Mission
The UVA Health mission is “Transforming health and inspiring hope for all Virginians and beyond.” The UVA Health vision is “To be the nation’s leading public academic health system and best place to work-while transforming patient care, research, education, and engagement with the diverse communities we serve.” https://uvahealth.com/about/mission
Our values are described by the acronym ASPIRE. We ASPIRE to create a culture of excellence, engagement, and trust through our values:
- Accountability: Acknowledging and assuming responsibility for where we have succeeded and failed in terms of our actions, decisions, policies, and results
- Stewardship: Responsibly and carefully managing our resources and commitment to continual improvement and learning while acknowledging shortcomings or problems in our quest
- Professionalism: Approaching all that we do in a collaborative way, delivering excellent care through the lens of helpfulness, positivity, kindness, and competency
- Integrity: Being honest, open, and fair through our behaviors, attitude, and treatment of others
- Respect: Valuing everyone through our compassionate and caring ways
- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Fostering an environment of belonging that promotes justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and unity throughout the organization and within the communities we serve
The University of Virginia School of Medicine strives to attract, motivate and guide a talented and diverse student body on their journey to becoming tomorrow’s healthcare leaders. Our students thrive in an environment that emphasizes collaboration, hands-on experiences, research and scholarship, service to others and quality patient care.
Our approach blends rigorous academic standards with the nurturing spirit of a close-knit community. We provide training and opportunities that instill compassion, technical ability and a lifelong thirst for knowledge.
Cells to Society Curriculum
Students at the University of Virginia School of Medicine are engaged and challenged from the first day on Grounds. Our innovative Cells to Society curriculum, provides a comprehensive approach that integrates medical science and practice to teach foundational science in the context of how it is used by physicians in their clinical practice and provides learning experiences across a broad variety of clinical specialties and settings.
This model emphasizes collaborative team and individual learning, student-faculty interactions, clinical skills education and clinical problem-solving, hands-on laboratories, hospital and community-based patient care and opportunities to individualize learning. The Entrustable Professional Activities program is a comprehensive competency-based assessment of the of the clinical tasks students should be able to perform unsupervised when they start internship. The UVA Cells to Society curriculum will prepare students to provide excellent patient-centered care, practice evidence-based medicine, and engage in lifelong learning.
Biomedical Sciences Program Overview
The past decade has witnessed unprecedented advances in our understanding of fundamental biological processes yielding new experimental approaches to understand and to manipulate gene expression, along with new insights into the underlying basis of human disease. Faculty members at the University of Virginia are engaged in pioneering research on many of the most important problems in medical science. The program has been revised and restructured, now including exciting and creative immersive 12-week courses and topical six-week modules, to teach core knowledge and fundamental skills required for successful biomedical researchers.
As our knowledge of the biological and biomedical sciences has grown,
we have gained a much greater appreciation of the complexity of cells and human diseases. We recognize that successful biomedical scientists can no longer be an expert in only one area or one technique but must be able to make use of information, technologies and experimental strategies that go beyond the boundaries defined by traditional university departments. As someone interested in pursuing a career in science, it is critical that you obtain a wide breadth and depth of training in graduate school that will ensure your ultimate success, whether you choose a career in academia, industry, education or any of the many other career opportunities that will be available to you.
HISTORY
The University of Virginia School of Medicine was established in 1819 and was one of the first 8 schools within the University. In 2010, after nearly a decade of research, self-study and preparation, a more traditional curriculum of basic science followed by clinical experience was replaced by an integrated curriculum in recognition that students learn best by applying basic science concepts to clinical scenarios while engaged in active learning. The current medical school building was built to support this curriculum and opened in 2010.
In 2017, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program and the Public Health Sciences programs joined the School of Medicine.
THE SCHOOL TODAY
Doctor of Medicine
The School of Medicine is one medical school with two clinical campuses. The Inova campus in Northern Virginia is part of the Washington, DC metro area. This campus provides opportunities for 72 students (36 per class) to complete their clerkships and post-clerkship elective period exposed to the practice of medicine in a high-volume, urban environment. UVA SOM students also have clinical opportunities at the Salem Veterans Administration Hospital, Bon Secours Saint Mary’s Hospital in Richmond and in ambulatory clinics of physicians in several areas of Virginia. Students in the final phase of the curriculum can participate in numerous elective courses including research, humanities and international.
