Led by Paul M. Wallach, MD, executive associate dean for educational affairs and institutional improvement, the Office of Educational Affairs seeks to continuously improve the quality of medical education at all nine statewide campuses of IU School of Medicine. The office coordinates the educational programs and support service of IU School of Medicine, including MD admissions, academic advising, curriculum, learning technology, reaccreditation and more. The Educational Affairs team also oversees the school's undergraduate Health Professions Programs, Graduate Medical Education and Continuing Education.
Educational Affairs
Excellence in educational programming and student support services
Meet the executive associate dean
Paul M. Wallach, MD, a nationally recognized leader in academic medicine, was named executive associate dean of educational affairs and institutional improvement for Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Wallach was previously vice dean for academic affairs and professor of medicine for Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. In his prior role, Dr. Wallach oversaw education and student programs for the medical school. Having served on national boards and providing leadership to professional licensure, accreditation, and test developed and governance activities for more than 20 years, Dr. Wallach is highly regarded for his expertise in both instructional design and evaluation.
Priorities
Indiana University School of Medicine has a proud history of innovating in medical education. The school pioneered the use of regional campuses to deliver high quality medical education throughout the state. More recently, it was the first school in the country to implement a unique teaching electronic health record to prepare students to use EHRs when they enter residency and practice. That focus on innovation in medical education continues today.
A Scholarly Concentration is an optional experience that complements the core medical school curriculum and empowers students to delve into topics such as Urban Medicine and Health Care Disparities, Business of Medicine, Public Health, Quality and Innovation in Health Care and more. Students completing a Scholarly Concentration benefit from the school's statewide network of experts and resources, receive unique mentorship opportunities, develop skills, and complete scholarly projects that are valuable for residency applications and professional development.
As imaging technology has evolved, we needed to think differently about how we educated our students and residents. In the realm of diagnosis, point of care ultrasound is extremely helpful. While it does not replace a diagnostic ultrasound, the capabilities at the point of care continue to grow creating a potential for enhanced quality of patient care. Educationally, learning about ultrasound prepares our future physicians for patient care and simultaneously serves as cognitive scaffolding for learning the medicine and science underpinning the procedure being performed.
Aimed at bringing fresh perspectives to medical education, IU School of Medicine will host its second Education Day on Thursday April 22, 2021. The day long event offers the opportunity for faculty, staff, residents, fellows, and students (professional, graduate, undergraduate) from all departments and campuses to showcase their medical education research through oral presentations, small group discussions, and poster sessions.
Continuously improving MD curriculum
The Office of Educational Affairs developed a new curriculum for the school’s statewide MD program, which launched with the class of 2020. The curriculum focuses on integrating clinical experiences and basic sciences and offers opportunities for learners to more deeply explore foundational science, specifically in their chosen specialty. While the legacy curriculum prepared excellent physicians, the new curriculum reflects and supports changes in healthcare delivery models, readying students to practice medicine in a team-based interdisciplinary setting.
Medical research and graduate studies
Through the Graduate Division, IU School of Medicine offers research-based doctoral degree programs, basic and applied science master’s degree programs, the NIH-designated Medical Scientist Training Program (MD/PhD dual degree), and graduate certificates. In addition to administering the School of Medicine graduate programs, the Graduate Division provides support to graduate students, the academic programs and departments, as well as services for postdoctoral trainees at IU School of Medicine and its associated hospitals and institutions and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Research Blog
Stay current on medical research progress at IU School of Medicine by exploring and subscribing to the Research blog.
Health Professions and Pre-Doctoral Programs
The Health Professions Programs offered at the Indianapolis campus cover ten areas of focus and are designed to train and prepare critical personnel for delivery of wellness and medical care. Each program is administered by faculty within the related clinical department of IU School of Medicine.
The Master of Science in Medical Science (MSMS) Program is a two-year program designed to enhance the preparation and confidence of students underrepresented in medicine to be successful in a medical curriculum. Students aspiring to pursue a career in medicine may require additional skill-building experience and enhanced knowledge of learning strategies.
Statewide campuses
With nine campuses located in some of Indiana’s most livable cities, IU School of Medicine offers a wide variety of working and learning environments to meet different styles, needs and interests. Whether medical students are in the urban settings of Indianapolis, Evansville, Fort Wayne and Gary or pursuing the rural education track of Terre Haute or prefer the traditional college campus setting of Bloomington, South Bend, West Lafayette and Muncie, they benefit from the same high-quality MD curriculum—with the special amenities and opportunities of each location.
