Beyond Flexner Conference 2012
Tulsa, OKMay 15-17, 2012
Oklahoma University School of Community Medicine
The Beyond Flexner 2012 conference served as the capstone to a W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded study at the Department of Health Policy of the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. The study explored unintended consequences of the Flexner Report with a focus on innovative models of medical education that address social mission. The Beyond Flexner Study began with the development of an advisory committee consisting of sixteen leaders in medical education and health policy.
The research team and advisory committee identified eight core modalities that stand out as essential elements in the social mission of education, and selected six medical schools with a strong social mission commitment for the study. The selected schools were:
- AT Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona,
- Morehouse School of Medicine,
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine,
- Southern Illinois University School of Medicine,
- University of New Mexico School of Medicine, and
- University of Oklahoma-Tulsa School of Community Medicine
The conference was sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, George Kaiser Family Foundation, The George Washington University, University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, and The University of Tulsa.
The purpose of the conference was four-fold.
First, it served as a venue to announce and discuss the findings of the Beyond Flexner study.
Second, it provided a valuable networking opportunity for major players in the social mission of medical education, including schools that participated in the Beyond Flexner study.
Third, it provided an opportunity for the many schools and medical educators who have lacked a forum to explore social accountability and mission in medical education.
Finally, it allowed participants to explore the experiences, challenges, and lessons learned with the implementation of social accountability in medical education.
