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A Student-Centered Approach to Curriculum Design in the University of Michigan Path of Excellence in Global Health and Disparities

Objective: In the creation of a novel, co-curricular Path of Excellence in Global Health and Disparities (PoE-GHC), we attempted to engage learners with a diverse depth and breadth of preexisting knowledge. To do this, we asked our learners to reflect on their skills related to GHD-competencies.

Study Design: A prospective study, surveyed students’ baseline level of skills related to GHD with the phrase, “At this point in my career, I can…” and their anticipated need for these skills with the phrase, “I anticipate that my future career will require me to…” The 25 competencies were developed with the participation of more senior students during earlier planning sessions. Answers were captured on a 4-point Likert scale. P-value was set at 0.05 for significance.

Results: The difference between students’ perceived competence at baseline and their need for that skill in the future was calculated using Wilcoxin’s paired T-test. On all 25 competencies, students’ perception of their need for competency exceeded their current skill level (p ≤ .05). At baseline, students felt most confident with items related to cultural competence and least confident in program design and evaluation.

Conclusion: This study takes into consideration the importance of learner self-determination in the design and implementation of a voluntary, co-curricular path in undergraduate medical education. Given the demands of standard medical education, the additional workload of a voluntary program must closely address learner need in order to remain viable.

Topics: 2013, Student, Clerkship Director, Clerkship Coordinator, Systems-Based Practice & Improvement, UME, Global Health,