Summary: here is how we plan to use feedback from your surveys to improve UWSOM
In this issue, the Office of Educational Quality Improvement (EQI) keeps the students (you!) informed of the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) initiatives implemented within the UWSOM Undergraduate Medical Education Program. The feedback you have provided on surveys such as the End-of-Phase surveys and AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) surveys is at the foundation of CQI. By sharing the overarching CQI plan, the intent is to provide transparency on how your input is used to improve the quality of medical education program at UWSOM.
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) serves two core purposes:
- Identifying strengths and gaps in educational programs based on benchmarks.
- Ensuring compliance with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation standards based on your survey data (the next accreditation cycle for UWSOM is AY2025-26).
On October 22, 2023, Dr. Sara Kim, Associate Dean for EQI emailed you a summary data report based on the 2023 student survey findings. Identified for CQI priorities were 64 out of 142 data points based on data trends such as your satisfaction ratings lower than national benchmarks, wide variations in regional campus ratings, etc. Soon, responsible units will start reviewing CQI priority areas for improvement. And they will begin to establish quality benchmarks and goals, and implement strategies tied to these goals, with a plan to regularly monitor outcomes to ensure effectiveness. The table below illustrates a timeline outlining suggested CQI tasks.
We hope this comprehensive approach demonstrates the school’s dedication to meet the accreditation standards and ensures that the school is committed to enhancing the quality of medical education programs. If you have any suggestions of how we can further provide transparency about program improvements, please contact eqi@uw.edu.
Stay tuned as we share specific improvement initiatives regularly!