Teaching Opportunities in the Bridges Curriculum

During the Foundations 1 curricular phase, lectures are an important modality for teaching students about core foundational material related to basic science, clinical science, social science, and professional identity development. 

Responsibilities: Lecturers work with course directors to determine learning objectives and scope and focus of lectures. 

Faculty Benefits: Lecturers share their knowledge and promote learning among large groups of medical students. Students often reach out to lecturers for future shadowing or precepting opportunities. Lecturers can opt in to receive teaching evaluations, which can be helpful for advancement and promotion. Lecturing can be included as formal teaching activities on the UCSF CV.

Instructor Qualifications: Expertise in a particular area and willingness to work with course leadership to ensure lecture topic and approach fit with course curriculum and student needs.

Time Commitment: Preparing a lecture usually takes 6-8 hours, though there can be substantial variability. 

Content: Most lectures are paired with a chapter in the course “Reader”. In most cases, pre-existing lecture slides and Reader chapters are available for new lecturers to adapt as appropriate. 

Location: UCSF Parnassus Heights Campus  

Contact: For more information, please contact Justin Sewell.

During small group learning, students apply information they have learned in lectures to develop deep learning and connect concepts. 

Responsibilities: Small group facilitators guide a group of 10-12 medical students through 90-120-minute case-based sessions. In the role of facilitator, faculty promote students’ self-directed learning with guidance and reassurance, contributing their own experience when appropriate. In most cases, prep sessions and facilitator guides are offered.

Faculty Benefits: Small group facilitators get to know a smaller group of students more closely and contribute directly to students’ knowledge formation and professional growth. Small group facilitators can opt in to receive teaching evaluations, which can be helpful for advancement and promotion. Small group facilitation can be included as formal teaching activities on the UCSF CV.

Instructor Qualifications: Expertise in a particular area and interest in working with a group of students to promote their learning.

Time Commitment: Preparing for each small group session generally takes 1-2 hours, and each session lasts 90-120 minutes. Many faculty participate in a series of 2-3 small group sessions, though single sessions and longer-term commitments are also available. 

Content: In most cases, prep sessions and facilitator guides are offered.

Location: UCSF Parnassus Heights Campus  

Contact: For more information, please contact Justin Sewell.

The goal of the Core Inquiry Curriculum (CIC) is to train medical students to develop inquisitive habits of mind, challenge current concepts, and create new knowledge—skills critical for the success of academic physicians. We aim to help students shift from the conception of medicine as a series of facts to be learned from textbooks or didactics to a vision of medical practice as consistent engagement with an ever evolving and imperfect body of knowledge. Students participate in small groups where they learn to critically read the medical literature and apply evidenced-based medicine to clinical scenarios.

Responsibilities: Facilitators are asked to review materials prior to the small group. CIC small groups are student-led and faculty-facilitated. Faculty facilitators encourage students to be curious, to delve into the literature for answers, to critically evaluate what they read, and to determine why (or why not!) what they read is applicable to the specific clinical scenario. Faculty play a critical role in providing clinical context and highlighting how these skills are critical to one's professional identity as a physician. 

Faculty Benefits: This is a great opportunity to help our students develop the skills necessary for life-long learning and to mold how our students thoughtfully approach their patients using evidence-based medicine. CIC small group facilitation can be included as formal teaching activities on the UCSF CV.

Instructor Qualifications: Content expertise is not required. Facilitators are provided with extensive facilitator notes and just-in-time prep sessions. These sessions focus on process—how to think like a physician. Interested UCSF faculty including Volunteer Clinical Professors are encouraged to apply.

Time Commitment: 3-5 hours per week. Most small groups are 2 hours with 1-2 hours of prep time plus an optional just-in-time facilitator training session. Terms of commitment can be short (e.g., 1-3 weeks) or longer (e.g., a quarter or semester). 

Content: You will be provided with extensive facilitator notes and just-in-time prep sessions.

