Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (Noorda-COM) curriculum diverges significantly from traditional medical education. Noorda-COM’s blended curricular model pioneers the integration of technology and directed personal guidance, putting students at the center of the medical education experience.
No scheduled classes and no large classroom lectures
The heart of our curriculum is faculty pre-recorded, short video segments (3 to 7 minutes) covering defined learning objectives. Students engage with core content in small groups (4-12 people) in on-campus learning pods collaboratively accomplishing required content. Groups are able to schedule their own learning times, leading to a great degree of flexibility for the student.
At the end of each video segment, to assess and reinforce learning, a medical boards-style question is asked on the material presented with supplemental, prescribed supporting documentation as additional references. The next video segment plays once the group correctly answers the question. Faculty are available via “on-call” chat should the group have questions. This format allows for integrated, interprofessional team teaching from a variety of experts, and even patients, on a single topic.
Students are provided with their individualized discipline specific and cumulative performance metrics. This constant flow of data in real time identifies areas for student improvement maximizing the opportunity to succeed. At the end of every other week, faculty lead live, learning objective specific reviews are delivered based on data collected from that cycle. These sessions are a forum for faculty to provide an interactive and tailored “additional” support for topics that students found challenging during the preceding period. Advanced content is selectively available to students who desire a deeper dive on areas of personal interest.
The first year of the curriculum strengthens the knowledge and comprehension of the biomedical sciences preparing the learner to apply those foundational sciences in the analysis and application of the system-based second year. Longitudinal courses in Entrustable Professional Activities and Community Medicine are central to early engagement of clinical activities and research.
Hands on skills are a crucial competency for successful physicians. The instruction of this content is accomplished utilizing Noorda’s 23,000 sq. ft. clinical simulation facilities through pre-recorded demonstrations and faculty led open lab periods spread across the two-week cycle.
Discipline specific clinical experiences are designed in collaboration with local and regional hospitals and clinics utilizing similar asynchronous, learning objective driven content. Pre- and post-rotation instruction for core third-year rotations blend holographic, animated, and live patients, augmented and virtual reality, and hands-on task trainers. Proficiencies essential to being a meaningful contributor to the healthcare team are emphasized.
The goal and objective of Noorda-COM’s blended curricular model is to provide our students every tool possible to be a successful clinician, maximizing their professional opportunities.
Noorda-COM Programmatic Level Educational Objectives for Osteopathic Medical Student Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, and Year 4.
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