Meeting Abstract

79.2  Wednesday, Jan. 6  The “Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians” Report: Opportunity and Challenge SILVERTHORN, D.U.; Univ. of Texas, Austin silverthorn@mail.utexas.edu

In 2007 the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and Howard Hughes Medical Institute convened the Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians Committee (SFFP). The committee, composed of basic and clinical scientists and undergraduate scientist-educators, was charged with “recommend[ing] specific [scientific] competencies . . . fundamental to medicine that all medical students should demonstrate,” and “identify[ing] scientific competencies that learners should demonstrate before entry into medical school [with] emphasis . . . on defined knowledge, scientific concepts and skills rather than specific courses or disciplines.” The committee report, published June 2009, begins with overarching principles that span all of the scientific disciplines, followed by scientific competencies and associated learning objectives for medical and entering medical (i.e. undergraduate) students. The first two entering medical competencies are quantitative skills and process of science skills, followed by more traditional content-based competencies. The report ends with a discussion of how innovative and interdisciplinary college courses might allow students to achieve these competencies in place of the traditional pre-med coursework. The SFFP report debuts as AAMC begins revision of the MCAT, the National Board of Medical Examiners revises the USMLE, and the College Board revises the AP Biology curriculum. Coordinating recommendations from these diverse groups will provide undergraduate faculty with curriculum opportunities and challenges in the years to come.