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

Faculty Teachers for the Required Medical Student Curriculum

Updated On
August 11, 2026

Purpose

To establish UCSF faculty members as the responsible educators in the School of Medicine required curriculum.

Overview

The required medical school curriculum constitutes the core educational experience leading to graduation and entrustment decisions. As such, instruction must be delivered and overseen by individuals accountable for ensuring all educators understand and comply with UCSF's academic standards, professional expectations, and institutional mission. Designating UCSF faculty as responsible educators ensures quality, alignment, and accountability across the curriculum.

Definitions

  • Faculty of Record: UCSF School of Medicine faculty members appointed as course or clerkship directors with oversight responsibility and accountability for the education program(s).
  • Faculty Teachers: UCSF School of Medicine faculty members who are leading a curricular session (e.g., lecture) or designing content for interactive learning (e.g., small group discussions)

Related LCME Standards

  • Element 4.5 Faculty Professional Development 
  • Standard 7 Curricular Content 
  • Element 9.2 Faculty Appointments 
     

Principles

  1. UCSF faculty possess the disciplinary expertise, clinical experience, and scholarly grounding necessary to deliver rigorous, evidence-based medical education. 
  2. Students engage longitudinally with UCSF faculty throughout their training. Faculty teachers contribute to a coherent educational experience and reinforce institutional culture and expectations. 
  3. Participation in teaching the required curriculum supports faculty professional fulfillment and academic advancement, consistent with UCSF's academic mission. 
  4. All required curricular content must align with course objectives, education program objectives/competencies, and graduation milestones; be grounded in current evidence and best practices; adhere to Regents Policy 2301 on Course Content; and avoid personal opinion or ideological perspectives. 
  5. Faculty of Record (course and clerkship directors) and Faculty Teachers (who are UCSF faculty) are responsible for content development, accuracy and quality; alignment of content with curricular goals; and the preparation and oversight of all contributors to instructional sessions. 

Policy

  1. Faculty of Record for all required medical student curriculum are UCSF School of Medicine faculty members.
  2. Faculty Teachers who lead large group lectures and design curricular content for small group classroom sessions must be UCSF School of Medicine faculty members.
  3. Individuals who are not UCSF School of Medicine faculty may participate in the required curriculum in structured roles with faculty oversight that support—but do not replace—the accountability of the Faculty of Record and/or Faculty Teacher. 
  4. Individuals who are not UCSF faculty, including Volunteer Clinical Professors/Instructors (with UCSF academic appointments through a UCSF department), community physicians and instructors, and UCSF learners (advanced students, residents, fellows) who participate in required medical school educational sessions, must be invited by UCSF faculty, contribute with faculty oversight, use faculty-developed or faculty-approved materials, and be oriented to applicable policies, course/clerkship objectives, session goals, learner level, and pedagogical approach. Specifically, under UCSF faculty oversight, individuals who are not UCSF School of Medicine faculty may contribute in the following ways:
    • Residents, fellows, postgraduate students, and medical students may participate as members of teaching teams on large-group panels or in small groups under the direction of the Faculty Teacher and the Faculty of Record. 
    • Volunteer Clinical Professors/Instructors, community physicians, interprofessional clinicians, and other invited experts may contribute clinical expertise, lived experience, or community context as panelists or co-presenters in large group lectures and as clinical teachers in classroom small group or clinical settings in alignment with course objectives and with faculty oversight. 
    • Patients may contribute lived experience, patient perspectives, or community context as panelists or co-presenters in large group lectures in alignment with course objectives and with faculty oversight.

Procedure

  1. All individuals who are not UCSF faculty who teach in the required curriculum, including large-group presenters, panelists, small-group facilitators, and clinical teachers, must complete orientation and training provided by the course or clerkship director. Please see: Orientation to Teaching Roles and Responsibilities. 
  2. Individuals who are not UCSF faculty may independently lead or participate in optional educational activities outside the required curriculum, including extracurricular programming offered on a voluntary basis. 

Related policies
UC Regents Policy 2301: Policy on Course Content
Orientation to Teaching Roles and Responsibilities 
Residents as Teachers Policy
Medical Student Education Policy for Volunteer Clinical Professor Roles and Responsibilities

Accountable Dean: Associate Dean for Curriculum
Approval Date and Governing Body: CCEP, August 11, 2026