The Office of Medical Education provides the educational leadership for Basic Science Module and Course Directors, Clinical Clerkship Directors, and faculty for the development of module objectives, course objectives, teaching modalities, syllabi, websites, cases and student assessments. The OME collaborates with faculty in achieving the goals of integration and the introduction of new curricular themes into the curriculum. In addition, the OME fosters the use of bioinformatics and innovative computer technologies for teaching.

The OME operates as an educational resource to faculty for the development of, and assessment of, the effectiveness of course objectives, syllabi and teaching modalities. The OME conducts individual and departmental workshops directed at the improvement of small-group teaching skills, lecture skills, techniques for conducting bedside teaching, and the use of innovative technology during lectures. For example, the Audience Response System has been incorporated into the Clerkship Orientation and Host Defense Module for teaching and assessment of students through highly interactive lectures.

This module highlights a teaching technique using SimMan to teach Autonomic Nervous System Pharmacology.

NYU School of Medicine utilizes a web-based course evaluation system. This allows for timely feedback to course directors and departmental chairs for the continuous improvement of courses.

The Deans Office Course Evaluations are required of the students, and compliance is tracked as part of their professional education. Basic Science and Clinical Clerkship Directors often work with the OME to develop an additional course-specific questionnaire that is also completed online. The OME provides guidance to faculty in developing questions and creating reports from the evaluation data.

The OME has been instrumental in creating a review of faculty teaching efforts, and it provides guidance to faculty in preparing documentation of their teaching efforts for tenure and promotion. A web-based teaching log is under development.

The OME works to ensure that NYU School of Medicine is meeting current LCME Accreditation Requirements. Since the last LCME visit, there has been progressive modification of the curriculum towards increased small-group teaching, as well as the addition of new curricula in evidence-based medicine and clinical skills assessment.

The LCME standards can be accessed at: http://www.lcme.org/standard.htm