Detail of mural graphically recording the discussions

• What can and should UCSF education uniquely contribute
  to the advancement of science and medicine?
• How can we maximize the impact of UCSF's scientific excellence and our rigorous commitment to inquiry?

These questions were at the core of this year's School of Medicine Leadership retreat, which took place on January 27 and 28 at a conference center in Santa Cruz. As has become the School’s annual tradition, more than 100 leaders gathered to analyze a key issue facing the School and devise concrete steps to address it. This year’s retreat focused on education – at all levels.

Vice Dean for Education David Irby and the organizing committee, had worked out a retreat structure geared towards maximizing the available time and facilitating tangible results. Initial presentations by Dean Kessler, Dr. Irby, Executive Vice Dean Yamamoto and others were discussed at each table, and the ideas generated brought forward. The organizers distilled and assigned them among the various curricular categories and presented them for vote the following morning on large posters. Participants voted on their favorite ideas by sticking dots next to them. The top three ideas for each area were taken back into break-out groups and refined into concrete proposals.

All the discussions were documented by a muralist who created visual depictions of the key points.

For an overview of some of the presentations, discussions and a summary of the consensus reached by the end of the meeting, please read this message from the Dean.

Muralist Sheryl Nigro illustrating key discussion points