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program
The Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BIMS) at UVA is a vibrant interdisciplinary graduate program committed to training PhD candidates in becoming the next generation of scientific leaders. We achieve this goal through an immersive curriculum designed to provide students with fundamental scientific skills and exceptional research training.
The BIMS program provides students with the flexibility to tailor an independent program of didactic coursework toward their developing research interests. In parallel, we offer students a broad spectrum of research opportunities, provided in partnership with the School of Medicine , Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Virginia.
Through these opportunities, BIMS students have an opportunity to train under world-renowned scientists who are committed not only to scientific discovery, but also to mentoring and teaching.
The BIMS graduate program integrates four educational elements to providing rigorous training to students in the biomedical sciences:
1. Formal Course Work
Our students follow a curriculum that includes a combination of core classes and more specialized advanced topic electives. These courses are designed to inspire as well as to help students develop into creative and analytical scientific thinkers through intensive training in scientific principles, data analysis, experimental design, and problem-solving skills. Importantly, this curriculum recently underwent significant changes, which afford students even greater flexibility to develop a program of study that fits their developing research interests.
2. Laboratory Research
Independent research is at the core of the BIMS graduate program. Students have the opportunity to select from hundreds of faculty mentors whose research programs span a diverse array of scientific disciplines . Again, flexibility is an integral part of our program; students generally rotate with 3 faculty members of their choosing prior to selecting a mentor/thesis lab. Collaboration amongst UVA researchers is the rule rather than the exception, providing our students with unique training opportunities that are not found elsewhere.
3. Participation in the Broader Research Community
Research retreats, topical symposia and seminar series, student research days, colloquia, research-in-progress meetings, and multi-institutional regional conferences supplement the formal course work and research activities of our students. Through many of these activities, students learn about cutting edge research that is being performed throughout the world from leaders in the field. Our students are also encouraged to participate in community outreach opportunities, where they learn to communicate science to a broader public and act as role models to younger students in the community.
4. Exposure to Clinical/Translational Aspects of Disease
Students in the BIMS graduate program are provided numerous opportunities to gain exposure to clinical and translational aspects of disease. These include frequent interactions with our clinical faculty, who teach in our formal courses and routinely serve as co-mentors and members of student thesis advisory committees. Additionally, our students have the opportunity to attend organ-based “tumor boards” and infectious disease conferences that form part of the clinical enterprise of the School of Medicine . Finally, they can choose to rotate through clinical pathology laboratories to learn about diagnosis and monitoring of human disease.
We seek students who are looking for a rigorous, innovative PhD training program in the biomedical sciences; students who want to be a part of cutting-edge biomedical research in a rich scientific environment and students who aspire to become leaders in academia, industry, government, and science education.
Public Health Sciences
The Department of Public Health Sciences brings a unique, interdisciplinary approach to population health and clinical research, and to the generation, management and interpretation of basic science, clinical and health-related information.
The Department of Public Health Sciences collaborates in numerous School of Medicine and cross-university research initiatives, and serves as a bridge to others across the university and to the community at large. See the DPHS Mission statement and History for more information.
The Department faculty and professional staff have the following expertise and work collaboratively to
- enhance intellectual exchange and research, education, and service in their fields
- catalyze research, not only among department faculty, but also with other faculty in the School of Medicine and across Grounds.
Department Areas of Expertise:
- Clinical Outcomes & Comparative Effectiveness Research
- Population Health and Prevention Research
- Clinical Trials: Statistical Design & Application
- Be Smart-Be Safe Program in Quality & Patient Safety
- Biomedical Informatics & Clinical Research Data Support
- Health Policy, Law & Ethics
Department faculty members provide a wide range of Research Collaboration and Consulting support and services to School of Medicine faculty, departments and others.
The Department also provides a robust Educational Program in public health and clinical and population research at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels.
FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Charlottesville Campus
Claude Moore Medical Education Building
The Claude Moore Medical Education Building is the five-story, state-of-the-art home to the Medical School. The building integrates small-group learning and individual instruction with best-in-class educational spaces. It contains the innovative Learning Studio and the Clinical Performance Education Center (CPEC). CPEC’s two floors contain the Medical Simulation Center and Clinical Skills Center. The Mulholland Student Lounge, an auditorium, the Office for Educational Affairs, the Student Affairs Office, the Office of Financial Aid and the Office of Admissions are also housed in the building.
