Integrated Curriculum in Medical Education
Threads & Areas of Focus
Integrated Medical Education
The HEALS Curriculum is comprised of longitudinal, integrated threads and areas of focus that are woven across all phases of the Doctor of Medicine program.
Threads are essential content areas connected to the graduation competencies of the David Geffen School of Medicine. Each thread's topics are developmentally sequenced and integrated within the curriculum, across the Medicine and Society thread and HEALS courses. This careful sequencing and transparency ensure that the content is consistently monitored and flows smoothly throughout all phases of the curriculum, providing medical students with a comprehensive and enriching experience.
HEALS Curriculum Threads:
Medicine and Society
The HEALS Medicine and Society curriculum is an integral component of medical education at DGSOM, designed to enrich student’s understanding of clinical care through a multidisciplinary lens. This longitudinal curriculum explores crucial concepts including interprofessional teamwork, physician leadership and advocacy, health equity, healthcare systems, structural and social drivers of health, medical ethics, and integrative health. These content areas of intentionally interwoven throughout the medical school experience, fostering a holistic, structurally competent and inclusive approach to patient care. Many sessions incorporate the medical humanities to enrich the learning experience and promote active perspective-taking and empathy building.
Additional Curricular Areas of Focus:
Integrative Medicine
Blends conventional and complementary therapies to support whole-person health, emphasizing evidence-based practices like acupuncture, yoga, and mindfulness.
Interprofessional Health and Team-Based Care
Prepares students to work effectively in team settings by exploring interprofessional practice, roles, responsibilities, and teamwork dynamics.
LGBTQ+ Health Education
Focuses on understanding and addressing the health needs of gender-diverse and LGBTQ+ individuals, emphasizing inclusive health screenings and primary care.
Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS)
Medical students develop skills, expertise, and confidence using an invaluable diagnostic tool that improves patient outcomes and precision of care.
Physician Leadership and Discovery
Emphasizes professionalism, lifelong learning, and scholarship, integrating self-assessment, goal setting, reflective practice, and empathy.