The Discovery Curriculum

The Discovery Curriculum is new addition to the 2026-2027 preclinical curriculum that is designed to promote lifelong learning among medical students at UMMC. Recognizing that in the rapidly evolving nature of medicine and science it is impossible to impart all necessary knowledge during formal training, the Discovery Curriculum emphasizes equipping students with the skills needed to continuously identify their own individualized learning needs and formulate plans to address those needs.

In the Discovery Curriculum, students will have the flexibility to investigate multiple areas of independent exploration, including clinical research, public health, medical education, advocacy, or design their own personalized pathway. Areas are grouped thematically to guide topic selection and mentor matching. While faculty mentors will play a supportive role by providing subject areas expertise, offering feedback, and helping to ensure that learning plans are feasible, mentors won’t be as engaged in the day-to-day learning or evaluation as they would be in a more traditional mentoring relationship.

Starting in the M1 year, students will be exposed to various areas of investigation and will develop an individualized SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) goal. Students will identify a question or knowledge gap and use a structured, scientific-method style approach to investigate it. The goal is not to produce formal research, but to practice systematic inquiry and critical thinking. Students will work on their projects throughout the end of M1 year and into the M2 year at a pace they determine within the confines of the course. For completion, students will submit an abstract of their project with the option to submit for a poster or oral abstract presentation at The School of Medicine’s Discovery Day.

The Discovery Curriculum aims to encourage independent, critical thinking, and adaptability, skills essential for sustained success in clinical practice, while allowing students the freedom to pursue their areas of interest in a autonomous, self-paced, but systematic, manner.