Assessment of the Boston University Human Physiology Curriculum to Identity Presence of Professional Competencies Using PS-MAP+

Objective: To determine the distribution of Physiology professional skills as laid out in the published PS-MAP tool in the Boston University (BU) Human Physiology undergraduate program. Further, an additional skill (3.4) was added to expand the original PS-MAP to include historical perspectives in understanding the effects of marginalization and discrimination on health. We are calling the expanded version of the PS-MAP tool, PS-MAP+. Methods: Using Qualtrics, we captured instructor identification of each of the PS-MAP+ skills in core upper-level physiology courses taught in the BU Human Physiology undergraduate program, and the level at which each skill is taught, assessed, or both. Data were then translated into a spreadsheet to visualize any gaps or redundancies in the curriculum. Results: All skills in PS-MAP+ are represented in our physiology curriculum. In assessing the level at which each skill is taught, there was some redundancy where a skill was introduced more than once in the curriculum, such as skills 1.1 (Apply, analyze and/or integrate information to generate evidence-based solutions to physiological problems), 3.1 (Behave ethically and with integrity in the sciences and in society), 3.2 (Work independently, manage time effectively and be responsible for own learning. Is this skill taught or assessed in your course), 3.3 (Work collaboratively and cooperatively with others, appreciating and valuing differing views, and/or the principles of freedom of expression, equality, and social justice), and one instance in which a skill was never introduced but only reviewed, skill 4.2 (Test hypotheses by designing experiments that use appropriate methodology and equipment). For 13 of 14 skills, the skill was both introduced in the curriculum and then at least covered in another course. Conclusions: The PS-MAP+ tool effectively identified areas of redundancy and insufficiency in the BU undergraduate Human Physiology program. Moreover, the PS-MAP+ tool identified areas for targeted efforts to improve comprehensive skills taught in our curriculum. Funding: Boston University Provost’s Office Assessment grant to JDMB and LMR. This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2025 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.