ECU’s Brody School of Medicine receives national curriculum innovation grant

The Brody School of Medicine has been selected to receive a new curriculum innovation grant from the American Medical Association (AMA) to transform approaches to learning and competency-based medical education.
Brody is among 15 national medical schools and institutions to share a total of $370,000 in funding announced at AMA’s Accelerating Change in Medical Education Consortium’s ChangeMedEd® 2019 September conference. Funding will help progress medical education improvements that are viable, scientifically rigorous, creative and adaptable to other institutions.

A third-year medical student examines a model in the Clinical Simulation Center at ECU’s Brody School of Medicine.

A third-year medical student examines a model in the Clinical Simulation Center at ECU’s Brody School of Medicine.
(Photos by Rhett Butler)


Dr. Luan Lawson, Brody’s associate dean for Curricular Innovation in Medical Education, said the medical school was immensely grateful for the opportunity to continue its engagement with the AMA consortium and develop a collection of Health System Science (HSS) curricular materials that can be used by health professionals across the educational continuum.
“Reform in health professions education is necessary to better prepare the workforce in addressing the goals of the Triple Aim – better outcomes for patients and populations, increased patient satisfaction, and reduced health care costs,” Lawson said.
By creating enduring materials, Lawson added, Brody is helping to address an immediate need to provide health professionals, faculty and learners with the knowledge and skills required to prepare them to lead and transform health systems of the future.
“Building on HSS work that was funded by our prior AMA Accelerating Change in Medical Education grants, Brody has been recognized as a national leader in HSS curricular development through our Teachers of Quality Academy, Leaders in Innovative Care medical student distinction track and contribution to the inaugural HSS textbook,” Lawson said. “Through this opportunity, we are poised to assist institutions across the country as they work to implement similar programs at their home institutions.”
A group of third-year medical students take part in an internal medicine clerkship in the Interprofessional Professional Clinical Simulation Center at ECU’s Brody School of Medicine.

A group of third-year medical students take part in an internal medicine clerkship in the Interprofessional Professional Clinical Simulation Center at ECU’s Brody School of Medicine.


“Over the past six years, the AMA has invested more than $30 million to redesign physician training because we know that significant changes are needed to ensure future physicians are prepared to meet the needs of patients in the modern health system,” said AMA CEO and Executive Vice President Dr. James L. Madara.
Madara said the AMA has invested more than $30 million to redesign physician training over the past six years to ensure future physicians are prepared to meet the needs of patients in the modern health system.
“By continuing to invest in and expand upon our community of innovation, we will together be able to more quickly make the changes needed to better prepare physicians to enter practice during a period of rapid progress, new technology, and changing expectations from government and society,” Madara added. “We will continue to work with more leaders and innovators from medical education and health systems to drive the future of medicine.”
Two third-year medical students take part in an internal medicine clerkship in the Interprofessional Professional Clinical Simulation Center at ECU’s Brody School of Medicine.

Two third-year medical students take part in an internal medicine clerkship in the Interprofessional Professional Clinical Simulation Center at ECU’s Brody School of Medicine.


Brody and 10 other medical schools and institutions will each receive $30,000 in funding under the AMA Accelerating Change in Medical Education Innovation Grant Program:

  • Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
  • Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine.
  • Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York.
  • Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Fla.
  • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md.
  • University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
  • University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School.
  • University of California, Irvine School of Medicine.
  • Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine, Richmond.
  • Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, N.J.

Separate $10,000 grants will go to:

  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
  • Rayos Contra Cancer, San Francisco.
  • University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson.
  • VCU School of Medicine.

 
-by Kelly Rogers Dilda, University Communications