Committees

The Committee on Undergraduate Medical Education (CUMED) is delegated authority by the Faculty Organization for all matters that pertain to the undergraduate medical education program for the students of the College of Medicine. This committee will include the expertise described by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for a curriculum committee and will be responsible for the overall design, management, integration, evaluation, and enhancement of a coherent and coordinated medical education program.  Actions must be in accordance with the rules and guidelines of the LCME and are subject to revision and orders of the Dean of the College of Medicine.  The functions of CUMED include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Define the objectives and competencies of the medical education program and ensure that the central curriculum and parallel tracks enable the students to achieve these competencies.
2. Review and establish curricular policies in collaboration with the Dean following input from appropriate sources.
3. Ensure horizontal and vertical integration of the curriculum.
4. Act as the legislative arm of the Faculty Organization for undergraduate medical education by reviewing and approving course and program proposals.
5. Ensure that there is a centralized system that employs a variety of measures including direct observation for the assessment of student achievement (including acquisition of the knowledge, core clinical skills such as medical history-taking and physical examination, behaviors, and attitudes specified in the medical education program objectives and competencies), and that provides appropriate and timely feedback to the students.
6. Ensure adequate preparation, oversight, and monitoring of teaching quality for all faculty and other health professionals involved in the curriculum.
7. Ensure comparability of educational opportunities and support services, and a safe learning environment, at all Penn State College of Medicine (PSCOM) campuses and affiliated sites.
8. Receive reports from the Curriculum Evaluation Subcommittee (CESC) and ensure appropriate corrective actions are made regarding deficiencies.
9. Create ad hoc or standing subcommittees to address specific issues of the curriculum; subcommittee members do not need to be on CUMED and will be recruited for their expertise or interest.
10. Invite, as needed, individuals representing areas to provide consultation to the committee such as: Academic Progress Committee (APC), MD-PhD program, joint-degree programs, Physician Assistant Program, Office of Medical Student Research, hospital or medical group, Alumni Association, and anyone else whose input will assist the committee.
11. Make recommendations to the appropriate offices or individuals regarding initiatives that will enhance the undergraduate educational experience for students and faculty.
12. Ensure bi-directional communication with directors of courses, clerkships, and electives.
13. Present updates to the Faculty Organization on a regular basis (at least quarterly).
14. Present updates to the Dean of the College of Medicine on a regular basis (at least quarterly).

Membership

General description of membership: 4 faculty members elected at large from the Faculty Organization (1 faculty based at University Park (UP) and 3 faculty based at Hershey, at least one of whom is clinical and one basic science); 5 faculty members to provide specific curricular perspectives (2 from the Course Directors Subcommittee, 1 from the Clerkship Directors Subcommittee, 1 from the Residency Prep Subcommittee, and 1 from the Curriculum Evaluation Subcommittee); 4 ex officio members as voting members (Associate Dean for Medical Education Hershey Curriculum, Associate Dean for Medical Education University Park Curriculum, Assistant Dean for Foundational Medical Sciences, and Assistant Dean for the Clinical Learning Environment; 5 medical students who share one vote (4 medical students from the Hershey Curriculum, with one from each class and 1 medical student from University Park Curriculum); and 3 ex officio members as non-voting members (the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs, the President of the Faculty Organization or their designee and the Associate Dean for Learner Assessment and Program Evaluation). A majority of the voting members constitutes a quorum.

Number of members: 14 voting members (5 student members share one vote); and 3 non-voting members.

Duration of their term: 3 years for the elected at-large positions in a staggered fashion, 2 years for those providing specific curricular perspectives (or until they no longer belong to the group they represent, whichever is shorter), and 1 year for the student members. Terms will be on an academic-year basis, from July 1 to June 30.

Limits on serving consecutive terms: 2 consecutive 3-year terms for the elected at-large members, no term limitations for the other members.

Description of any required turnover: After serving two full 3-year terms, at-large members are not eligible to be reelected in an at-large role for at least 1 year.

Can non-members of the FO be on the committee (and if so, can they vote at committee meetings): Yes (1 vote from the collective CUMED student members).

