the patient populations found in Florida and across the United States. This new
curriculum will undoubtedly create new research opportunities: In the academic
medical center, research drives the curriculum; in our disruptive-technology
model, the curriculum will drive new research initiatives. The Internet will play
an integral role in the educational program – it will be used to link clinical training
at diverse ambulatory sites, facilitate small-group interactions of students,
faculty, community physicians or patients at proximal or distant geographic sites
across North Florida, the state, the country or the world. It can be used to facilitate
learning activities for all of the above groups and to assure comparability of
educational experiences at multiple training sites….
BASIC SCIENCE
An integrated curriculum will be developed containing a core curriculum –
the fundamental and unchanging concepts of how humans work at the macroscopic,
microscopic and molecular levels (physiology, anatomy, biochemistry,
cellular and molecular biology, and human behavior) – which will be defined
and incorporated. Preparation for the practice of medicine in the next 5-15 years
will necessitate additional curricular components of molecular biology such as
genomics, molecular embryology, molecular pharmacology, etc. Other components
of the curriculum that will be continuous throughout the four years may
include:
1. Treatment of specific patient populations – the elderly, patients with
chronic diseases, rural populations, inner-city populations, gender
groups, children, etc.
2. Biostatistics.
3. Human behavior and the impact of behavior on compliance with treatment
regimens.
4. Biomedical ethics.
5. Preventative health care (nutrition and fitness; environment and health;
etc.) – focus on the well patient versus the sick patient.
6. Alternative medicine.
7. The practice of medicine – practice management, HMOs, etc.
8. The basic clinical skills – ability to take a patient history and perform
a physical examination, communication skills and skills in developing
interpersonal relationships. The use of standardized patients (pediatric,
adult, geriatric) will play an important role in the training of medical
students in these skills….
42 | Breaking the Mold