The Medical Education Building is integrated into the larger Medical Center and University complex. A link connects students to the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, research facilities, and the University Hospital buildings including the Emily Couric Cancer Center and the Battle Building which houses outpatient pediatrics clinics and outpatient surgery.
Learning Studio
The Learning Studio is an interactive learning environment that uses the latest technology to engage students in active learning. This space incorporates the five modalities of adult learning. Five technologically sophisticated screens – each measuring 20 feet across – descend into the space and tie into each group table, so that students can share with a small group or the entire class. Most sessions are recorded and are easily retrievable by podcast and on the web
Clinical Performance Education Center (Medical Simulation Center and Clinical Skills Center)
The Medical Simulation Center (SIM Center) is one floor of the Clinical Performance Education Center. On the ground floor, it has four fully realized clinical spaces: an intensive care unit (ICU), an operating room (OR), a labor and delivery suite (L&D), and an emergency room (ER). All spaces are fully equipped so that students are in a fully replicated space in which they can work with patient simulators, which breathe, speak, and respond to procedures and medications. Behind a one-way mirror, operators can also manipulate simulators providing students with real time experiences. In addition, there are seven task training rooms for procedures such as endoscopy, endotracheal intubation, and ultrasound surgical central line placement.
The Clinical Skills Center is an educational resource designed to support the learning objectives of the UVA School of Medicine. Based in the Clinical Performance Education Center, the Clinical Skills Center recruits and trains a diverse group of standardized patients (SPs) to participate in simulated encounters as a part of teaching sessions and in assessments of learners’ clinical performance.
The Center contains 20 rooms designed to simulate a patient care setting and is fully equipped to enable observation and recording as needed to enable future learning and ensure high quality examinations.
Claude Moore Health Sciences Library
The Claude Moore Health Sciences Library is a central gathering place for students, with a variety of study and learning facilities throughout the building. There are small group study rooms, open areas with natural lighting and comfortable seating as well as a large, 24-hour study area. Students can bring their own computers and connect wirelessly to the network or use the network connections in the library. In addition, there is a large computer lab, scanning stations and printing services.
The library has an extensive collection of online resources, journals and books that are available in the library and remotely. The Medical Education Librarian works with students and faculty throughout the four years to enhance information seeking skills and critical thinking and library staff meet with representatives of the Mulholland Society on a regular basis to ensure that the library is responsive to student needs.
Anatomy Facilities
Learning anatomy is an important component of our Phase 1 MD curriculum. In the anatomy lab, students perform cadaver dissection, view pro-sections, interact with anatomic models and utilize 3D computer software to achieve required learning objectives. Students also participate in Clinical Anatomy and Imaging Labs (CAIL) that provide them with opportunities to apply anatomical knowledge to clinical circumstances.
Inova Campus (Fairfax, Virginia)
The Claude Moore Education and Research Center, which features 12,000 square feet of modern space is dedicated to the educational needs of the UVA students. The Inova Campus has an additional 12,000 square foot medical simulation center named ICAMS and a several thousand square foot surgical simulation and advanced practice training space called ASTEC. These spaces enable students to learn through hands-on experience and side by side with our faculty, residents, and nurses.
Health Sciences Library
The Jacob D. Zylman Health Sciences Library is an on-site medical library at the Inova Campus. There are three study/conference rooms and 16 individual study carrels as well as tables for group work in the library. Students have full 24/7 access and are supported by a team of librarians.
ICAMS provides for interprofessional collaboration of teaching and learning to enhance patient safety, teamwork, critical thinking, research and the patient experience for the diverse community served at Inova. Though debriefing can be done inside each training area, ICAMS also has a 30-seat convertible classroom and 12-seat conference room where didactic learning and team debriefings may be conducted through the use of live and recorded video.
Contact Information
Correspondence concerning the Graduate Record should be addressed to:
Katherine Yates
Registrar, School of Medicine
P.O. Box 800739
Charlottesville, VA 22908-0782
(434) 924-5200; fax
som-registrar@virginia.edu