Location: UCSF Parnassus Heights Campus  

Contact: For more information, please contact Susana Aranas.

The central goal of Inquiry Immersion Mini-Courses is to help students in the healthcare professions shift from the concept of medicine as a series of facts to be learned from textbooks or didactics to a vision of medical practice as engagement with an ever evolving and imperfect body of knowledge. Focused Mini-Courses offer the chance to take a deep dive into a current controversy or dilemma in healthcare and explore the boundaries of existing scholarship.

Responsibilities: Design and lead a 12-hour Mini-Course for 5-12 students from the Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy on any topic of your choosing. All sessions scheduled during the two weeks following Winter Break.

Faculty Benefits: Opportunity to get to know a group of students well, develop new collaborations and recruit for your project in the future. Credit towards promotions/advancements. Staff to support you administratively with rooms, course website, attendance. Learn new teaching skills.

Instructor Qualifications: Expertise in a cutting-edge area of healthcare. UCSF Faculty appointment preferred but not required.

Time Commitment: 12 in-person teaching hours in January, spread across 6 sessions plus relevant preparation time. 

Content: Mini-course leader(s) develop content.

Location: Any UCSF campus location

Contact: For more information on the Mini-Course proposal process, view the “Mini-Course Elements” section on the Inquiry Immersion webpage or email the Inquiry Team. 

The Core Principles of Interprofessional Practice seeks to provide UCSF health professions students with the knowledge and skills to effectively collaborate in health care settings. This course is comprised of five small group sessions held quarterly over the course of two years. 

Responsibilities: Small group facilitators guide the discussion of 10-12 interprofessional learners from Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy and Nursing through a two-hour case-based session. 

Faculty Benefits: The sessions are fun! It is a good chance to meet faculty from other schools and to share your perspective with students on the importance of working in interprofessional teams to optimize patient care. Facilitators will receive teaching evaluations which can be helpful for advancement and promotion. Small group facilitation for this course may be included as formal teaching activities and university service on the UCSF CV.

Instructor Qualifications: Specific content expertise is not required. There is an optional one-hour “just in time” faculty development live prep prior to each session. Detailed facilitator guides are provided for all sessions. First-time facilitators can be paired with a co-facilitator upon request.

Time Commitment: A small group session is 2 hours, plus an optional 1 hour just-in-time live facilitator training session. Minimal additional prep is needed. The ideal scenario is teaching the same group of students through all 5 sessions as students prefer continuity with one facilitator. However, we welcome you to teach as many sessions as you like.

Content: You will be provided with a detailed facilitator guide and an optional just-in-time training prior to each session.

Location: UCSF Parnassus Heights Campus

Contact: For more information, please contact Josette Rivera or Jenny Mandal.

Most Foundations 1 courses include open-ended question examinations, which require grading by faculty members with content expertise.

Responsibilities: Grade one open-ended question for approximately 160 students using a rubric provided by course directors.

Faculty Benefits: Provides insight into assessment in classroom settings. Asynchronous work can be completed at faculty convenience.

Instructor Qualifications: Expertise in a particular area and willingness to carefully grade an exam question for 160 students.

Time Commitment: About 5-6 hours per question. 

Content: Orientation to exam, grading rubric, and check-ins as needed will be provided by course directors.

Location: Virtual  

Contact: For more information, please contact Justin Sewell.

Introduction to Career Launch (ICL) is a four-week course in March that precedes acting internships and advanced clinical rotations. ICL has both an established core curriculum for the entire class and sessions that students self-select from a menu of options (i.e., “selectives”). ICL provides exciting opportunities to teach medical students with an established curriculum and/or develop and facilitate your own small group session.

Responsibilities: Either facilitate established small group sessions and/or develop novel small group sessions for ICL, see more information below. All sessions are scheduled for March.

