Updating the Medical Student Curriculum: Why the Time Is Now (CDEM-Sponsored)

There are currently three core curricula for emergency medicine (EM) clerkships: Fourth Year, Third Year, and Pediatrics. Developed over a span of ten years, these curricula addressed the specific needs of emergency medicine clerkship directors. However, recent discussions have revealed that the current year- and content-based structure may no longer meet the evolving demands of medical education. With changes in the educational landscape, there is growing interest in developing a unified EM curriculum that outlines the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA) necessary for all students completing a required four-week EM rotation, regardless of timing, location, or specialty interest. This session will explore why the time is now to create a single core curriculum for EM clerkships. Participants will engage in discussions through table breakouts, providing feedback on how to best address the need for a standardized EM curriculum. The session will gather input on potential components and approaches to develop and implement this new structure.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this session, participants should be able to:
  • Describe the current state of the EM medical student curricula
  • Describe the need for an updated medical student curricula
  • Synthesize a list of content important to include in an updated, core EM medical student curriculum

Presenters:

  • Matthew C. Tews, DO
  • Meredith Thompson, MD, MAEd, FACEP
  • Navdeep Sekhon, MD
  • Doug Franzen, MD, M.Ed
  • Shruti Chandra, MD, MEHP
  • Andrew Golden, MD
  • Mark F. Olaf, DO, FACEP
  • Christopher San Miguel, MD, MEd
  • Sarah Dunn, MD
  • Thomas R. Alcorn, MD
Authors

  • Matthew C. Tews, DO, MS, CHSE, FACEP,

    Indiana University School of Medicine

    Matthew Tews, DO, MS, CHSE, FACEP, is Associate Dean and Campus Director at Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) – West Lafayette and a Professor of Emergency Medicine (EM) in the IUSM Department of EM. He was previously the Associate Dean for Educational Simulation at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University where he was also the Medical Director of the Augusta University Interdisciplinary Simulation Center and a Professor of EM. Prior to that he was the Assistant Dean for Clinical Curriculum at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) and served in multiple roles in the medical school and the Department of EM. He completed an Emergency Medicine internship and residency program at Michigan State University/Sparrow Health in Lansing, MI, and a fellowship in faculty development at Wright State University Department of EM in Dayton, OH. He has a master’s degree in medical education leadership from the University of New England and has focused his teaching and scholarly efforts on creating, utilizing and describing novel and interactive teaching modalities across the spectrum of medical education, such as high-fidelity simulation, standardized patients, and online educational platforms. He is board certified in emergency medicine, has practiced at four level 1 academic trauma centers, and trained medical students and residents for the last 18 years. He currently practices at Methodist Hospital Emergency Department and Trauma Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.

  • Meredith Thompson, MD, MAEd, FACEP

    University of Florida

    Dr. Thompson earned a B.S. from the University of Florida (UF), and completed her medical training at the University of Virginia. She continued her residency education in Emergency Medicine at the University of Virginia, where she served as chief resident and also completed a fellowship in Medical Education. After fellowship, Dr. Thompson joined the UF faculty in 2018 and completed her Masters of Education in 2024. She divides her clinical time between four clinical sites including the main adult ED, the pediatric ED, and the freestanding EDs at Springhill and Kanapaha.

    Dr. Thompson serves as the department's Vice Chair of Education and the Director of Learning Environment for the UF COM Office of Student Affairs. Her current scholarly interests include trainee support, clerkship assessment and curriculum development, novel educational delivery models, and improving the learning environment.

  • Navdeep Sekhon, MD

    Associate Professor & Clerkship Director

    Baylor College of Medicine

    Navdeep Sekhon, MD, is an Associate Professor and Clerkship Director (EM Clerkship) at the Baylor College of Medicine Henry J. N. Taub Department of Emergency Medicine. Sekhon did medical school at the University of California at San Diego and residency at East Carolina University. He has been advising medical students interested in emergency medicine since 2016. Sekhon is currently a Member-at-Large for the Executive Committee of Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM).

