Framework for an Open-Access, Graph-Based Curriculum in Medical Education

• In Event: Rethinking Health Professions in the 21st Century: Innovations, Interruptions, and Regenerations

Abstract

Preclinical medical education in the U.S. has historically consisted of two years of classroom learning, culminating in the USMLE Step 1 exam. Reevaluating this tradition offers an opportunity to reduce student debt and consequently increase the proportion of 1) low socioeconomic status students pursuing a career in medicine and 2) students aspiring to critically needed primary care specialties. We propose a novel educational tool as a potential first step towards an alternative preclinical education model. Our prior proof-of-concept (POC) for a multiple-choice question generation engine demonstrates the power of applying graph database search tools to ontology datasets in what we call a graph-based curriculum (GBC). Extension of the POC to foster learning through evaluation, feedback, and unbounded repetition can be accomplished using well-established technical tools. Building this preclinical GBC as a collaborative, open-source system results in a sustainable, easily-translatable, accessible, and free-learning tool. A preclinical GBC could be used to prepare a student with adequate time, motivation, and aptitude for Step 1. Generalization of this framework could additionally become a living resource capable of providing focused education to a broad audience for any topic.

Authors

• Stephen P Winter, University of Chicago

• Leah Brodsky, University of Chicago