Any ex officio members (and can they vote): The Associate Dean for Medical Education Hershey Curriculum, Associate Dean for Medical Education University Park Curriculum, Assistant Dean for Foundational Medical Sciences, and Assistant Dean for the Clinical Learning Environment (as voting members); and the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs, President of the Faculty Organization (or their designee as per Faculty Organization Standing Rules), and Associate Dean for Learner Assessment and Program Evaluation (as non-voting members).

Mechanism for adding or replacing members: For the at-large positions, the President of the Faculty Organization will solicit nominations and election will be by the full Faculty Organization membership for Hershey-based positions and by faculty at UP for UP-based positions. The Chair of CUMED will solicit the relevant subcommittees for their representatives, as well as 1 student to be elected annually from each of the 4 medical school classes in the Hershey Curriculum and 1 student from the University Park Curriculum. Vacancies will be filled as needed to complete a term of office.

Chair

How the Chair is chosen: Selected from among the voting members by the Dean of the College of Medicine on an academic-year basis

Duration of term: One year from July 1 to June 30

Any limits on serving consecutive terms: No.

Frequency of meetings, responsibilities of membership, etc.:

1. The committee will meet as often as necessary to fulfill its responsibilities (anticipated to be weekly).
2. Members may participate in meetings, including being counted in attendance and voting, from remote sites via two-way audio connections.
3. Voting members of the committee are expected to participate in at least 75% of CUMED meetings or perform at a level of duties and communications considered equivalent by the Chair and attend Penn State College of Medicine educational retreats as possible .
4. The Dean of the College of Medicine will provide administrative support for the committee and provide sufficient resources where appropriate for service on CUMED.
5. Minutes will be made available in a timely fashion, though discussion of individual faculty members or students that is deemed by the Committee to be of a confidential nature will occur in private session and be posted in the minutes so as not to violate the privacy of individuals.

Responsibility and Role of the Dean

The Dean of the College of Medicine serves as its chief academic officer with overall responsibility to Penn State University for the entire educational program. The dean is administratively responsible: (i) for the conduct and quality of the medical education program, (ii) for the Committee on Undergraduate Medical Education (CUMED), and (iii) for ensuring the adequacy of faculty at each campus.

Voting

• Eileen Moser, MD, MHPE, Chair
• Catherine Abendroth, MD
• Jason Fragin, DO
• James Grogan, MD
• Alex Horwitz, MD
• Afif Kulaylat, MD
• Andy Lutzkanin, MD
• Munima Nasir, MD
• Myles Nickolich, MD
• Brandon Peterson, MD
• Doug Stairs, PhD
• Mark Stephens, MD
• Tiffany Whitcomb, DVM

Non-Voting

• Britta Thompson, PhD
• Erica Friedman, MD

Students

• Ayah Aligabi (Y1)
• Keith Griffith (Y1)
• Kyle Schantz (Y1)
• Kari Wilson (Y1)
• Diba Atar (Y2)
• Niesha Savory (Y2)
• Mia Shoquist (Y2)
• Jacob Soucy (Y2)
• Zain Ul Abideen (Y2)
• Jacob Harron (Y3)
• Andy Akins (Y3)
• Devika Patel (Y3)
• Fafoutis, Eleni (Y3)
• Hannah Bennett (Y4)
• Indigo Milne (Y4)
• Joshua Shoemaker (Y4)
• Katherine Wehrung (Y4)
• Muzna Ali (Y4)
• Rahul Nachnani (Y4)

Course Directors Subcommittee

The Course Directors Subcommittee ensures that the implementation of the components of the foundational curriculum occurs in a logical and stepwise manner, and that all of the foundational course directors will have input into the structure of their courses. This subcommittee manages the planning, implementation, and oversight of all components of the foundational portion of the curricula for the Hershey Curriculum and the University Park Curriculum; facilitates the sharing of best educational practices among course directors; designs and implements programs to ensure competence in medical sciences, humanities, health systems science, and foundational clinical skills; and facilitates the smooth implementation of methods of student assessment. The subcommittee consists of all foundational course directors from the Hershey curriculum and University Park curriculum, the Associate Dean for Medical Education Hershey Curriculum, the Associate Dean for Medical Education University Park Curriculum, the Associate Dean for Learner Assessment and Evaluation, the Assistant Dean for Foundational Medical Sciences, and at least three student members (one each from year 1 and year 2 Hershey Curriculum and one from University Park Curriculum).

