ASU, Mayo lauded for innovation in changing medical school landscape

Medical students in some of the most respected schools in the country are learning under a new model that emphasizes cost-effective, patient-centered care. Mayo Medical School in Arizona and its partner, Arizona State University, are included in the short list of innovators with its Science of Health Care Delivery programs.

An article in the Wall Street Journal notes that "a wave of innovation is sweeping through medical schools, much of it aimed at producing young doctors who are better prepared to meet the demands of the nation's changing health care system."

Susan Skochelak, vice president for medical education at the American Medical Association told the Wall Street Journal today’s doctors must be educated in areas beyond medicine. “What’s been missing is the science of health care delivery. How do you manage chronic disease? How do you focus on prevention and wellness? How do you work as a team?” she said.

Wyatt Decker, chief executive of the Mayo Clinic's operations in Arizona, including the future home of Arizona's Mayo Medical School, slated to open in 2017, says it's time to change the antiquated model of training tomorrow’s doctors. This includes a new course of study, the Science of Health Care Delivery, which will be embedded throughout all four years of study and will include instruction in health care economics and biomedical informatics. Additionally, with a few additional credits, students at Mayo Medical School can graduate with both an M.D. and a master’s in health care delivery from ASU.