Student Life
Life in the MIDP
As an MIDP, you’ll be a full member of traditional MD communities (like the Medical Colleges) and benefit from VUSM’s unparalleled wellness culture. But we also recognize that you may be in a different stage of life than many traditional MD students.
That’s why life in the MIDP is anything but conventional. You’ll quickly find yourself enveloped in a culture of exceptional collegiality and proactive academic support. While you’re pushing the boundaries of medical innovation, we’re here to support every step of your journey.
Join a Community of Colleagues
For many VUSM faculty, MIDP is the program they wished they had had during med school. Now, they’re committed to wholeheartedly supporting you through your medical innovator journey— and they want to hear what you have to say.
That’s why you will:
- Have a voice in MIDP leadership meetings
- Foster direct connections with MIDP leadership
- Network with the weekly forum speakers and other field experts
- Help define the MIDP culture for the next generation
Enter a Cohort of Friends
Nothing is stronger than a diverse team united by a shared mindset, and that’s exactly what MIDP cohorts are all about.
Each of your cohort members brings a distinct background, training, and priorities to medical innovation— all united by your desire to clinically innovate.
That’s why you will:
- Receive mentorship and friendship from the MIDP cohorts above you
- Reconnect with the entire MIDP weekly at Wednesday Innovation Forums and monthly at Right Brain Activities
- Develop strong collegial relationships with your cohort through small class sizes and tight teamwork on innovation projects.
When you join our family, we want to get to know your family, too. Your partner and/or kids will always be welcome at College-wide events, MIDP social outings, and the med school community in general. Reach out to MIDP Admissions to learn more about how your family will fit into the MIDP culture.
Academic support that thinks outside the box— just like you do.
We get it: med school is challenging. And a one-year preclinical curriculum sounds daunting and the medical curriculum encourages moderate depth over a wide survey of topics.
That’s where your portfolio coach comes in. This specially trained faculty member will offer advice and connect you to any needed resources as you adapt to the new learning modalities of med school.
Break out of your left-brain bubble
The most effective innovators keep both sides of their brain firing.
So much of med school requires you to use your left brain— and rightly so. Analysis, logic, and linear thinking are all crucial for practicing clinicians. But your right brain has a role to play, too, especially when it comes to innovation.
Right Brain Activities engage your innate creativity, intuition, and holistic thinking. The point is to cultivate your whole brain, not just the parts needed to pass your Step exams.
These monthly events are a chance to catch up with the rest of the MIDPs and program faculty. Plus, you’ll get to know Nashville’s amazing history, culture, and natural beauty through events like…
- Sunrise nature walks at Percy Warner Park
- Poetry workshops led by current students
- Guided tour around the historical Cheekwood Estate
- Beginner’s yoga class
- Night at the Museum Workshop at the Frist Art Museum
You’ll leave each Right Brain Activity with fresh perspective on your medical training and your current innovation projects.