Distinctions

Through individualized experiences in the third year - the hallmark of a curriculum created from scratch to turn future physicians into leaders - students make progress toward long-term goals and collaborate to improve health locally. A nine-month Innovation, Leadership, and Discovery block affords the opportunity to complete a large independent Distinction in Discovery and Inquiry Project or a dual degree. Students also continue clinical practice in primary care, family, and community medicine with the option for other electives. Longitudinal courses in Developing Outstanding Clinical Skills, Interprofessional Education, and Leadership continue. 

Research: Basic, Clinical or Translational

Students work with faculty to design and implement a project from multiple options spanning the spectrum of research at The University of Texas at Austin or our clinical partners. Working in a rigorous scholarly environment with a faculty mentor, they develop skills for investigation and learn how to communicate findings.

Clinical Innovation and Design

Designing meaningful solutions to the current pressing needs in health care requires a variety of complex skills, including the ability to identify meaningful problems, design thinking to find creative solutions and entrepreneurship to implement them. Students actively learn the process of medical technology and process innovation by working with biomedical engineering graduate students in a structured and mentored experience. As part of the program, students identify concrete clinical needs and address them through technology. 

Population Health

Dell Medical School students collaborate with a community-based organization on a project that will transform health by addressing social determinants of health like income disparities, institutional racism, housing instability and more. They refine leadership and partnership skills by leading an intervention or system change that benefits people in Central Texas.

Student Entrepreneur in Residence

Future physicians take a deep dive into entrepreneurship and learn how to move a health innovation idea from concept to reality. As a member of the schools Texas Health CoLab team, students gain experience in business and commercialization while working with a variety of startups and products. 

Social Entrepreneurship¹

Students take a deep dive into social innovation, entrepreneurship, and capacity- building. Students completing the Distinction will learn how to leverage their knowledge of the healthcare system and medical expertise to make an impact in the healthscape (settings beyond the clinic). In this distinction, students will learn how to move an idea for social impact from concept to reality, diversifying their skillset to include new skills in areas like management, fundraising, program evaluation, and more.

1	Retroactively added to catalog July 26, 2022