  • Doug Franzen, MD, M.Ed

    University of Washington

    Dr. Franzen is the Director of Student Programs and an associate residency director at the University of Washington. He is a past-president of CDEM and has been an active member since it was founded. He is the chair of the NBME EM-ACE committee that writes and maintains the EM-ACE.

  • Shruti Chandra, MD, MEHP

    Dr. Shruti Chandra is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. She obtained her MD at Jefferson Medical College and completed her Emergency Medicine residency at Jefferson. She completed a Medical Education fellowship and received a Master’s in Education for Health Professions at Johns Hopkins University. Dr Chandra is the Clerkship Director for EM and involved in curriculum development for the medical school and residency.

    Dr Chandra became involved in Telehealth as a Telehealth practitioner and developer of the Telehealth Facilitator Certificate Program for which she is currently the program director. She is the program director for Digital Health educational programs. She is invested in education at undergraduate, graduate and professional levels as well as research in Telehealth.

  • Andrew Golden, MD

    University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

    Andrew Golden is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. He currently serves as the Director of the Emergency Medicine Acting Internship and Third-Year Clerkship. He also is the Assistant Director of the Medical Education and Academic Leadership Fellowship at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. At the Case Western University School of Medicine, he serves as the Assistant Director of the Transition to Residency Curriculum and the Site Director for Acting Internships and Advanced Clinical Electives at University Hospitals. His scholarly interests focus on workplace-based assessment and competency based medical education.

  • Mark F. Olaf, DO, FACEP

    Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

    Mark F Olaf, DO, FACEP is Vice Chair of Education for Emergency Medicine and an Associate Regional Dean for the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) where he is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine. He is an Emergency Physician at Geisinger Health System in Danville, PA.

    A Diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine, and a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians (FACEP), Dr. Olaf is also a distinguished fellow of the ACEP Teaching Fellowship. Dr. Olaf is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed emergency medicine residency training at the Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pennsylvania, where he served as Chief Resident.

    Dr. Olaf has demonstrated expertise in advising and mentoring emergency medicine bound students. He has published and collaborated with colleagues from across the country to further knowledge and share information related to emergency medicine education and advising in medical school. Dr. Olaf has lectured extensively within his institution and in multiple venues across the United States. He has been awarded multiple institutional awards for mentoring and advising students. His ongoing academic and education research interests include evidence-based advising, medical student transitions to residency, and curriculum development for emergency medicine education.
  • Christopher E. San Miguel, MD, MEd

    Christopher San Miguel, MD

    Emergency Medicine Clerkship Director, Assistant Professor – Clinical Institution: The Ohio State University

    Christopher San Miguel is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and the Director of UME at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He completed his undergraduate work as a Park Scholar at North Carolina State University and graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He served as Chief Resident during the final year of his Emergency Medicine residency at The Ohio State University. The following year he completed the Medical Education fellowship, and last year he finished the Master of Education in the Health Professions program through Johns Hopkins University. His professional interests include curriculum development, procedural competency, and simulation training.

  • Sarah Dunn, MD

    Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

    Dr. Sarah Dunn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ. A New Jersey native, Dr. Dunn returned to NJ after medical school and residency at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. After residency Dr. Dunn worked at a community hospital in NJ as well as in the urgent care setting before returning to academia at Rutgers NJMS. Since joining NJMS she has had an increasing role in medical education, serving as the clerkship director for the EM clerkship as well as course director for a transition to residency course for the medical school. She is an active member of both undergraduate and graduate medical education committees at NJMS and has a demonstrated commitment to teaching and educational improvement. She is a member of the SAEM Education Committee and the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine academy.

  • Thomas R. Alcorn, MD

    Rush Medical College

    Thomas Alcorn is the Clerkship Director for Emergency Medicine at Rush Medical College (Rush University) in Chicago, IL. He also serves as the Emergency Airway Director, and is an Associate Professor, core faculty for the EM residency, and clinical faculty of emergency medicine at Rush University Medical Center. Prior to coming to Rush he completed a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine at the University of Illinois Chicago, and currently his primary clinical practice is in Emergency Medicine. He has a special interest in airway and educational research. His airway interests include difficult airway management, airway simulation and training, and airway QI, and his educational interests include curriculum design and student advising.

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