Office of Medical Education (OME)
Overview
The Office of Medical Education (OME) is a center for academic life where students can meet with faculty or peers, plan activities, discuss courses, receive academic counseling and enrichment or learn about the latest developments in medical education. In essence, the OME serves as the hub for the numerous spokes that represent UMMS undergraduate medical education, providing educators with the resources needed for curriculum development, implementation and evaluation and ensuring a rich educational experience for students that includes a number of courses and electives throughout the four years of medical school.
The OME works in collaboration with a broad range of partners, including campus and community based faculty; UMMS students, offices, programs and departments; and educational affiliates based locally, regionally and statewide, to provide a comprehensive array of resources and expertise in support of teaching. The OME’s Division of Research and Evaluation provides programmatic assessment for all courses and UMMS sponsored electives, as well as evaluation expertise supporting faculty in medical education research. In Community Based Education, the OME collaborates with departments, educational affiliates and a variety UMMS programs and offices to expand and enhance the recruitment, training and retention of over 600 community based faculty participating in UMMS’ undergraduate teaching programs.
Through the Division of Curriculum and Faculty Development, support is available in teaching skills, course development and technology applications, including Web based and distance learning enhancements. The OME is managing a major effort to help faculty use technology to enhance their teaching. An electronic curriculum consisting of class notes, biological images, diagrams, glossaries, clinical cases, virtual patients and self-study exercises is under development and will be delivered via the Web. The curriculum database helps users locate information in the electronic curriculum. Searchable and available via the Web, it contains all classroom events in the first and second years of the School of Medicine’s curriculum. Distance learning resources under development include Web based resources, electronic communications and two way video instruction.