The program’s impact is tracked through student and faculty evaluations, as well as focus groups and longitudinal data collection. According to Kadlec, this feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive.”
“Students report increased satisfaction with their clinical training, the learning environment, and feedback provided by mentor clinicians, as well as improved communication skills and greater confidence in their doctoring skills,” she said. “Even faculty who aren’t mentor clinicians say the program has improved their own teaching and clinical practices and the overall learning environment at the School of Medicine.”
Going National
With more than 1,300 UC San Diego medical students having come through the program, MCP’s success has sparked interest from other top medical schools. This year, MCP opened its doors to external partners, launching a multicenter MCP study at seven institutions, including the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)/University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). Partner institutions are now working closely with UC San Diego to tailor the MCP to their own environments, using facilitation guides and regular meetings to incorporate best practices and ensure fidelity to the program’s core values
Morgan Greenfield, MD, pediatric hospitalist and clerkship co-director at CHOP, was immediately drawn to MCP’s model. “Direct, formative feedback is indispensable, but hard to provide in today’s busy clinical environment,” she said. “MCP offers students longitudinal coaching and a psychologically safe space to grow. We’re excited to bring this innovation to our learners.”
Greenfield notes that the program’s emphasis on formative, non-evaluative feedback is especially valuable. “Our students crave honest feedback and mentorship, but the realities of clinical training often make that hard,” she said. “MCP creates a structure where growth is the goal, not just performance.”
At MCW, Ashish Shah, MD — who completed his medical training in Wisconsin and served as a mentor clinician at UC San Diego before returning to the Midwest — has championed MCP’s adoption. “As a junior faculty member, MCP was my favorite educational experience,” Shah said. “It builds real relationships, helps students feel seen and supports faculty development. The impact is clear, and our institution quickly saw its value.”