Facilitate Established Core Curriculum: 
The core curriculum includes the following topics: Clinical Reasoning, Difficult Conversations, Interprofessional Collaboration, Point-of-Care Ultrasound, and Simulation. Materials for the established core curriculum has already been developed, facilitator guides will be disseminated, and an orientation session will occur prior to these sessions. These small group sessions are held in March. Core curriculum sessions will be in-person and range in length from 50 minutes to 3 hours and 50 minutes.

Please note we are actively recruiting for the following opportunities. Please reply to [email protected] with your availability to facilitate sessions. Reach out to Brad Monash with any questions.

• Clinical Reasoning (In-Person)

This session is designed to reinforce and extend the framework offered in students’ pre-clerkship reasoning curriculum for thinking through a clinical case, and help students as they prepare to be ‘first call’ during Sub-Internship. The goal is to give students practice with urgent clinical scenarios in which they must use their clinical reasoning skills quickly, and where both diagnostic and therapeutic reasoning must be used hand-in-hand. Students will work through clinical vignettes of a new episode of atrial fibrillation in a hospitalized patient, and an acute, focal neurologic deficit that appears unexpectedly when pre-rounding. All sessions will be in-person on the Parnassus Heights campus.

Tuesday, March 10, 9 am – 12 pm
Thursday, March 12, 9 am – 12 pm 

• Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) (In-Person)

This interactive course will include robust didactics with expert lecturers and hands-on scanning sessions with standardized patients (SPs). Students will work in small groups to practice the ultrasound skills taught in the lectures and covered in their assigned pre-reading. The course is designed to maximize the students' time practicing ultrasound skills on SPs. Each scanning station will be led by an experienced POCUS facilitator. The primary objectives are for students to improve their image acquisition and apply their knowledge to interpret ultrasound exams. Students will learn to obtain POCUS images, practice interpretation of normal and abnormal images, and integrate findings into clinical decision-making. Students will learn a variety of POCUS applications, including general applications, eFAST, cardiac and vascular, and peripheral IV placement. Facilitators at each scanning station will help students with ultrasound probe manipulation, troubleshooting for optimal image acquisition, identification of artifacts, and image interpretation. All sessions will be in-person on the Parnassus Heights campus.

Tuesday, March 10, 9 am – 12 pm 
Thursday, March 12, 9 am – 12 pm 
Tuesday, March 17, 9 am – 12 pm 
Thursday, March 19, 9 am – 12 pm 

• Simulation (In-Person)

This interactive simulation session focuses on the triage and management of decompensating patients on the wards. Students work together in small groups of 8-9 students, working on the management of 3 emergency scenarios (seizure, hypoxia/respiratory distress, chest pain), and practicing verbal handoffs to the next provider/consultant at the end of the case. We will use a variety of simulation modalities for this session! We will debrief after each case and then offer quick clinical teaching and pearls about the case. There will be facilitator training sessions (along with written facilitator guides), and you don't have to have a wealth of simulation experience to facilitate! Please note that we will be using a simulated patient monitor app called SimMon with iPads, mannequin-based simulation, and case-based simulation. Each facilitator will oversee one type of simulation modality. All sessions will be in-person on the Parnassus Heights campus.

Tuesday, March 17, 8 am – 12 pm 
Thursday, March 19, 8 am – 12 pm 

• Difficult Conversations (In-Person)

This session aims to expand upon previous communication sessions with the goal of preparing the students to handle common challenging scenarios with patients and families, as well as with colleagues. This will consist of a large group review of skills learned so far, followed by case-based practice in small groups. We would send you a facilitator guide in advance and hold an optional preparation session beforehand. All facilitators need to do is impart their incredible expertise and experience to the fourth-year medical students during the session. All sessions will be in-person on the Parnassus Heights campus.

