Priority Area #2: Education

Goal: The Department will be a leading resource for meeting the primary care and public health workforce needs of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Objective 1: We will train clinically competent, patient-centered, and community-responsive clinicians and public health professionals to provide quality health care services to diverse populations

Objective 2: Our training programs will be based in clinical and community settings that reflect the health care needs of the Commonwealth, with emphasis on training for shortage area practice

Programmatic Goals

A. Our predoctoral training programs will ensure that all medical students graduate with a firm grounding in the principles of Family Medicine and of Community Health, and will include innovative curricula related to serving underserved populations

Strategies:

a. Our Family Medicine programs will expose students to Family Medicine role models and will foster student interest in pursuing Family Medicine as a career choice.

b. The Community Health Clerkship will evolve into a robust longitudinal community health curriculum.

c. Our faculty will continue to make substantive contributions to courses in Population Health and Epidemiology, emphasizing the determinants of health for individuals and populations and the relationship between communities, cultures and health care systems.

d. Department faculty will have active roles in the LInC redesign, including serving as advisors for the ‘Capstone’ requirement.

B.  Our Family Medicine Clerkship will occur in dynamic teaching practices that are exemplary models for the provision of Family Medicine.

Strategies:

a. We will expand our community-based training sites to give students a larger variety of locations and opportunities.

b. We will enhance our Family Health Centers and other select sites as model teaching practices that accommodate larger student cohorts.

c. Our faculty will serve as role models, equipped with efficient precepting skills and career counseling expertise.

C.  Our Family Medicine Residencies will be highly competitive, and will attract and sustain a diverse group of learners within supportive and innovative learning environments.

Strategies:

a. Our residencies will emphasize the unique features of each Family Health Center, and will reflect them in recruitment and curriculum development.

b. We will provide supportive and learner- centered teaching environments that allow learners to develop their priorities and reach their goals.

c. We will be proactive in the development of innovative learner strategies and curricular enhancements that respond to program and resident needs.

d. We will attract, retain, and support expert, passionate faculty.

D.  Our Sports Medicine Fellowship will be a regional and national leader in the field of Primary Care Sports Medicine through education, research, clinical services, and community outreach.