VitalSigns was a periodic report on significant events and outcomes of educational programs in Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine. Twice each academic year, VitalSigns used the college's data sets and complementary national data to explore an important dimension of CHM's educational efforts.
The reports in VitalSigns, while grounded in available data, are presented in an interpretive style intended to make significant observations and conclusions quickly evident and to highlight central findings. Each issue invites judgments of what the available evidence suggests for future direction of the college's effort. For the most part, reports focus on our students and graduates and on the programs that direct and strengthen their interests, capacities, and commitments; we will focus on evaluation methods only when they clearly limit the findings that can be presented.
VitalSigns was produced by the program evaluation faculty of OMERAD, in consultation with the Associate Dean of Academic Programs, for faculty and friends of CHM. VitalSigns' interpretive reporting is intended to promote broad awareness of the college's success in reaching its educational goals and to stimulate focused, informed discussion of issues. In this way, VitalSigns extends and complements the tabular summary of CHM educational outcomes data (the "CHM Outcomes Report") that is regularly distributed to the offices of CHM administrators and department chairs.
Previous issues have covered the following topics:
- Fall 1996 — CHM graduates: serving the people
- Spring 1997 — The challenge of assessing clinical performance
- Fall 1997 — Next steps for professional development
- Spring 1998 — Biological science in the new curriculum
- Fall 1998 — Assessing the impact of the new curriculum
- Spring 1999 — The impact of community-based education
- Fall 2000 — Learning about our learners
- Fall 2001 — Revisiting professionalism
- Fall 2002 — Assessing student competency
- Fall 2004 — Advancing Diversity at CHM
- Spring 2005 — Innovations in Clinical Education
- Fall 2005 — Preparing for the Future
Questions or comments about the newsletter can be sent to omerad@msu.edu.