Educating Students in Health Delivery and Health Systems

Preparing students at the Medical College of Wisconsin to be leaders in the fields of health delivery systems and health policy

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Full Project Name:Educating Students in Health Delivery and Health SystemsPrincipal Investigator:William J. Hueston, MD, Family and Community MedicineCo-Investigator:John Meurer, MD, MBA, Institute for Health and EquityAward Amount:45,556

Award Date

July2014

Project Duration:12 months

Project Description Narrative:

The current health care landscape involves complex and changing systems for delivering and financing care. The way in which health care is now financed and delivered, and the policies that govern how health systems provide care to patients and populations, has never been more complex. It is not enough for physicians to simply understand what care to provide to whom and when to do it. They now also need to understand population health, variation in care, insurance restrictions and pre-authorization, how to work with and manage health care teams, and how to change large organizations to improve health. Medical schools need to cultivate physicians who understand both the health policy and business and economics of medicine and who can lead and participate in the changes necessary for our health care system to improve and thrive.

Through this award, the Medical College of Wisconsin will develop a three-year curriculum to support the education of students in the science of health care delivery and prepare them for leadership roles in health systems, health policy, community health, and advocacy for patients.

Outcomes & Lessons Learned:

Developed a core curriculum for medical students aimed at teaching how the U.S. medical system functions and established a Health Systems Management Policy pathway for students in M1 and M2 years
Delivered curriculum to 19 first year (M1) students, conducting evaluations following each session and documenting feedback
Supported student-designed out-of-classrom individualized learning plans that included a minimum of 33 hours working with an advisor to learn about one specific area of health care delivery
Collaborated with four other national institutions (Mayo Clinic, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth Unviersity, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Vanderbilt University) to examine how to provide health care delivery and population health science information to medical students