Colorado Springs Gazette: New Colorado Springs medical students from CU taught medicine along with proper bedside manner

Under a traditional model, students learn specialties - such as pediatrics and surgery - in six-week blocks. They train in hospitals, and rarely revisit specialties after finishing a six-week block.

The old format worked well on two fronts: helping doctors diagnose diseases and understanding what treatments work best.

But that only encompassed half a doctor's job, said Dr. Erik Wallace, associate dean for CU's Colorado Springs branch. He realized as much during his own medical school training.

"I did not learn how to deal with complicated people or conflict situations," Wallace said. "I didn't learn about quality improvement. I didn't learn about teamwork."

The newer teaching model aims to offer students a more "real world" experience, Wallace said.