Clerkship Directors Subcommittee

The clerkship directors subcommittee is responsible for planning and implementation of the core clinical curriculum, in line with the educational mission of the College of Medicine. The Clerkship Directors Subcommittee provides continuous quality improvement (CQI) for curricular delivery and assessment; facilitates the sharing of best educational practices among teaching sites and teaching faculty; designs and implements programs to ensure students achieve requisite competencies in medical sciences, clinical skills, humanities and systems sciences; ensures that the clinical rotations and student assessment methods are comparable across teaching sites and among the Hershey Curriculum, the Hershey Curriculum 3+ track, and University Park Curriculum track; proposes policy on issues affecting students during clinical rotations, and facilitates the timely completion of student assessments. The committee performs its duties under the oversight of the committee for Undergraduate Medical Education (CUMED), to which it provides regular updates and recommendations.

The subcommittee consists of all clerkship directors in the Hershey Curriculum and University Park Curriculum, the Assistant Dean for the Clinical Learning Environment, Assistant Dean for Pathway Innovation, the Associate Dean for Medical Education Hershey Curriculum, the Associate Dean for Medical Education University Park Curriculum, the Associate Dean for Learner Assessment and Program Evaluation, and at least two student members (one each from Hershey Curriculum and University Park Curriculum).

Residency Prep Subcommittee

The Residency Prep Subcommittee ensures that educational courses and experiences in the Residency Prep (Phase III) portion of the educational program provide students with a developmental, competency-based progression that enables them to successfully transition to residencies, makes recommendations to CUMED on curricular enhancements, improves students’ educational experience including improvement of feedback, assessments, syllabi consistency and overall learning environments at Hershey, University Park, and affiliate sites. The subcommittee consists of 12-15 faculty members, including at least one University Park-based faculty member, and at least two student members (one each from Hershey Curriculum and University Park Curriculum). The Director of UME-GME Transition, Associate Dean of Medical Education Hershey Curriculum, Associate Dean of Medical Education University Park Curriculum, Associate Dean of Learner Assessment and Program Evaluation and Assistant Dean for the Clinical Learning Environment will serve on the Subcommittee as ex officio members.

Curriculum Evaluation Subcommittee

The Curriculum Evaluation Subcommittee (CESC) provides quality control and improvement for the curriculum through careful monitoring of program evaluation data and regularly scheduled reviews of courses and clerkships. This subcommittee reports its findings and all recommendations to CUMED.

Components of the monitoring and review process include but are not limited to:

• annual or biennial review of required courses
• comparability between Hershey Curriculum and University Park Curriculum.

The CESC review will monitor the quality of individual courses and make recommendations for improvement. Reviews will include course components including goals and objectives, organization and content, assessment and student opinion. As part of the process to inform course and clerkship reviews, CESC will annually review outcome data including NRMP (residency Match) results, AAMC Resident Readiness Survey, NBME results, AAMC Graduation Questionnaire, and AAMC-Y2 survey.

Comparability Subcommittee

The Comparability Subcommittee identifies and provides ongoing monitoring of comparability data for clinical and pre-clinical experiences at Hershey, University Park, and other teaching sites and affiliates to ensure comparability among sites and to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. This subcommittee consists of the Associate Dean for Medical Education Hershey Curriculum, Associate Dean for Medical Education University Park Curriculum, Chair of the Curriculum Evaluation Subcommittee, Assistant Dean for Foundational Medical Sciences, Assistant Dean for the Clinical Learning Environment, Associate Dean for Learner Assessment and Program Evaluation, Associate Dean for Student Affairs Hershey Curriculum, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs University Park Curriculum, Educational Director for Accreditation Monitoring and Continuous Quality Improvement, and others as needed.

