Curriculum change for the Texas Joint Admission Medical Program undergraduate summer internship

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVESThe Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP) is a pre-matriculation program created by the Texas Legislature for students who have diverse socioeconomic. JAMP is currently active in nine Texas medical schools, including the Long School of Medicine (SOM) in San Antonio. Audits of previous curricula administered by the program have shown didactic experiences that lacked training that translates to utility in the clinical setting. A test-run of a new curriculum in 2018 proved positive. The rollout of the program in the summer of 2019 focuses on intertwining principles of basic science with correlations encountered in the clinical environment. These principles are in line with the objectives and goals of the educational experience envisioned by the Long SOM upon revision. DESIGNA mixed method evaluation administered to students (n=25) was used to determine whether the goals of the new curriculum were achieved. Understanding of the material by participants was measured through weekly concept surveys that allowed instructors to see how well each student retained information and concepts introduced to them throughout the course of the program. Their overall satisfaction with the course and their ability to intertwine both basic science and clinical skills were evaluated through bi-weekly surveys that allowed students to rate certain aspects of the program. RESULTSCurriculum modulation that is tailored to incorporate basic sciences embedded within clinical scenarios as opposed to disjoint introduction of content resulted in an augmented learning experience. Given the population studied, these findings apply in the setting of a pre-matriculation programs aimed to recruit students of certain demographics to