Curriculum Architecture for Courses at Brody School of Medicine

Rationale

The Executive Curriculum Committee provides central oversight of student academic load to ensure that the learning environment is appropriate. The academic load must balance instructional activities, including required assignments outside of class, against the need for protected blocks of time to allow independent study, wellness and other activities.

Scope

This procedure involves courses taken within the Foundational Phase (Blocks 1 through 4) of the BSOM medical curriculum.

Definitions

Curriculum Architecture: The structure of student academic time obligations including scheduled class activities and required “out of class” assignments.

Half Day: A continuous four-hour block of time extending either through the morning (8:00 AM to noon) or afternoon (1:00 PM to 5:00 PM).

Examination cycle: The length of time, usually 3 to 4 weeks, between major examinations that occur during the Foundational Phase of the curriculum.

Curriculum architecture

In reviewing student academic workload, the Executive Curriculum Committee determined that each week in the Foundational Phase of the curriculum will have both an average student obligated time of 25 hours including required out of class activities and at least two “half-days” of protected time when averaged over an examination cycle (usually 3 to 4 weeks). Any deviation from this architecture must be approved by the Executive Curriculum Committee on a case-by-case basis. An example of deviations approved in the past was the student schedule during the orientation weeks of Block 1 and during the immersive week-long clinical preceptorship of Block 4.

Responsibilities

Executive Curriculum Committee

Set the curriculum architecture. Monitor the student academic workload during curriculum planning to ensure that there is sufficient protected time for independent study, wellness and other activities. In rare cases where the curriculum is disrupted by hurricane or other event, review any changes in the planned curriculum to ensure continued compliance with curriculum architecture.

Office of Medical Education

The Office of Medical Education collects and collates student contact hours in each course and out of course required activities during the curriculum planning phase for each foundational block. OME will use this information to confirm that the workload on the students complies with the curriculum architecture. Report on the curriculum architecture, highlighting any discrepancies, to the year and executive curriculum committee for review.

Related Policies

Credit hours

Applicable Laws, Regulations & Standards

LCME Element 6.3, ILO EMP 3

Appendix

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