First and foremost, the Impact curriculum exists to support you with resources and opportunities to explore what you are most fundamentally passionate about. Your projects are not being assessed for “success” or “failure”.
When planning your project, ask yourself the following questions: What do I most enjoy doing in my free time? What vitalizes me about the practice of medicine? How can I translate these interests into healthcare?
The Capstone for Impact (CFI) is a core graduation requirement. It is a longitudinal opportunity to apply medical research towards delivering a solution to an issue within a real-world setting, and requires sustained self-directed learning in an area of the student’s passion. The capstone consists of a deliverable which varies according to the means by which the student pursues the capstone but which meets all criteria in the CFI milestone checklist.
All CFI projects are to be supervised by a CFI Advisor of the students’ choice.
While the CFI is typically completed by graduation, the project can begin as early as the summer between officially matriculating into UMMS and beginning the Scientific Trunk. During the Scientific/Clinical Trunk, students have the opportunity to develop capstone projects within a Paths of Excellence (PoE), or the Leadership Program. Students can also complete both a Path of Excellence (PoE), or Leadership project as well as a separate CFI. The CFI requirement is waived for students pursuing a dual degree, or in the MSTP program.
