for students known as BaseCamp. Students then participate in a foundational module to learn key scientific and clinical skills. During this module, students are paired with a faculty member who will serve as mentors throughout their four years of medical education.
"Reflecting on my experience, relationships with my teachers were transient. ASCEND changes that by assigning a dedicated mentor to each student right from the start, fostering a lasting and meaningful clinical mentor-mentee relationship that enhances the learning experience in which our faculty mentors can actually grow with their students. And in this way the partnership becomes that much more powerful," Rainier Soriano, MD, senior associate dean for curricular affairs at Icahn Mount Sinai, said in a July 29 news release.
After completing the foundational module, students take classes organized by each organ system, helping them understand how the systems work together and the health consequences if they do not.
The program also offers concentrations designed to complement the core curriculum, including scientific and scholarly discovery; advocacy and social justice work; healthcare delivery science; and leadership and professional identity development, according to a July 29 news release.
"ASCEND is designed to navigate the abundance of information available, teaching students to discern and absorb what's crucial at the moment it's needed most," Dr. Soriano said. "Students become active partners in their education journey and are encouraged to dive deep in their learning experiences."