DEVELOPMENT OF A CORE COMPETENCY UNDERGRADUATE CLINICAL CURRICULUM

 

Richard Currie*, Joann Hayes, and Elizabeth Young, Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, Rootstown, OH 44272 U.S.A.

 

PURPOSE: A continuum of clinical education skill set development from student to resident to practitioner is emerging nationally. With ACGME’s implementation of six core competencies, it is intuitive to develop an undergraduate clinical curriculum around the same set of core competencies and learning objectives. This curricular revision for the third-year core clinical clerkships is one piece of an Integrated Steps Curriculum.

 

METHODS: The existing curriculum was critically assessed, with recommendations regarding addition, modification, consolidation, relocation, and elimination of curricular content. Goals and objectives were developed for each core competency, with a common competency-based Final Grade Report Form and establishment of acceptable levels of performance.

 

RESULTS: A comprehensive, integrated core competency-based clinical curriculum with:

·         Common goals and objectives;

·         Established levels of competency

o   ‘Progressing Appropriately’ determined to be the skill set expectation

o   Levels of performance descriptors for ‘Needs Development’ and ‘Exceptionally Advanced’ were established

·         Common Final Grade Report Form

 

CONCLUSION/FUTURE DIRECTIONS: Challenges of this implementation include faculty development, avoidance of old patterns in a new format, and implementation of a curriculum management oversight team. Future considerations include development and implementation of common instructional initiatives, assessment of outcome measures, and further development and expansion into the fourth-year elective rotations.