Curriculum

The curriculum of the Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health program introduces both foundational and advanced concepts across a broad range of subject areas, creating a shared body of knowledge among fellows. It is delivered through a variety of methods, including active learning, experiential learning, and reflective thinking. 

Our broad curriculum includes all of the fields listed below. Core content is delivered weekly in four integrated ‘pods’ over the course of the year on topics such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Health and Modifiable Risk Factors. Each pod opens with sessions on clinical content of interest and then topics from many of the other fields are covered that relate to that pod’s focus. This allows fellows to have the richest exposure to content expertise from a variety of disciplines over the year, and this interdisciplinarity allows fellows to recognize how Health Economics or Creativity & Equity in Brain Health, for example, relate to one other to create deeper learning opportunities over the course of the year. There is an additional focus on equity and inclusion as key principles of our approach, and this is exemplified by modules such as the Social Determinants of Health and Patient and Public Voice.

_{Above: Overview of the curriculum of the Atlantic Fellows for Equity in Brain Health program.}

The main curriculum sessions take place weekly from September to May and are delivered using a flipped classroom model. In this approach, you will study the learning materials and activities before the session, and inside the session, faculty will facilitate a deeper exploration of the topic via interactive discussions, case study review, etc. Additional small group sessions help fellows to promote deeper learning and discussion and allow fellows to contribute to each other’s learning by sharing and building from the expertise that each fellow brings to the program. 

Over the year, fellows will undertake the Skills Module which focuses on proposal writing and presentations. These sessions are small-group and faculty facilitated, allowing for individualized attention and feedback, and are designed to build confidence and competence. Several of the writing sessions are additionally aligned with the pilots application and preparation process to help fellows develop, practice and apply skills directly towards the pilot application.

From May to August, we have a series of summer electives (“Selectives”). These sessions are an opportunity for more in-depth explorations of certain topics (such as clinical topics) or introductions to other areas supplementary to the core curriculum (such as entrepreneurship or narrative storytelling techniques). These include a mixture of workshops and courses on specific tools and approaches, such as statistical or analytical methods.