Tuesday, March 24, 9 am – 12 pm

• Interprofessional Collaboration (In-Person)

This session aims to advance students’ knowledge and skills in interprofessional collaboration so that they can more effectively function in the interprofessional clinical environment. This session will consist of a one-hour interprofessional panel discussion, followed by a one-hour small group session. You would be facilitating the small group session, which focuses on the interprofessional nature of multidisciplinary rounds and discharge planning, and would receive a facilitator guide in advance. The facilitator preparation required for this session is minimal. All sessions will be in-person on the Parnassus Heights campus.

Thursday, March 26, 10 am – 12 pm 

Develop and Facilitate Small Group Sessions:
Selectives are 50-minute, small-group sessions that students self-select from a menu of options. These sessions can be either general, covering knowledge/skills relevant to all career paths, or specialty-focused, providing an opportunity for students to take a deeper dive into the content relevant for their chosen careers. These sessions should be engaging, interactive, and potentially include case-based learning as appropriate. Students value high-yield, clinical and practical topics that prepare them for their sub-Is. In addition, we have received student requests for more specialty-focused content as well as DEI-related sessions. Selectives are held in March. You can offer your session in-person or virtually on Zoom, depending on the content.

Faculty Benefits:

• Engage with UCSF medical students
• Develop novel teaching curricula
• Earn credit towards promotions/advancements.
• Learn new teaching/facilitation skills.

Instructor Qualifications

• Clinical Teaching Faculty
• UCSF Faculty appointment preferred but not required.

Time Commitment:

• One teaching hour during March, plus relevant preparation time. 

Content: Either develop novel small group sessions in your area of interest or facilitate an established small group session.

Location: Virtual or UCSF Parnassus Heights Campus

Contact: For more information on ICL Core Curriculum and Selectives, please contact Career Launch Coordinator or Brad Monash.

Coda is the capstone course for fourth-year medical students prior to graduation and aims to prepare them for life after medical school, with a specific focus on residency preparation. Students value practical and pragmatic teaching focusing on knowledge and skills they will require as interns. These selectives can focus on general knowledge/skills or be specialty focused. The students taking the selectives have already matched.

Responsibilities: Either develop novel small group sessions and/or facilitate established small group sessions for Coda. Selectives are 50-minute small group sessions that students choose from a menu of options. Sessions should be engaging, interactive, and include case-based learning as appropriate. These can be in-person or virtual, depending on the content. Selectives are grouped in the following three categories: 1) Clinical Skills, 2) Professional Development, and 3) Well-Being. All sessions are scheduled for the three weeks from late April to mid-May.

Faculty Benefits:

• Opportunity to develop novel teaching material.
• Credit towards promotions/advancements.
• Learn new teaching/facilitation skills.

Instructor Qualifications

• Clinical Teaching Faculty
• UCSF Faculty appointment preferred but not required.

Time Commitment:

• One teaching hour during the three weeks from late April to mid-May, plus relevant preparation time. 

Content: Either develop novel small group sessions in your area of interest or facilitate an established small group session.

Location: Virtual or UCSF Parnassus Heights Campus

Contact: For more information on Coda Selectives, please contact Career Launch Coordinator or Brad Monash.

The Clinical Microsystems Clerkship (CMC) is a longitudinal integrated clinical skills and health systems improvement curriculum for MS1s and MS2s. Teaching occurs in the classroom (e.g., patient communication or clinical reasoning skills), in simulation (e.g., history taking and physical examination with standardized patients), and in all three affiliated health systems (UCSF Health, SFVAHCS, and ZSFG) for health systems improvement or quality improvement. A variety of teaching opportunities are available for physician clinician educators. 
We invite you to express your interest in participating in any of these aspects of this curriculum, and we will follow-up with more details. 
Responsibilities: Responsibilities will vary depending on role and starting at 2 hours.
Faculty Benefits: Satisfaction from engaging with junior medical students to help them learn foundational patient care and health systems skills.
Instructor Qualifications: UCSF clinician educator faculty members working in one of the three affiliated health systems (UCSF Health, SFVAHCS, and ZSFG).
Time Commitment: Variable, at least 2 hours.
Content: Unless faculty aim to collaborate in curricular design projects, content is provided.
Location: Various, including UCSF Parnassus Heights Campus, UCSF Health, SFVAHCS, and ZSFG.
Contact: For more information, please contact Anna Chang or Susannah Cornes.

