Preparation for Practice | Burnett School of Medicine at TCU

This novel component will coalesce around contemporary themes including informatics, gerontology, public health, patient safety, global health, health care delivery, health policy and advocacy and team approaches to care.

This approach goes beyond a traditional medical education, providing students with practical tools and information to solve real-world problems and adapt to radical changes in their career.

Course Director: Dr. Valerie Johnston, v.johnston@tcu.edu

Ethics

The Ethics theme provides a foundation in ethical reasoning and decision-making. Students will develop a coherent approach to effectively manage encounters they will face in medical practice, further informed by their values and life-experiences. The theme fosters an appreciation for the universal relevance of ethical principles as applied to the practice of medicine as well as other disciplines and values that are central to our humanity. These include but are not limited to law, philosophy, history, literature, end-of-life issues, spirituality, leadership, and social policy.

Gerontology

The Gerontology theme investigates the interplay between environmental, cognitive, psychological, patho/physiologic, biochemical and functional changes that occur in the aging population. The theme addresses the unique as well as universal aspects of caring for an aging population and explores the environments of care. Students will explore strategies to optimize care and quality of life across the continuum of aging patients, from healthy aging to complex multi-system and/or chronic conditions.

Global Health

The Global Health theme focuses on improving health for all people in all nations by promoting wellness while eradicating avoidable disease, disability, and death. It can be attained by combining population-based health promotion and disease prevention measures with individual-level clinical care. (Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on the US Commitment to Global Health)

Health Care Delivery

The Health Care Delivery (HCD) theme surveys the organization, financing, and economic impact of the U.S. health care system. The theme delves into the challenges and benefits of current delivery and payment systems and value-based care concepts. Students will prepare to engage the complexity of the system now and in the future.

Health Care & Human Centered Design

The Health Care & Human Centered Design theme focuses on the importance and skills of creativity and innovation for physicians. The theme centers on the frameworks and tools of putting people at the center of innovation of products, services, and experiences in healthcare. The theme fosters empathy, humility, collaboration, and creative confidence. Students will actively engage in using human-centered design to create real social change in the community.

Health Care Policy & Advocacy

The Health Care Policy & Advocacy theme prepares students to identify the micro and macro-drivers influencing decision-making in health policy. The theme focuses on developing leaders that are equipped to research, analyze and propose policy change to improve patient outcomes and care delivery. Students will explore strategies to maximize physician influence at the local, state, national and international level on issues such as health care reform, workforce, and protecting and improving the medical profession.

Health Equity

The Health Equity theme will explore how social determinants of health lead to disparities in medical outcomes for various communities. Students will also review the unintended negative consequences of some programs that seek to reduce these health inequities.

Informatics

The Informatics theme highlights the interaction between health information technology and the delivery of high quality, value-based care. The theme addresses the importance of clinical decision support, data analytics, cybersecurity and regulatory compliance to the physician and care environment. Students will explore the broader interface of medicine, the use of clinical informatics in medical practice, and opportunities for informatics specialization.

Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QIPS)

The Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QIPS) theme explores the role and importance of these pursuits in the everyday provision of health care. The theme introduces students to the core principles of CQI and how to apply these principles to improve patient care. In addition, the theme examines the importance of safe practices in the delivery of health care to optimize outcomes.

Psychological & Behavioral Science

The Psychological and Behavioral Science theme explores the inherent intersection of core psychological concepts with medical training and practice. The theme emphasizes the critical role of self-awareness/discovery as well as social, interpersonal and environmental factors that influence human behavior. Students will actively engage and apply psychological and behavioral principles toward the promotion of health and well-being in self and others.

Public Health

The Public Health theme examines the ten essential services or domains of public health. Students will explore the opportunities for collaboration between the health care system and the public health system. Activities will involve the use of contemporary real-world examples where opportunities to collaborate are necessary in order to realize total population health. The role of clinical practitioners will be emphasized in this theme.

Team-Based Care

The Team-Based Care theme includes traditional interprofessional education (IPE) training opportunities shared with students of other disciplines as well as learning the roles and responsibilities of many health care providers. In addition to formal IPE experiences, the theme emphasizes the importance of everyone who contributes to a patient’s experience and care. The theme fosters humility, collaboration, leadership, and communication skills essential for students to function effectively in contemporary medical practice.