The human dimension: integrating whole health into a community-engaged medical education curriculum

Abstract

As U.S. health care confronts mounting challenges, medical education must evolve to prepare physicians to deliver effective, high-quality person-centered care. We describe the integration of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Whole Health model into the Human Dimension (HD) course at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, a required longitudinal community-engaged curriculum. Through reflective practice, health coaching skill development, and longitudinal partnerships with community members, students learn to align care with what matters most to individuals and to recognize all determinants shaping health outcomes. Early evaluation data suggest that this model enhances student well-being and structural competency while shaping a professional identity grounded in purpose, compassion, and partnership. By embedding Whole Health principles into required medical training, the HD course offers a scalable framework for reorienting physician education toward the Quintuple Aim and preparing future clinicians to promote healing within themselves, their patients, and their communities.

Keywords: Community engaged education; Medical education; Professional identity formation; Student wellbeing; Whole health.