Promoting Regional Campus Excellence:  The Scholarly Concentrations Program at Indiana University School of Medicine

Keywords: Indiana University School of Medicine, IUSM, medical education, med ed, scholarly concentration, medical student, regional campus, scholarship, collaboration, professional development, innovation, enrollment, GRMC, AAMC, Indiana University, IU

Abstract

While Indiana University School of Medicine has had multiple regional campuses delivering the pre-clerkship phase of the education for 50 years, since 2008, all four years of medical education, including clinical, have also been available at the eight regional campuses statewide. While 67 percent of admitted students designate a preference for the Indianapolis main campus, 60 percent of students are assigned to a regional campus for pre-clerkship education. Of those, 32 percent chose to be at their assigned campus. Students are often not able to identify a compelling reason to choose a regional campus. Despite data to the contrary, including our own, a majority of students continue to believe the path to success is through the main campus in Indianapolis, and as a result, transfer to the main campus for clerkships.

In 2019, the school launched a Scholarly Concentrations Program as a key strategy to address this problem. The program leverages the unique expertise and resources at its diverse campuses and shines a spotlight on them to attract and retain students at regional campuses through educational enhancement and engaged community scholarship.

While still in pilot phase, significant progress has been realized. With faculty statewide, 11 concentrations launched in less than one year; 17 in two years. About 220 students are enrolled in concentrations statewide; about half at regional campuses. A special program through the admissions process resulted in 9 percent of the Class of 2024, with an average GPA of 3.8 and 512 MCAT, choosing to enroll at a regional campus and its associated scholarly concentration.

Immediate plans revolve around supporting concentration growth, building systems and processes to support a sustainable program, and monitoring results of the three pilot phases to inform future development and implementation. In addition, students are being recruited to regional campuses through an Early Decision Program.

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Author Biographies

Paul M. Wallach, MD, Indiana University School of Medicine

Professor of Medicine, Dolores and John Read Senior Professorship in Medical Education. Executive Associate Dean, Medical Education and Institutional Improvement, Indiana University School of Medicine

Deborah R. Birnbaum, MBA, Indiana University School of Medicine

Scholarly Concentrations Program Manager, Project Manager for Executive Associate Dean, Medical Education and Institutional Improvement, Indiana University School of Medicine

Bradley L. Allen, MD, PhD

Senior Associate Dean for Medical Student Education, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine

Daniel R. Corson-Knowles, MD

Director of Clinical Distinctions, Phase 3 Curriculum, Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine

Elizabeth R. Ryan, EdD

Associate Dean and Director, IUSM-Northwest-Gary, Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine

Jay L. Hess, MD, PhD, MHSA

Dean, School of Medicine, Walter J. Daly Professor, Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Professor of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine

Journal of Regional Medical Campuses

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