See detailed CUMED information here (Penn State Access login required).

Information includes:

• Meeting minutes
• Subcommittee membership lists

Conflict of Interest

CUMED and its standing subcommittees will engage its members in an annual process of disclosure of any potential conflicts of interest that may relate to decision-making affecting the medical education program. The chair of CUMED will determine if a potential conflict of interest exists. If so, CUMED will determine a plan for managing the potential conflict.

Continuous Quality Improvement

CUMED will do a formal review of its procedures and written material every 6 months for 3 years then yearly thereafter, and revisions will be made as appropriate.

Date of Approval of this Description by the Faculty Organization

• Initial: May 4, 2016
• Amended: Sept. 21, 2017
• Amended: Nov. 4, 2020
• Amended: Nov. 6, 2024

The Medical Student Admission Committee carries out the faculty responsibility to evaluate and select students in accordance with the educational mission and goals of Penn State College of Medicine.

The selection of students is based on their potential for academic success, outstanding personal qualities, potential for professional growth, contribution to the broad diversity of the student body and to the College of Medicine, potential for serving special/under-represented needs in health care, and capacity for developing into competent, dedicated, and caring physicians.

The Admission Committee has final authority in the selection of students for the College of Medicine. The selection of students is not influenced by any political or financial factors.

Date of Approval of this Description by the Faculty Organization

• Initial: Feb. 1, 2017

The purview of the Medical Student Academic Progress Committee is to approve the promotion of students in the doctor of medicine program as defined by the competency domains of Penn State College of Medicine.

In addition, the APC will make recommendations to the Dean of the College of Medicine with respect to those students who the APC determines should be dismissed from the medical education program for academic reasons.

Date of Approval of this Description by the Faculty Organization

• Initial: June 7, 2017

The Library Advisory Committee (LAC) serves in an advisory role to the Harrell Health Sciences Library Director, who acts as the Chair of the committee.

The committee provides a communication venue for the library and each of the represented departments. It helps the library keep the various departments informed about current initiatives, changes, services (both new services being initiated and existing services that may no longer have value), budget issues and their impact, etc.; provides a forum for departments to communicate concerns that faculty may have about collections and services; and provides a means to identify issues/problems, make recommendations for needed resources and services, and identify opportunities for collaboration, etc.

Members are asked to bring information back to their respective departments and to bring ideas, concerns, and questions to the committee.

The committee meets on a quarterly basis; additional meetings can be called by the Chair on an as-needed basis.

Date of Approval of this Description by the Faculty Organization

• Initial: Nov. 3, 2010

Penn State Policy AC-23 Promotion and Tenure Procedures and Regulations requires the College of Medicine level of review.

This Committee reviews and makes recommendation on tenure track promotion and tenure reviews at the College of Medicine, as well as immediate tenure requests.

The review and recommendation made by the Committee are based upon the criteria set forth in the respective Department’s Promotion and Tenure Policy, as well as the College of Medicine Promotion and Tenure: Statement of the Dean of the College of Medicine, as well as appropriate Penn State Policy.

Date of Approval of this Description by the Faculty Organization

• Initial: May 4, 2011
• Amended: April 4, 2012

This committee reviews and makes recommendations on Fixed-Term Faculty promotions at the College of Medicine. The criteria for promotion are set forth in the respective Departmental Promotion and Tenure policies; the College of Medicine Promotion and Tenure: Statement of the Dean of the College of Medicine; AC21, AC23, and any other appropriate Penn State Policies and Guidelines.

