The integration of a new simulation center within a Competency-Based Curriculum: an opportunity for holistic undergraduate medical education curriculum redesign

Abstract

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. Problem: Medical education is shifting to competency based training focusing on 13 Core EPA's for Entering Residency. In response, UME leaders are reforming curricula to focus on Competency Based Education (CBE), and many institutions are choosing to incorporate Simulation Based Educations (SBE) into these efforts. Guidance for institutions planning comprehensive reform and simulation integration is limited. The purpose of this paper is to describe the experience at one medical school attempting to align a new UME curriculum and a new simulation center using CBE principles.Approach: As part of a UME curriculum redesign, the University of Texas Southwestern took two major actions. First, they secured funding to build a campus wide simulation center to host large-scale, high-quality simulation activities. Second, they formed a simulation planning committee to coordinate existing simulation activities and develop new activities to integrate into the new curriculum. This committee chose to use EPAs as an organizing framework.Outcome: The simulation planning committee carefully identified 25 simulation activities that would effectively target core EPAs, while also complementing existing UME courses. The committee identified a director and co-director for each activity and established standard elements that would be common to all simulation activities. Learners' progress through each activity is tracked and verified in a comprehensive portfolio.Next Steps: Throughout the academic year, data will be collected for each simulation activity according to uniform metrics. These data will be used to inform the committee's decisions to continue, modify, or discontinue certain activities for future cohorts of students.