“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” Isaac Newton
This month marks the end of an era- the last rendition of the pre-clinical Legacy Curriculum. I want to take a moment to honor this important event and recognize those who have gotten us to this point. While the structure of our curriculum has been relatively constant for the last 25 years, the content and the strategies used have been continually updated and improved to ensure our students are learning what they needed to excel as physicians and academics. No one can deny that we have supported the development of exceptionally gifted doctors, physician-scientists, and leaders in this time. This is a direct result of the work done by our dedicated faculty and staff.
The question regularly comes up- if it is so good, why change? Aren’t you telling me that what we were doing was wrong? The answer to that is simple- we are changing because the world around us has changed and continues to do so at a seemingly ever-increasing pace. This is not failure but an evolution in our approach that incorporates lessons of the past and adapts them to the contextual world around us. Nevertheless, this can feel like a loss- and it is one. It is the end of the way things were.
For those of you who have dedicated a significant part of your careers and your time and energy to the Legacy Curriculum, I want to say thank you. Thank you for the amazing work you have done and the legacy you have left for us as an institution. Without your dedication and skill, our students would not be who they are now and our institution’s faculty would not be of the same caliber. Without your continued partnership through contributions of deep knowledge and experience, lessons learned, and creativity, we would not have evolved to the Gateway Curriculum. For, if we have seen further, it is by standing on your shoulders, our giants. Thank you.