College of Medicine--Tucson
Clerkship Curriculum for College of Medicine Tucson Medical Students: Expansion of Clinical Sites and Clinical Experience and Undergraduate Degree program in Emergency Medical Services
Preparing students for the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution economy
Dr. Irving Kron, Interim Dean, College of Medicine Tucson was approved for two proposals. The first, titled, “Clerkship Curriculum for College of Medicine Tucson Medical Students: Expansion of Clinical Sites and Clinical Experience”, was awarded $899,986. The primary goal of this initiative is to reduce the 24-month pre-clerkship program to a 20-month program, thus providing students more time to choose a specialty that is their best fit and to remain successful in an increasingly competitive residency match. This will require the expansion of clinical sites due to an overlap of students from 120 to 240 spots over this time period.
|
To sustain this curricular model, the college will allocate a one-time budget for each of the clinical departments with a clerkship along with temporary funding to enhance some positions or create new temporary positions. Ultimately if the College of Medicine and ABOR elect to increase class size in the future, the college will draw from increased tuition revenue.
Dr. Kron’s second proposal, titled, “Undergraduate Degree Program in Emergency Medical Services” was awarded $292,463. The primary goal of this project is to establish a bachelor’s degree program in Emergency Medical Services that would train EMTs and Paramedics beyond the scope of community college curriculum as a broader knowledge base is necessary along with a flexible skillset that will meet the needs of the 4th industrial revolution economy. In terms of the UA Strategic Plan, the funds would support a program designed to encompass UA’s strategic pillars. The program will “drive student success in a rapidly changing world” and “cater to a rapidly changing world” ~ Dr. Irving Kron. To sustain the new program, the funding would provide short-term funds to hire additional staff, which cannot happen with the current one-year delay in funds flow within RCM; however, as student enrollment increases, the program will be able to continue within the RCM model.