The Paths of Excellence is an optional program. More details can be found HERE.
If students elect to join one of the eight “Paths,” they are required to do a project in the Path area. For example, students in the Patient Safety/Quality Improvement Path are required to do a PSQI-related project.
Many students do multiple projects during their enrollment, including but not limited to their Path project/capstone. Usually, any of these projects may qualify as their CFI. It’s up to the student which project is their CFI project.
Common questions are:
1. Does my Path project/capstone = CFI? Answer: It can, but it doesn’t have to. For example, John Brown joins the humanities Path and completes a humanities capstone (an essay on his experience as a low-income first generation student at MM). He also completes another project on adherence to safety protocols during intubation of persons with COVID. Since he is interested in an anesthesia residency, he wants his CFI to be his intubation project. Thus, his Path of Excellence is still humanities, but his CFI is listed in his dean’s letter and on his transcript as intubation safety in emergent COVID settings.
2. I am planning on doing bench research, but I also want to do a community-based project. Which should be my CFI? Answer: Whatever project you think has had the greatest impact upon you personally, and, whichever project you wish to discuss during your residency interviews and have displayed in your Dean’s Letter.
3. Can I plan on joining one Path, like humanities, but plan on doing a Path project in another Path, like innovation & Entrepreneurship? Answer: The Path directors work collaboratively. If you have a project in mind which spans two topics, the Path program can make it work. For example, if you are interested in developing an app which delivers curricula to students at other medical schools, you may want to enroll in either the SoLT Path (a.k.a. medical education) or the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Path. These two Paths would then work on finding optimal advisors, and you can choose which Path to have listed on your transcript and which Path sessions offer you the training that you need.
Feel free to contact the PoE Director, Dr. Catherine Kim (cathkim@med.umich.edu) or the PoE Co-Director, Lisa Schneider (lisaschn@med.umich.edu) with any additional questions.