Date of Approval of this Description by the Faculty Organization

• Initial: May 3, 2017

The Physician Assistant Master’s Program Education Committee (PAMPEC) is a delegated authority by the Faculty Organization for all matters that pertain to the Physician Assistant Program of Penn State College of Medicine. This committee and its subcommittees will be responsible for supporting program planning by faculty in the areas of curriculum design, course selection, and program assessment to enhance the delivery of a coherent and coordinated Physician Assistant education program.  Actions must be made in accordance with the rules and guidelines of the ARC-PA and are subject to revision and oversight by the Dean of the College of Medicine in consultation with the Physician Assistant Program Director.  The functions of PAMPEC include, but are not limited to:

1. Act as the legislative arm of the Faculty Organization for Physician Assistant student education by reviewing and approving proposals for course selection and program curriculum design.
2. Define the objectives and competencies of the Physician Assistant program.
3. Ensure that the program has access to instructional and reference resources to operate the educational program and enable students to achieve the program-defined competencies.
4. Prioritize the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging by ensuring didactic curriculum and overall programmatic support for such principles in all of its endeavors, for students, staff and faculty alike.
5. Ensure horizontal and vertical integration of the curriculum.
6. Support the evaluation and assessment of student achievement using a centralized system that includes knowledge acquisition, core clinical skills, behaviors, and attitudes specified in the medical education program objectives and competencies.
7. Ensure the provision of appropriate and timely feedback to the students from all faculty.
8. Provide the program with access to instructional and reference materials needed to operate the educational program and support the provision of evidence-based practice for all matriculated students.
9. Ensure adequate preparation, oversight, and monitoring of consistent and effective teaching in assigned content areas for all faculty and other health professionals involved in the curriculum.
10. Create ad hoc or standing subcommittees to address specific issues of the curriculum as needed (subcommittee members do not need to be on PAMPEC and will be recruited for their expertise or interest by the PAMPEC chair and/or the Dean of the College of Medicine).
11. Receive reports from the Curriculum Evaluation Subcommittee (CESC) and ensure appropriate corrective actions are made regarding deficiencies.
12. Review and approve all course descriptions and syllabi within the Physician Assistant program curriculum.
13. Monitor courses and instructors to ensure that all program faculty possess the educational and experiential qualifications necessary to perform their assigned duties and promote meeting established program benchmarks.
14. Assess PA Program and College of Medicine curriculum and policies for continued compliance with ARC-PA standards in collaboration with the Dean of the College of Medicine.
15. Make recommendations to the appropriate offices or individuals regarding initiatives that will enhance the educational experience for students and faculty; including resources which promote recruitment, retention, diversity, and inclusion. .
16. Present updates to the Faculty Organization on a regular basis.
17. Present updates to the Dean of the College of Medicine on a regular basis.

Date of Approval of this Description by the Faculty Organization

• Initial: Oct. 1, 2014
• Amended approval: Aug. 3, 2022

Membership

General description of membership:

• PA Program Director, Physician Assistant Program ex officio; voting
• PA Program Medical Director ex officio; voting
• PA Program Director of Clinical Education ex officio; voting
• Principal Didactic PA faculty members (4) ex officio; voting
• Clinically practicing PA within Penn State Health; outpatient primary care practice; voting
• Clinically practicing PA within Penn State Health with in-patient or out-patient role; voting
• PA preceptor; voting
• Senior Director of Educational Affairs ex officio voting
• Faculty affiliated with teaching in Medical Student curriculum ex officio voting
• Manager for Accreditation Monitoring, Database Analysis & CQI for the PA Program ex officio; non-voting
• Associate Dean of the Office of Evaluation and Assessment ex officio non-voting
• Vice Dean of Educational Affairs ex officio non-voting
• Student Representatives from didactic and clinical year, with one combined vote

Number of members

Term Duration: Three (3) years for the elected at-large positions in a staggered fashion, 2 years for those providing specific curricular perspectives (or until they no longer belong to the group they represent, whichever is shorter), and 1 year for student members. Terms will be on an academic-year basis, from July 1 to June 30.

Consecutive Term Limits: Two (2) consecutive 3-year terms for the elected at-large members, no term limitations for the other members.

Description of any required turnover: After serving two full 3-year terms, at-large members are not eligible to be re-elected in an at-large role for at least one (1) year.

Can non-members of the FO be on the committee (and if so, can they vote at committee meetings): Yes (1 vote from the collective PAMPEC student members, and 3 votes from clinically practicing PAs).

