Established in 2024, the Quality Improvement Pathway organizes current offerings in Quality Improvement (QI) across four years of medical school to channel the enthusiasm of students to become lifelong leaders in QI. This pathway provides learners with the knowledge, confidence, and necessary skills to accurately identify value deficits, effectively apply systems-based thinking, and successfully implement QI interventions. In addition, students will receive close mentorship from QI experts throughout Baylor College of Medicine (Houston and Temple campuses) and the broader Texas Medical Center. Graduates of the QI pathway will have a higher and more formal level of experience in QI compared to the national average, an increasingly attractive trait for residency applicants across specialties. As QI becomes an increasingly important part of physician training and practice, this formalized pathway will ensure that Baylor College of Medicine graduates are better prepared to address the important, timely issues of quality and cost-conscious care that will invariably affect their day-to-day lives.
To enroll in the pathway, students must contact the Pathway directors or coordinator by the end of their MS1 year and complete the Pathway commitment form on the School of Medicine Medical Pathways website.
Directors: Neeraj Agrawal, M.D. (nagrawal@bcm.edu); Lindsay Vaclavic, M.D. (Lindsay.Vaclavic@bcm.edu); Srikanth Gogineni, M.D. (Srikanth.gogineni@bswhealth.org)
Coordinator: Kenda Oster (koster@bcm.edu)
Requirements for Completing the Pathway
MS1 Year
Students must complete coursework in required electives to fulfill criteria for the pathway. We provide students with a list of elective coursework in QI, PS, HVC, systems thinking, or other related domains which provide insight into system-level issues in healthcare that represent opportunities for improvement. At least one elective must be taken during Foundational Sciences Elective(s).
Foundational Sciences Electives (select at least one)
- MEPED-567 Intro to Quality Improvement (0.5 credit)
- MEMED-629 Skills and Advanced Topics in PS/QI (0.5 credit)
- MEPED-587 Wicked Problems (0.5 credit)
- MEPAT-581 High-Reliability in Medicine Leadership (0.5 credit)
MS2 Year
- QI Research Methodology Course (required) (0.5 credit)
QI Research Methodology is a longitudinal QI training course with the goal to provide students with exposure and hands-on experience in quality improvement and patient safety. The course will meet during eight workshop evening sessions lasting 1.5 hours each over three months. Students will develop core knowledge of QI processes including introduction to systems/design thinking, the model for improvement, data collection and data analysis, as well as basic QI tools like fishbone diagrams, process maps, and pareto charts. During workshops, students will identify a project to work on for their capstone project as well as a mentor. There will be homework and action items to be completed between sessions. By the end of course, students will submit a QI project plan along with their mentor to guide their work on their QI project. Faculty in the QI Research Methods course will be available for coaching and guidance on projects throughout the workshops.
MS3/MS4 Year
Capstone Project: Students are required to perform a capstone project on a quality improvement topic selected with their faculty mentor. Students will practice implementing projects with the education and skills learned in the Foundational Science Electives and the advanced clinical research elective. Students must submit an abstract for presentation at the Baylor College of Medicine Annual Quality Improvement/Patient Safety Conference. Students can submit to another professional conference with approval of the Pathway directors.
Projects for capstone must represent quality improvement work and should utilize typical quality improvement tools including process mapping, fishbone diagrams, run charts or SPC charts. All projects will be established at the time of the QI Research Methods advanced research elective with submission of a QI Project Portfolio at the elective's completion. Any changes to the topic of the project will need to be reviewed by the Pathway directors prior to submission to ensure the project meets requirements for a QI capstone project.
Enrichment Activities
The purpose of the pathway enrichment activities is to provide a flexible and student-directed platform to obtain additional QI knowledge in topics that are of the most interest to the student. Enrichment activity requirements must be completed by Spring of MS4 year to complete the pathway. A total of 15 hours of enrichment activities are required.
(Required – 9.75 hours): Value Based Healthcare Modules
Students must complete the Discovering Value-Based Healthcare online modules as part of required enrichment activities.
- Introduction to Value-Based Health Care (2.75 hours)
- Value-Based Healthcare Delivery (1.5 hours)
- Improving Value at the Bedside (2.5 hours)
- Improving Value in Systems (3 hours)
Other Enrichment Opportunities to complete the 15 hours:
- HVC/Choosing Wisely Lecture Series (1 hour each)
- QIPS Grand Rounds in: Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, OG/GYN, or other BCM Departments (1 hour each)
- Other Pathway Director-Approved Activities
Pathway Requirements at a Glance
Preclinical Foundations Electives (at least 1)
Year 1
- MEPED-567 Intro to Quality Improvement: 0.5 credits
- MEMED-629 Skills and Advanced Topics in PS/QI: 0.5 credits
- MEPED-587 Wicked Problems: 0.5 credits
- MEPAT-581 High Reliability in Medicine Leadership: 0.5 credits
Year 2
- MEMED 648 – QI Research Methodology (required), 0.5 Credits
Optional Advanced Clinical/Research Electives
Years 2, 3 and 4
- MEMED-631R Quality Improvement for Personal & Professional Development: 4.0 credits
- MERAD-200 High Value Radiology & Appropriate Use: 2 weeks, 2.0 credits
- MEMED-205 Hospital Medicine - BSL: 2 weeks, 2.0 credits
- MEMED-202 Comprehensive HIV Care for the Underserved: 2 weeks, 2.0 credits
- MEPED- 516E Patient Advocacy Clinical Rotation: 4.0 credits
Scholarly Activity
Years 3 and 4
- Completion of one project with abstract submission to BCM QI/PS conference or other local/regional/national conference
Non-Credit Enrichment Activities (total of 15 hours)
Years 1, 2, 3 and 4
- TMC QI/PS Grand Rounds
- BCM HVC Lecture Series
- Value Based Care Online Modules
- Other Pathway Director Approved Activities
Total Number of Credit Hours: 1.0