Penn State College of Medicine was one of the first medical schools in the country to implement Health Systems Science into the curriculum. Penn State College of Medicine is considered a major national leader in Health Systems Science curriculum. The Patient Experience Program is a one of a kind that provides students the opportunity to work directly with a patient the first day of medical school.
Through the Science of Health Systems courses (SHS711 and SHS721), High value level care and quality improvement are part of a robust curriculum with students winning national competitions in both.
The Translating Healthcare Science to the Clinical Setting course (THS743) is designed to help fourth-year medical students apply concepts of patient safety, quality improvement, value and teams to the clinical setting and provide an introduction to public health.
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Learn More About Health Systems Science for MD Students
The Science of Health Systems courses are offered throughout the fall and spring semesters of year one and the fall semester of year two.
Course Themes
Core domains covered by the Science of Health Systems courses include:
- Structures and processes
- Policy and economics
- Clinical informatics
- Public and population health
- Value-based care
- Health systems improvement
Cross-cutting domains include:
- Leadership and change agency
- Teamwork
- Evidence-based medicine
- Professionalism and ethics
- Scholarship
These themes are taught using this sequence:
- Year 1, Fall: Patient experience; evidence-based medicine: health systems and reform
- Year 1, Spring: Population and public health; socio-ecological medicine
- Year 2, Fall: Preparation for clerkships; improvement, leadership and change
A thread of teamwork and leadership follows students throughout these classes and experiences.
Translating Health Systems Science to the Clinical Setting
The art of translating health systems science to the clinical setting includes many parts.
Educational components include:
- Public and community health
- Health systems
- Health systems improvement
- Transitions of care
- Patient safety
Methods for teaching and learning include:
- Large-group lectures and discussions
- Small-group discussions
- Case-based learning
- Experiential learning
- Team projects
- Simulation
The Patient Experience Program is where students apply classroom knowledge to clinical situations while at an assigned clinical site, address social determinants of health when participating in community engagement events and programs, and learn from patients how they manage their health in their day-to-day activities after they step outside of the healthcare system with the Patients as Teachers program.
- View Health Systems Science newsletters (PDF in Sharepoint; Penn State University login required)