Mechanism for adding or replacing members: For the at-large positions, the President of the Faculty Organization will solicit nominations and election will be by the full Faculty Organization membership. The Chair of PAMPEC will solicit the relevant subcommittees for their representatives, as well as one (1) student to be elected annually. Vacancies will be filled as needed to complete a term of office.

Chair

Chair Selection: The PAMPEC chair will be selected from among voting members by the Dean of the College of Medicine on an academic-year basis.

Term Duration: Two years from July 1 to June 30

Consecutive Term Limits: None

Frequency of meetings, responsibilities of membership

1. The committee will meet five times per year, and as often as necessary to fulfill its responsibilities.
2. Members may participate in meetings, including being counted in attendance and voting, from remote sites via two-way audio connections.
3. PAMPEC quorum is defined as the minimum number of voters needed for a valid vote during the meeting. With 10 voting members a quorum is 5 members to hold a vote. An alternative option, if quorum is not met, is to call an electronic vote via email to obtain a valid vote.
4. Voting members of the committee are expected to participate in at least 75% of PAMPEC meetings or perform at a level of duties and communications considered equivalent by the Chair, attend PSCOM educational retreats as possible, and strive to attend at least one national education meeting each year.
5. The Dean of the College of Medicine will provide administrative support for the committee and provide sufficient resources where appropriate for service on PAMPEC.
6. Minutes will be made available in a timely fashion, though discussion of individual faculty members or students that is deemed by the Committee to be of a confidential nature will occur in private session and be posted in the minutes so as not to violate the privacy of individuals.

Responsibility and Role of the Dean

The Dean of the College of Medicine serves as its chief academic officer with overall responsibility to Penn State University for the entire educational program. The Dean is administratively responsible: (i) for the conduct and quality of the medical education program, (ii) for the Physician Assistant Master’s Education Committee, and (iii) for ensuring adequate representation of faculty.

• Larissa Whitney, DBA, MHS, PA-C, Assistant Dean and Program Director, Physician Assistant Program (voting member)
• David Richard, MD, FAAFP, Medical Director, Physician Assistant Program (voting member)
• Heather Donato, MPAS, PA-C, Clinical Coordinator, Physician Assistant Program (voting member)
• Kristi Gruber, MEd, PA-C, Didactic Program Faculty, Physician Assistant Program (voting member)
• Dan Weiss, MS, BA, PA-C, Didactic Program Faculty, Physician Assistant Program (voting member)
• Vacant, Didactic Program Faculty, Physician Assistant Program (voting member)
• Erynne Lehman, MPAS, PA-C, clinically practicing PA within Penn State Health; outpatient primary care practice (voting member)
• Justine Lowe, PA-C, clinically practicing PA within Penn State Health with inpatient or outpatient role (voting member)
• Sue Thurman, MPAS, PA-C, PA preceptor (voting member)
• Tomi Dreibelbis, PhD, MEd, Senior Director of Educational Affairs (voting member)
• Alyssa Anderson, MD, faculty member affiliated with medical student curriculum (voting member)
• Heather Aouadhi, MA, Manager for Accreditation Monitoring, Database Analysis and CQI for the Physician Assistant Program (non-voting member)
• Britta Thompson, PhD, MS, Associate Dean for Evaluation and Assessment (non-voting member)
• Erica Friedman, MD, FACP, Vice Dean ex officio non-voting (non-voting member)

Curriculum Evaluation Subcommittee

The Curriculum Evaluation Subcommittee (CESC) provides quality control and improvement for the curriculum through careful monitoring of program evaluation data and regularly scheduled reviews of courses. This subcommittee reports its findings and all recommendations to PAMPEC.

Components of the monitoring and review process include, but are not limited to:

• Triennial review of required courses
• Annual review of courses not meeting program defined benchmarks, such as courses with greater than 15% C’s or courses/faculty members who do not meet established benchmarks for course delivery/instruction

The CESC review will monitor the quality of individual courses and make recommendations for improvement. Reviews will include course components; including goals and objectives, organization and content, assessments and student opinion. As part of the process to inform course reviews, PAMPEC will annually review outcome data including PANCE results, Exit Surveys, and 5-year graduate surveys to identify areas for CESC review.