Developing and Implementing Curricular Objectives for Sexual Health in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Practical...

In 2014, medical students at the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (FIU HWCOM) first drew attention to perceived gaps in the sexual health curriculum. The authors used Kern and colleagues' model for curriculum development to review and update the existing curriculum.

To develop longitudinal sexual health curricular objectives for undergraduate medical education (UME), the authors reviewed existing specialty- and organization-specific objectives. Then, an iterative process guided by clear criteria was used to develop feasible objectives, which were refined through stakeholder feedback. As these objectives were being finalized in 2017, UME sexual health competencies were first published; the authors mapped their objectives to these, as possible. The medical school's course activities and assessments were mapped to the authors' sexual health objectives to identify curricular gaps and unplanned redundancies.

This process resulted in 12 sexual health curricular objectives that are adaptable by other institutions. In mapping the FIU HWCOM curriculum to these objectives, specific gaps and assessment weaknesses emerged. With stakeholder support obtained through a strong curricular management structure, the work of modifying content to address gaps has begun.

New assessments specific to these sexual health objectives are needed, especially within the clinical curriculum. Assessment of these objectives may be strengthened through the development of new sexual-health-related entrustable professional activities (EPAs) nested within the broader Core EPAs for Entering Residency being piloted. When data on learning outcomes are available, the process of targeting curricular improvement will begin.