Fostering Lifelong Learning: Integrating a Portfolio Coaching Program into an Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) Competency-Based Curriculum

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) aims to catalyze the advancement of impactful discovery, servant leadership, and lifelong learning. During a curriculum revision, VUSM fostered lifelong learning by intentionally integrating a portfolio coaching program into a competency-based curriculum. At matriculation, each student is paired with a faculty coach, and the dyads meet at regularly scheduled intervals until graduation. The program is designed to inspire and support students in reaching their full potential, assist students in creating and meeting academic goals, and support informed self-assessment to facilitate self-regulation and lifelong learning. With over 10 years of continuous refinement and extensive student participation data, this stands as one of the most mature and comprehensive undergraduate medical education coaching programs. This manuscript describes the implementation, institutional experience, and outcomes of the VUSM Portfolio Coaching Program.