Penn State College of Medicine has been awarded a $1 million grant by the American Medical Association as part of a program aimed at transforming the way the physicians of tomorrow are trained.

In all, 119 medical schools applied for funding through the AMA’s Accelerating Change in Medical Education initiative. Penn State College of Medicine is one of just 11 medical schools across the United States – and the only school in Pennsylvania – to receive a grant.

The $1 million grant awarded to Penn State College of Medicine will be administered over five years. It will be used to create a new component in the medical education curriculum called Systems Based Learning in which students will serve as patient navigators. This will allow them to serve patients in a meaningful way during their education, preparing them to work within all aspects of the nation’s evolving health care system. These include hospital, home, skilled nursing, and community and social agencies.

“As one of the nation’s leading integrated health systems, Penn State Hershey is in an excellent position to teach medical students how to provide excellent care while also helping their patients better understand and navigate a rapidly changing health care system,” said Dr. Harold L. Paz, CEO of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State Hershey Health System, Penn State’s senior vice president for health affairs and dean of Penn State College of Medicine. “Ultimately, this will prepare our students to be better clinicians as well as effective leaders ready to develop innovative solutions for improving the quality, efficiency and accessibility of care.”

“This grant positions Penn State College of Medicine among the nation’s innovators in medical education,” said Dr. Terry Wolpaw, vice dean for educational affairs. “Penn State College of Medicine and central Pennsylvania health system leaders will partner in the design of medical education programs that will create a better match between the classroom and the real world of patient care in today’s complex health care system.”

The initiative will be led by Wolpaw and Dr. Robin Wittenstein, director and chief operating officer of Penn State Hershey Health System.