Returning to the Body: Potential Reforms in Medical Education

Authors

  • Shreyas Rajesh Harvard Medical School Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65539/ycf3j598

Keywords:

medical education, curriculum reform, physiology, case-based learning, anatomy education, critical thinking

Abstract

As new diseases and therapies emerge with increasing frequency, medical education must evolve beyond disease-focused pattern recognition. This article argues for an organ systems-first approach centered on deep understanding of human physiology and first principles thinking. The author proposes case-based small-group learning, reinvigorating cadaver-based anatomy education, and reforming board examinations to emphasize critical thinking over memorization to prepare physicians for an uncertain future.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Hunter PR. Future disease burden due to the rise of emerging infectious disease secondary to climate change may be being under-estimated. Virulence. 2025 Dec 31;16(1):2501243. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21505594.2025.2501243

2. Xia L, Jiang B, Zhang J, Yang K, Zhang Q, Zhu PY. Organ-System-Based Curriculum in Medical Education: A Scoping Review. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2025 Sept;16:1675–81. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S548097

3. Noonan K. Vermont Medical School Ceases All Lectures from Curriculum and Adopts "Active Learning" Techniques for Teaching Next Generation of Physicians [Internet]. Dark Daily. 2017 [cited 2025 Dec 20]. Available from: https://www.darkdaily.com/2017/12/01/vermont-medical-school-ceases-all-lectures-from-curriculum-and-adopts-active-learning-techniques-for-teaching-next-generation-of-physicians-1130/

4. Case Inquiry Program | Curriculum | Case Western Reserve University [Internet]. Curriculum | Case Western Reserve University. 2025 [cited 2025 Dec 20]. Available from: https://case.edu/medicine/curriculum/curriculum-overview/foundations-medicine-health/case-inquiry-program

5. Schwartzstein RM, Dienstag JL, King RW, Chang BS, Flanagan JG, Besche HC, et al. The Harvard Medical School Pathways Curriculum: Reimagining Developmentally Appropriate Medical Education for Contemporary Learners. Acad Med. 2020 Nov;95(11):1687–95. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000003270

6. Leading EDGE Curriculum [Internet]. Dell Medical School. Available from: https://dellmed.utexas.edu/education/academics/undergraduate-medical-education/leading-edge-curriculum

7. MD Program Curriculum Overview & Highlights [Internet]. Umich.edu. 2025 [cited 2025 Dec 20]. Available from: https://medschool.umich.edu/programs-admissions/md-program/md-curriculum/md-program-curriculum-overview-highlights

8. The Yale System [Internet]. medicine.yale.edu. https://medicine.yale.edu/md-program/admissions/yale-system/

9. Curriculum | MD Program | Washington University in St. Louis [Internet]. Wustl.edu. 2025. Available from: https://md.wustl.edu/curriculum/

10. Nadir Al-Saidi. Medical schools are eliminating the use of cadavers, and that's a shame. STAT. 2025.

Downloads

Published

2025-12-25

How to Cite

Returning to the Body: Potential Reforms in Medical Education. (2025). Harvard Medical Student Review, 102(1), 31-33. https://doi.org/10.65539/ycf3j598