Undergraduate Medical Education (UME)
The Department of Medicine manages the pathophysiology component of Organ System Diseases, a significant course in the 2nd year. In the clinical years, the Department of Medicine manages the clerkship in Medicine, which is paired with the Neurology clerkship in the 16 week Care of Adults thematic section in the Core Clinical Curriculum. The Department also manages the fourth year sub-internship in Medicine, and offers many Flexible Clinical Experiences in the third year, as well as Ambulatory Medicine electives in the fourth year. Students and faculty have strong support and valuable resources in the Undergraduate Education Coordinator and Vice Chair of Undergraduate Education.
Department of Medicine faculty are involved in the teaching of courses sponsored by other departments, including presenting clinical vignettes and leading discussions for courses such as Medical Biochemistry, Anatomy and Physiology and serve as small group facilitators for the third year Interclerkship programs.
Educational Leadership
Medicine’s commitment to Medical School programs is reflected in committee membership and leadership: Admissions Committee; Educational Policy Committee; Faculty Council; Personnel Action Committee; Tenure Committee; Affirmative Action Committee; Committee on Committees; Faculty Grievance Committee; Library Committee; Patent Policy Committee; Student Affairs Committee; Scientific Council; Women’s Faculty Committee; and Graduate Council. One faculty member in the Division of Rheumatology is Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, and the Department of Medicine faculty are members of the Graduate Medical Education Committee.
Our faculty serve in a variety of educational leadership roles within the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and in regional and national programs:
- the Basic Science Academic Evaluation Board
- the Clinical Years Committee
- the End of Third Year Assessment OSCE program
- the School Educational Policy Committee
- the Clinical Science Academic Evaluation Board
- the Community Faculty Development Program; this program has a regional and national impact on improving medical student and resident education
- Department of Medicine Education Research Group, which attracts substantial outside funding
- faculty development
- development of new educational initiatives
- The Internal Medicine Interest Group for 1st - 4th year students.
Our faculty also advise and counsel many members of the 4th year class in career decision-making and through the process of preparing the department chair’s letter for students applying to residency programs in internal medicine.
Program Development
The Department of Medicine has revised and intensified the Ward Teaching Attending (WTA) program. WTA’s teach residents and students on the inpatient clinical services for 10 hours weekly for 4-week blocks, a commitment that has increased the quality and intensity of the educational, mentoring and assessment/feedback content of the third year core clerkship and subinternship.
Awards
Numerous UMass Chan medical education awards are garnered annually by Department of Medicine faculty members, in recent years to include: Outstanding Clinical Medical Educators, Outstanding Basic Science Medical Educator; the Lamar Soutter Award; the Women’s Faculty Award; the Community Faculty Educator Award; and the Emeritus Award for Excellence in Medical Education.
Departmental awards included the Sarah L. Stone Award to one young faculty member and one resident, and its Educational Achievement Award to three faculty members.
For more information about the Undergraduate Medical Education Program at UMass Chan Medical School, please see the
Office of Undergraduate Medical Education.