May 10, 2025
Learning Together
The new School of Medicine curriculum fosters collegiality and connection.
Look to the Stars
By Strategic Communications
Since the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine launched a new curriculum in fall 2023, administrators and faculty have been learning just as much as the students.
The Three Rivers Curriculum shifts med students’ preclerkship education away from lectures and toward small-group settings and case-based learning, with an emphasis on interaction with classmates and educators. Over the last two years, students have served as partners in the curriculum’s ongoing evolution and improvement.
On “Feedback Fridays,” randomly selected students join faculty and administrators over lunch to reflect on the previous week.
“It fostered a lot of community,” says Abby Yohannes, who, as a third-year student, is part of the inaugural Three Rivers Curriculum class. She enjoyed the experience so much that she became a curriculum representative, elected as a liaison for her classmates’ ideas and questions.
Abbas A. Hyderi, vice dean for education in the School of Medicine, says opportunities like Feedback Fridays tell students, “Your voice matters.”
And yet, Yohannes says, “By the end of our first year, Feedback Friday was still super helpful, but a lot of my classmates didn't need it.” They felt comfortable going directly to course directors or curriculum reps.
The curriculum’s wide-ranging changes meant plenty of uncharted territory that first year. In the new format, “longitudinal educators” instruct students throughout multiple courses, drawing on material provided by “content leads” who are experts in each subject.
Did you know?
Fall 2023 saw the launch of Pitt Med’s Primary Care Accelerated Track, a three-year path to an MD that encourages outstanding future physicians to pursue careers in primary care specialties, especially in Western Pennsylvania.
The curriculum’s wide-ranging changes meant plenty of uncharted territory that first year. In the new format, “longitudinal educators” instruct students throughout multiple courses, drawing on material provided by “content leads” who are experts in each subject.
“We had one content lead who would come around to the small groups, pop in and listen to the conversation and provide extra tidbits,” recalls Katie Maietta, assistant dean for education administration. “No one told him to do that—he just did it on his own.” After students shared their appreciation, in-class contributions from content leads became a formal part of the curriculum.
Students have also been eager to share feedback about the Community Alliance Program, which connects students to community organizations and became a requirement for all students under the new curriculum.
Two years in, says Jason Rosenstock, associate dean for medical education, students in the new curriculum have been just as successful as their predecessors in their Step One exams and in preparedness for clerkships—no small feat considering the growing pains that come with a major overhaul. On top of that, Rosenstock says, “It’s created an environment that has significantly improved the level of collegiality and connection in our community.”