Issue link: https://kusm-wichita.uberflip.com/i/1024595
15 It's new and there are challenges With many smaller classes, more classrooms, additional faculty face time, enrichment opportunities to organize, technology to manage and additional staff support to make sure people and material are in the right places at the right time, the new curriculum involves lots of moving pieces, especially considering three campuses are involved. Moser said getting case studies and problems written has been a challenge, but also one that will smooth out over time as a library is built up. With so many details to corral, Kallail said, managing communications across campuses requires a lot of attention. Technology issues haven't been as great as Moser expected. The first-year students, of course, don't know any other curriculum. They noted some trouble spots — materials arriving on time, tests that could be better aligned with delivery of material, some written cases being better focused than others — but also thought they were being listened to when there have been issues. "They're very willing to work with us," Binns said. "They are almost begging us for feedback. They want to make it more effective." "You can definitely tell there's still some kinks that need to be worked out," Donelson said. "But it's a good collabora- tion between faculty and learners where when legitimate issues are brought to light, they take measures to adjust them." Taxing of resources and difficulties aside, "Everyone agrees it's the right way to educate our medical students," Kallail said. Research shows that students learn the material just as well as in a traditional curriculum and that they retain it better. And that the ones who struggled the most in the past are the ones who would be helped the most by this new approach — and that the performance of top students wouldn't worsen. So far our experience is confirming that evidence. Mackenzie Wahl David Watson Scott Moser, M.D. James Kallail, Ph.D. Brynn Wright We've tried to use as evidence-based an approach as possible. We have tried to take a look at not just changing for the sake of change, but at the evidence that this should make a difference. Scott Moser, M.D., associate dean for curriculum