The case: An 11-year-old boy has been brought in unconscious. The only information provided to the medical team is an advance phone call from the boy's mother, who said, "Billy passed out like he did before. I don't know what's wrong with him. Please help me."

The problem: Diagnose Billy's medical crisis and explain why it happened.

Students who choose the Program for Integrated Learning work in small groups rather than learning through traditional lectures. Over their first two years of medical school, students along with a faculty facilitator analyze patient case descriptions. Each case enables students to identify the need to learn a specific set of objectives in a focused science discipline(s) emphasized in a given ten-week block. Each block has been built around a framework of discipline-based learning objectives assembled by the faculty. The cases, devised from real patient cases, serve as the stimulus and context for students to search out the information they need to understand, diagnose, and treat clinical problems.

PIL students learn all the basic science material their IFM classmates do, but in a different way. Students decide what information they need to learn, using an interdisciplinary approach to the facts of each case. Developing the ability to identify the information they need to learn is critical to the PIL approach.

After deciding what information they need, PIL students independently select resources from a preliminary list provided by the faculty of the focused discipline. Starting from the faculty-suggested resources, students are expected to identify additional resources that will assist in the learning process. These resources include textbooks, journal articles, electronic information sources, faculty members, and laboratory work. Students also attend structured labs and faculty-presented resource sessions that add to their knowledge base and assist in finding appropriate materials.

Sharing information, concept mapping, evaluation, and giving and receiving feedback are essential facets of the curriculum. The group experience gives each student practice in working as a member of a team and in collaborative problem solving. At the completion of the first two years, students will have achieved important skills and gained the knowledge that forms the foundation of medicine.

There are seven 10-week blocks over two years. Each block contains 10 case studies, detailing real patient issues relating to the topics of the block (e.g., anatomy). The fourth block is a primary-care practicum, allowing students real-world experience with a community-based physician and in a community service project.

Statistics, ethics, law, basic sciences, behavioral sciences, community medicine, and clinical skills are integrated trough all of the blocks.

Each small group is composed of eight students and one faculty facilitator. Group members and the faculty facilitator change after each block, with students assigned to groups allowing for diversity of experience, education, and personal background.

All PIL small groups work on the same case at the same time. Faculty facilitators ensure an equal educational experience for each group, while allowing each group and individual to work at maximum potential.