A preventive cardiology curriculum will be developed at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine for medical students, residents, and community physicians to promote understanding of and methods to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality through both primary and secondary prevention. The curriculum will emphasisze this approach throughout the life cycle during all four years of medical school and in the residency programs of the Department of Medicine, Pediatrics and Family Practice. It will focus on the role of identifiable risk factors in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, the potential and methods for their modification and anticipated benefits and will utilize multidisciplinary resources of the School of Medicine and the University to enhance preventive cardiology education through two basic approaches: 1) coordination of relevant material already taught to students and residents and 2) introduction of selected, new educational content for both groups. The latter will include an experiential approach to risk factor modification in medical students with longitudinal self-assessment. These data will be utilized in teaching exercises in several preclinical courses (health behavior, biochemistry, nutrition, cardiology, epidemiology). Preclinical courses will add appropriate clinical correlations relevant to preventive cardiology and the PI will offer a new Preventive Cardiology Elective. Preventive cardiology will be enhanced in the didactic and practical training components of the residencies and several innovation will be added, e.g., screening of asymptomatic first-degree relatives of coronary patients (Medicine), Lipid Clinic rotation (all three Departments) and Wellness Clinic (Pediatrics). There will be research opportunities for students and residents. Community physicians will be educated through an active CME program and our role as a referral enter. The PI will be directly involved in teaching of students and residents and will coordinate this multifaceted program. He will receive the advise of Advisory and Curriculum Committees and will utilize an outside consultant. Formal, regular evaluation of the curriculum will be an integral component of the program.
