A Student Perspective on the
Foundations Curriculum
Why Foundations?
The EvidenceIn 2016, for the first time in over 22 years, the MD Program at the University of Toronto (U of T) renewed the preclerkship curriculum. Part of the motivation is an emerging body of medical education literature that calls upon medical schools to offer more integrated, student-centred learning that aligns with the needs of twenty-first century medicine. Just like we practice evidence-based healthcare, we should engage in evidence-based education.
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The StudentsThe Foundations curriculum is greatly driven by student feedback, and responds to a major concern that our predecessors had: a need for more flexibility and time to pursue other interests – both within and outside medicine. Moreover, it aims to create immersive educational experiences (e.g., case-based learning) that closely mirror the clinical environment. The U of T curriculum is constantly evolving in response to student feedback and the Foundations curriculum is a natural step in the same direction.
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What does the Foundations curriculum look like?
You can read about the nuts and bolts of the Foundations curriculum on the Foundations website. However, we will do our best to summarize the core pillars of the curriculum. Here is the structure of a typical week:
Highlights
- Case-based learning delivers medical expert content alongside relevant social science concepts. This involves a group of students working through an online module based around a patient case. In a given week, the first session will be student-led and the second led by faculty to ensure that the learning objectives are being achieved.
- Lectures are both in-person and online through pre-week and mid-week videos/e-modules. Online lectures will be specifically curated for each week’s content, and provide students with an efficient and flexible way to learn.
- Anatomy, physiology, and clinical skills typically align with the rest of the week’s content (e.g., dissecting the heart, learning about its function, and learning how to do a cardiac clinical exam in the same week).
- Seminars, workshops, and tutorials occur in small groups and encompass a variety of topics including: medical expert content, ethics, social determinants of health, health sciences research, community/population/public health, or hands-on skills.
- Portfolio involves reflective practice sessions, providing you with time to critically engage with and learn from your academic and clinical experiences in a small-group setting.
- Unscheduled time is an opportunity for students to take charge of their learning. This is protected time that could be used for independent study, conducting research, shadowing/observerships, or taking a personal day.
- Exams and assessments are different than they have traditionally been in the MD Program. Rather than having major high-stakes exams, the Foundations curriculum will involve frequent, low-stakes assessments that focus on continuous progress, improvement, and competency development.
How will you do in Foundations?
It will be what you make of it.
We are confident you are all bright, talented, and motivated students. This curriculum provides you with enough structure to facilitate your learning while also giving you the flexibility to pursue your own interests. You are getting the same rigorous curriculum that U of T is known for, but with more focus on student-centred learning modalities and self-directed learning. We hope that you are as excited as we are to join our U of T med family in August 2022!
Sincerely,
Jason Kwan (2T2) and Dilshan Pieris (2T3)
VPs Education – University of Toronto Medical Society
Disclaimer: Please note that this article reflects the views of two medical students and not necessarily the entire Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
We are confident you are all bright, talented, and motivated students. This curriculum provides you with enough structure to facilitate your learning while also giving you the flexibility to pursue your own interests. You are getting the same rigorous curriculum that U of T is known for, but with more focus on student-centred learning modalities and self-directed learning. We hope that you are as excited as we are to join our U of T med family in August 2022!
Sincerely,
Jason Kwan (2T2) and Dilshan Pieris (2T3)
VPs Education – University of Toronto Medical Society
Disclaimer: Please note that this article reflects the views of two medical students and not necessarily the entire Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.
