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367 Cedar Street
New Haven, CT 06510
USA

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The Yale System of medical education

Educational Objective

The educational objective of the School of Medicine is to develop physicians who are highly competent and compassionate practitioners of the medical arts, schooled in the current state of knowledge of both medical biology and patient care. It is hoped that Yale-trained physicians will establish a lifelong process of learning the medical, behavioral, and social sciences by independent study. The aim is to produce physicians who will be among the leaders in their chosen field, whether it be in the basic medical sciences, academic clinical medicine, or medical practice in the community. The Schools belief in the maturity and responsibility of students is emphasized by the existence of a flexible program, through anonymous examinations, the elimination of grades, and the encouragement of independent study and research.

Educational Philosophy: The Yale System

The Yale System of Medical Education remains unique among medical schools. It has been an important part of life at the Yale School of Medicine since 1931. Although it has undergone minor modifications in the intervening years, its essential spirit has remained intact and it is a major reason why many students choose to come to Yale for their medical education.

The fundamental element of the system is the concept that medical students are mature individuals, strongly motivated to learn, requiring guidance and stimulation rather than compulsion or competition for relative standing in a group. The corollary of this concept is that students must assume more than usual responsibility for their education. Students should be considered adults in a graduate school and be permitted to enjoy as large a degree of freedom as is consistent with the fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Memorization of facts should be far less important than a well-rounded education in fundamental principles, training in methods of investigation, and the acquisition of the scientific habit of mind.

Thus, attendance is not taken, and much basic science instruction occurs in small-group seminars or conferences. Students evaluate themselves through optional, anonymous examinations. Their performance is assessed by the faculty through participation in seminars, by an anonymous (but coded) qualifying examination at the end of each course, by performance on clinical clerkships, and by passing of the United States Medical Licensing Examinations (USMLE).

In the first two years, there are no grades and there is no class ranking. While grades are not given and rank order not established, evaluation of students is an important part of the educational process. The faculty considers small-group teaching with interchange between faculty and students to be the most effective means of teaching and evaluation. Students should expect direct questioning at seminars and laboratories as an important adjunct to the evaluation process. The final decision of acceptable performance for a given course remains with the chairman of the department and/or the designated director of the course. Upon completing a course, all students are required to submit an evaluation. Freed from the usual anxieties provoked by examinations, students tend to learn for their future rather than for tests. Competition for grades is eliminated and students are eager to help one another. Class spirit is remarkably high year after year.

Students are encouraged to advance at their own pace within the Yale curriculum. Although the majority complete the program in four academic years, a significant number of students make special arrangements to spend an additional year. This time may be spent in research at Yale, another university, or an institute abroad. Some students pursue a degree or courses in another program such as public health, divinity, or law. In recognizing the special needs of students who take on the responsibility of bearing and raising children, students may elect to take extended study or an official leave of absence for this reason during their medical education.

Finally, the Yale System requires each student to engage in a form of research activity, designed to foster development of a lifelong commitment to learning.