The LEARN Curriculum
In August 2014, the class of 2018 was introduced to our revised curriculum, which we called the LEARN curriculum. The LEARN curriculum is the product of an initiative that began in the spring of 2011 with over 100 faculty, students and administrators at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University working in specific subcommittees. Among the goals in introducing a reformed curriculum was the interest in increasing active learning, establishing early professional identity, and developing physician competencies in an integrated and contextual approach.
The guiding principles for LEARN included a focus on active student learning, on students having responsibility to learn with faculty serving as facilitators, on interdisciplinary integration of curricular content and on earlier introduction of the clinical clerkships.
LEARN is an acronym for Learning Centered, Experiential, Adaptive, Rigorous and Novel. The curriculum is divided into three phases:
- An 18-month foundational phase
- A one-year primary clinical phase
- A 16-month advanced clinical phase
Several innovative features have been incorporated into the LEARN curriculum. These include transition courses at the beginning of each phase of the curriculum.
Other components of the LEARN curriculum reflect our commitment to providing students with unique opportunities and tailoring our education to their needs and interests. These include:
- A Scholarly Concentration Program where students can work with a mentor to engage in research on a specific topic of interest,
- A Global Medical Education Program that allows students to complete some of their education abroad.
- A focus on professional identity formation which includes attitudes, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and communicative skills important for medical professionals to possess.
See links on the left menu for more information.
For more detailed information regarding the LEARN curriculum, please click here. For Curriculum Schematics only, please click here.
