Curriculum and Faculty Development:
Goals and Objectives of the Educational Program of
New Jersey Medical School

Curriculum Goals:

1. Mastery of clinical knowledge with basic sciences integration
2. Excellence in clinical skills
3. Excellence in professionalism and humanism
4. Commitment to the health of the community and appreciation of social and cultural diversity
5. Dedication to lifelong learning
6. Development of effective education and communication skills

Curriculum Objectives:

Goal 1: Mastery of Clinical Knowledge Basic Sciences Integration

• Demonstrate comprehension of core basic science knowledge
• Demonstrate comprehension of core clinical knowledge
• Demonstrate an ability to utilize basic science knowledge to explain normal and abnormal physical findings

Goal 2: Excellence in Clinical Skills

• Obtain a comprehensive history and perform a comprehensive physical exam, including obtaining a complex biopsychosocial history
• Exhibit facility in developing differential diagnoses and therapeutic plans
• Present a patient in a comprehensive, logical and analytical fashion
• Demonstrate ability to counsel patients
• Demonstrate competency in basic clinical procedures

Goal 3: Excellence in Professionalism and Humanism

• Demonstrate respect for patients, patients’ families and all members of the healthcare team
• Listen to patients in a non-judgmental and value-free manner
• Behave morally and ethically at all times, recognizing and following the NJMS Professional Code of Conduct
• Develop an understanding of one’s own strengths, weaknesses, biases and fears
• Acknowledge and learn from mistakes
• Utilize a kind and caring manner interacting with patients, colleagues and other members of the medical team
• Set high standards for behavior for oneself and model these standards for one’s peers

Goal 4: Commitment to the Health of the Community and Appreciation of Social and Cultural Diversity

• Demonstrate the ability to obtain a history and physical that accommodates patients’ belief systems
• Demonstrate cultural and linguistic competency
• Demonstrate the ability to develop treatment plans that accommodate the cultural, social and economic context of patients

Goal 5: Dedication to Lifelong Learning

• Practice evidence-based medicine
• Identify one’s own professional strengths and weaknesses
• Recognize when to seek consultation
• Be open to learn from patients and all members of the healthcare team

Goal 6: Development of Effective Skills in Education and Communication

• Teach patients how to maximize wellness, prevent disease and manage illness
• Effectively teach junior students and peers
• Make organized and concise oral presentations
• Be an effective listener
• Communicate with others in a non-judgmental manner
• Write articulate, legible and interpretable histories, physicals and progress notes

Pedagogy of the Educational Program of the New Jersey Medical School

The following pedagogical principles were utilized in the development of the New Curriculum.

• In the preclinical year, one day per week should be devoted to a Doctoring course.
• On the four remaining days, there should be five hours of instruction, leaving time for self-study and class preparation.
• This results in 20 hours per week devoted to basic science.
• No more than 50 percent of any week should be lecture time.
• There should be no more than three hours of lecture on any given day.
• The committee is still exploring the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing problem-based learning (as opposed to case-based learning) as the teaching modality in small groups.