Inquiry (THINQ) curriculum
Last updated
Last updated
The Inquiry (THINQ) curriculum is an innovative program that delves into four key areas:
Scientific and Scholarly Discovery
Advocacy, Social Justice, and Anti-Oppression
Healthcare Delivery Science
Leadership and Professional Identity Formation.
A central feature of THINQ is its longitudinal structure, emphasizing the development of inquiry methods and critical thinking as fundamental to the learning experience. The program's goal is to cultivate students' ability to craft scholarly proposals addressing the multifaceted and challenging aspects of healthcare and community involvement.
During the Pre-Clerkship phase, students develop scholarly proposals. This involves a comprehensive understanding of the specific needs they intend to address, an assessment of the current landscape, and identification of existing gaps that their project could fill. Key skills taught include formulating a focused question of inquiry, conducting a thorough needs assessment, recognizing available resources, and pinpointing unmet needs. Moreover, students are guided in engaging stakeholders and presenting their findings compellingly and persuasively. Overall, THINQ is structured to not only supplement academic learning but also to foster practical skills and insights essential for future healthcare professionals.
Legacy InFOCUS Topics in ASCEND:
The topics from InFOCUS weeks in the legacy curriculum will be seamlessly integrated into the ASCEND curriculum. Essential topics that are critical for success in current and future phases of the curriculum will be thoughtfully incorporated, ensuring their clinical relevance is clear and directly applicable to the day-to-day lives of practicing physicians. Additionally, more specialized topics previously covered during InFOCUS weeks will be offered as standalone selective sessions in the monthly THINQ sessions. Similar to attending a conference with concurrent sessions, this allows students to choose to attend based on their specific interests or passions. This shift marks a move away from the traditional “one size fits all” approach of medical school curricula, towards a more personalized and flexible learning experience.
The ASCEND programming also presents an opportunity for dedicated and consistent non-curricular programming to be seamlessly integrated into the Pre-Clerkship Phase weekly schedule. This strategic change includes the incorporation of dedicated hourly sessions within the MD program weekly template, specifically allocated for student support services, including financial management education and debt counseling. These sessions ensure that all students receive timely information and become familiar with key contacts for assistance and support.
