Roadmap for creating an accelerated three-year medical education program

ABSTRACT

Medical education is undergoing significant transformation. Many medical schools are moving away from the concept of seat time to competency-based education and introducing flexibility in the curriculum that allows individualization. In response to rising student debt and the anticipated physician shortage, 35% of US medical schools are considering the development of accelerated pathways. The roadmap described in this paper is grounded in the experiences of the Consortium of Accelerated Medical Pathway Programs (CAMPP) members in the development, implementation, and evaluation of one type of accelerated pathway: the three-year MD program. Strategies include developing a mission that guides curricular development – meeting regulatory requirements, attaining institutional buy-in and resources necessary to support the programs, including student assessment and mentoring – and program evaluation. Accelerated programs offer opportunities to innovate and integrate a mission benefitting students and the public.

Abbreviations: CAMPP: Consortium of accelerated medical pathway programs; GME: Graduate medical education; LCME: Liaison committee on medical education; NRMP: National residency matching program; UME: Undergraduate medical education

KEYWORDS:

• Medical education
• innovation in medical education
• accelerated pathways
• accelerated medical degree

Summary

In general, the structure and processes necessary to establish a three-year MD accelerated pathway are similar to those required of a standard medical school, with some added complexities that require both careful planning and additional resources. The timing and nature of assessments need to accurately reflect the student’s progress but be provided in time for specific acceleration/deceleration decisions as well as being substrate for program level evaluation of the accelerated pathway. Successful programs go beyond simply compressing existing programs but rather use this organizational innovation to re-engineer existing processes so as to better align and integrate the program in service of a well-defined mission, benefitting both the student and the public.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge Corinne Gibilterra for her assistance with manuscript preparation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the American Medical Association; Health Resources and Services Administration [TOBHP30010]; Health Resources and Services Administration [UH1HP29965]; Health Resources and Services Administration (US) [T0BHP28580]; Josiah Macy Foundation.