Organizing Principles Overview

Our educational program is structured around and continuously informed by the following nine organizing principles.

• Adaptive and Personalized
  While learning outcomes need to be standardized, the curriculum recognizes the strengths and potential of each student in order to optimize outcomes for each individual.
• Community Engagement and Service Learning
  Students must be able to develop the skills to serve patients, society and the profession. By participating in learning environments in the community and developing the skills to effect change, students will develop into leaders capable of making a difference.
• Competency-Based
  Feinberg’s competency structure forms the basis for setting educational goals and objectives and defining our assessment system.
• Continuity
  When possible, student exposure to mentors and patients will be longitudinal to optimize learning and clinical skills acquisition. Continuity with mentors and peers will help students develop deeper relationships and more meaningful collaborations through our four-year college system and Educational Centered Medical Home.
• Evidence-Based
  State-of-the-art teaching methodologies, strategies and technologies are used throughout the curriculum, with an emphasis on the evidence-based practice of medicine.
• Inclusive and Bias-Free
  Feinberg is committed to an inclusive curriculum that is free of bias and promotes health equity for all. Learn more about our inclusive and bias-free guidelines.
• Inquiry-Driven
  Our learning environment motivates and prepares students to efficiently seek, acquire, synthesize and apply new knowledge to solve complex problems. The physician of the future needs to be able to filter, archive and evaluate information accessed in multiple formats.
• Integrated
  Content is integrated within all parts of the curriculum both longitudinally and vertically. Clinical and foundational sciences are present throughout all phases of learning. Learning is always in the context of patient care, and patient care is always based upon scientific principles.
• Professional Development
  Feinberg emphasizes professionalism, reflection, personal growth and accountability, while providing trainees with a learning environment that supports and reinforces their humanity and compassion. Students are placed into one of eight colleges. Their college mentor oversees their growth and development over all four years and hoods them at graduation.