The physician will be the role model for students as they refresh their skills in independent patient interviewing, physical exam, oral presentations, and note writing. These first-year medical student core clinical preceptorships are available in either adult or pediatric medicine.
Responsibilities: Preceptors are expected to provide students with the opportunity to practice and receive observation and feedback on oral presentation, notes, patient histories, and physical exams. Core Clinical Preceptorships must allow students the opportunity to directly practice clinical skills and engage with patients (under proper supervision), rather than only observing.
Faculty Benefits: Preceptors may list this teaching as an item on their CV. UCSF faculty and volunteer faculty may use this precepting as evidence of teaching to support their advancement/promotion. Preceptors may develop a longitudinal teaching/mentoring relationship with their students which can be immensely rewarding from a professional and personal standpoint.
Instructor Qualifications: Salaried faculty, Volunteer Clinical Professors, or practicing physicians in the San Francisco Bay Area that allow medical students to apply hands-on, direct patient care clinical skills.
Time Commitment: A first-year medical student will join the instructor at the medical practice for approximately four, 3-4-hour sessions, typically between April and June. 
Content: Preceptors are provided with an orientation handbook and just-in-time informational emails to support this role.
Location: Various, including UCSF Parnassus Heights Campus, UCSF Health, SFVAHCS, ZSFG, and community sites.
Contact: If you are interested in precepting, please contact Anna Kozas and Sam Brondfield, MD, MA.

SPAN is a required longitudinal ambulatory preceptorship for Fourth-Year Medical Students during Career Launch. Students work in the clinic with their SPAN preceptors for 12 half-day sessions. Students will be matched 1:1 with a faculty preceptor in a specialty or subspecialty of their choosing. Many students will choose a SPAN preceptor in the field they intend to pursue for residency or in a field that will provide them with clinical skills that complement their chosen career path. Students will develop advanced ambulatory clinical skills in addition to longitudinal clinical coaching and mentoring relationships with their SPAN preceptors and enter residency better prepared for outpatient clinical practice. 

Responsibilities:

• Host a fourth-year medical student in your outpatient clinical practice for 12 longitudinally scheduled half-day sessions between May-March.
• Discuss student’s learning goals and self-assessments periodically.
• Facilitate student involvement in patient care with appropriate supervision and graduated independence.
• Directly observe students with patients.
• Provide feedback and coaching on clinical skills.
• Provide mentorship and support for student growth.

Faculty Benefits:

• Highlight your clinical setting and the patient population that you serve.
• Teach the next generation of physicians advanced outpatient clinical skills, role-model outstanding physician professionalism.
• Act as a clinical coach and mentor to an advanced medical student interested in your field.

Instructor Qualifications:

• Active outpatient clinical practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. SPAN is a clinic-based preceptorship; procedures such as endoscopies or cardiac catheterizations or time in the OR, Emergency Department or inpatient do not count toward the SPAN requirement.
• Opportunities for students to apply hands-on, direct patient care clinical skills with progressive levels of independence, as appropriate (SPAN is not a shadowing experience).
• UCSF faculty appointment:
  • UCSF HS Clinical, Clinical X, In Residence, Ladder Rank
  • UCSF Volunteer Clinical Professor 

Time Commitment:

• We match SPAN preceptors with students annually in March.
• 12 half-day sessions over 10 months (beginning annually in May).
• Students work directly with SPAN preceptors to schedule SPAN sessions.

Content: Orientation materials will be provided.

Location: Your Outpatient Clinical Practice in the Bay Area.

Contact: If you are interested in working with a SPAN student or would like to learn more about SPAN, please contact Christine Phung, SPAN Coordinator at [email protected].