MD Curriculum Threads

Threads are critical content areas linked to the UW School of Medicine and Public Health graduation competencies. Topics within each thread are developmentally sequenced and incorporated within each block. The thoughtful sequencing and transparency of threads allows this content to be carefully monitored and flow seamlessly across all phases of the curriculum, creating a rich and robust experience for medical students.

The 10 ForWard Curriculum threads are:

• Ethics
  The ethics thread prepares students to address ethical questions and utilize appropriate skills and ethical principles. This thread centers around the five pillars of truth, loyalty, choice, confidentiality, and professional integrity.
• Evidence-based medicine
  The evidence-based medicine thread prepares students to make evidence-based decisions about the care of patients. This thread is woven throughout the curriculum in a way that requires students to assess information needs, ask answerable questions, find appropriate evidence, appraise evidence, interpret results and apply evidence to patient care.
• Health information technology
  The health information technology thread allows students to utilize technology that records, analyzes and shares patient/population health data. Throughout the curriculum, students explore health information technology and the impact of the electronic health record (EHR) on clinical care and population health as well as ethical and legal considerations.
• Interpersonal and communication skills
  Throughout all phases of the curriculum, students focus on communication with patients, families, colleagues, and other health professionals as an essential skill for medical practice. The interpersonal and communication skills thread includes written, oral and electronic communication skills focused on advanced history taking, shared decision making, motivational interviewing, breaking bad news, difficult patient conversations, and health literacy.
• Interprofessional health and team-based care
  The interprofessional health and team-based care thread prepares students to work collaboratively and successfully in a team environment. Throughout the 3 phases, students explore the values and ethics of interprofessional practice, roles and responsibilities of health care professionals, interprofessional teamwork and communication as it intersects with other areas of medical practice.
• Patient care
  The patient care thread is central to the curriculum, beginning with foundations early in Phase 1 and progressing into Phase 2 and 3 clinical rotations. The curriculum includes history taking, physical exam and diagnosis, clinical reasoning, diagnostic and screening tests, patient-centered care plans, patient and family counseling/education, infection control procedures, health literacy, culture and health disparities and bias.
• Professionalism and lifelong learning
  The medical professionalism curriculum highlights a shared system of standards and values that upholds the work of medical professionals. The curriculum weaves in aspects of professionalism and life-long learning that includes self-assessment and feedback, goal setting, reflective practice, respect, empathy, responsibility and compassion.
• Public health
  As a school of medicine and public health, the public health thread is integral to and tightly woven throughout the 3 phases of the curriculum.. The public health thread includes content related to determinants of health and natural history of disease, population health data and evidence-based public health, community engagement and cultural humility, health in all policy and advocacy, public health and health systems.
• Quality improvement and patient safety
  Quality and safety in medicine thread focuses on the high rate of errors and how the health care system and physicians can address this issue. This thread includes history of quality and safety, quality/cost/outcome comparisons, oversight and regulation, decision science and support, systems approach, QI methods to improve quality of care, change management, information technology and automation, error analysis, disclosure and response.
• Scientific inquiry
  The scientific inquiry thread highlights the nature of science, evidence and clinical application. The curriculum weaves together limitations of observation, bias and misconceptions, endpoints in clinical research, placebo and nocebo effects, value and limitations of statistics, appraising evidence, and applying scientific information clinically.