University of California San Francisco
UCSF School of Medicine UCSF Medical Center

Curriculum Ambassador Program

History and Overview

Launched in the summer of 2001, the Curriculum Ambassador program is one of the great hallmarks of curricular change and enhancement at UCSF, and an exciting example of the way in which medical students can play an integral role in shaping the evolution of School of Medicine curriculum. Over the past 20 years, over 300 students have participated in this funded summer fellowship program, partnering with faculty mentors to identify high-priority areas for improvement within the curriculum, and designing and implementing curricular innovations. In total, the Curriculum Ambassadors have developed over 250 curriculum projects, which have shaped the educational experience of UCSF medical students over the past two decades. Students selected for this program will partner with educational leaders to learn core skills in curriculum development, identify and explore top-priority areas for curriculum improvement and innovation, and design and implement high-impact curriculum projects.

Summer 2025 Information:
Students selected for the Summer 2025 Curriculum Ambassador Program will be partnered with faculty mentors to work on specific projects related to the Anti-Oppression Curriculum Initiative. These will include Curricular Revision/Design/Development; Student Support/Paracurricular projects; Faculty Development Modules. For more information about specific projects, please contact Dr. Denise Connor.

Important dates and information for 2025

  • 2025 Application information will be here in Winter 2025
  • Program runs for 8 weeks starting June 16th and ending on Friday, August 8th, 2025
  • You can choose to take vacation time and work 7 weeks
  • 2nd year Classes begin Monday, August 11th
  • Full time stipend is $5,000
    • NOTE: Students may only receive one School of Medicine, Medical Education Summer Explore Stipend (e.g., for participation in CURAM or a Summer Explore research project). Students are not able to receive more than one stipend from the Office of Medical Education for a Summer project (per calendar year). There may be special situations where students work on an additional project with a PI and receive additional funding directly from that PI (as opposed to from the Office of Medical Education). Students are asked to discuss this option in advance to obtain approval with the Summer Explore or CURAM team. More information on the Inquiry Funding Office website here.
  • We have capacity for a maximum of 8 students for this Summer (may be updated)

Workshops and Weekly sessions

The first week of the Summer, all students will engage in Curriculum Development Workshops which may include interactive sessions:

  • Literature Review for Medical Education
  • Disseminating your Medical Education projects
  • Curriculum Development (Kern model)
  • Educational Scholarship
  • Making the most of a Mentoring Relationship

We will also hold a weekly Works in Progress sessions where students will gather to present their projects and get feedback from their peers and program faculty.

Program Leadership

John Davis, MD, PhD
Associate Dean for Curriculum, School of Medicine
Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine
Division of Infectious Diseases

Patricia O'Sullivan, EdD
Professor in the Department of Medicine
Research and Development in Medical Education in the Center for Faculty Educators

Denise Connor, MD
Professor in the Department of Medicine
Director, Anti-Oppression Curriculum Initiative

Contact:
David Rachleff, Program Coordinator