Medical school curriculum revamp project extended by AMA

The American Medical Association announced Tuesday it has renewed partnerships with 32 medical schools to transform the medical education curriculum.

The AMA Accelerating Change in Medical Education Consortium, which began in 2013, is an opportunity for medical schools across the country to change their curriculums with support from the AMA through grant funding. The AMA argues that the current medical education structure doesn't adequately prepare doctors for the rapidly changing healthcare landscape and the curriculum needs a revamp.

The consortium's next phase will last three years. The schools will receive support to continue their projects as well as begin new ones and will also receive grants from the AMA to attend consortium meetings, which are held several times a year. The AMA, which is also interested in expanding the number of participants, has awarded $12.5 million in grants to the schools since 2013.

Some of the projects that will continue include teaching students how to use electronic health records, integrating students in patient care from the first day of medical school, training in physician leadership and offering team-based care skills.

The AMA will support new projects focusing on improving student well-being and addressing social determinants of health.

Most of the schools will also incorporate health systems science, a discipline developed by the AMA that focuses on topics not currently addressed in medical education such as population health management and healthcare financing and reform.

"Our consortium of medical schools has been an invigorating and productive community of innovation over the past five years. Knowing that our work to transform medical education is far from finished, the AMA is excited to continue to foster this environment where individuals and institutions can learn from each other and innovate," AMA CEO Dr. James Madara said in a statement.