Building for innovation in medical curriculum: form and function.

The University of Kansas School of Medicine (KUSOM) educates physicians to meet the needs of a rural and increasingly diverse state. In 2014, the school's curriculum was not aligned with student needs and faculty desires. Concurrently, the state teamed with philanthropic sources to fund the construction of a new health education building (HEB), resulting in a unique opportunity to simultaneously construct a building and a new curriculum. To support the needs of KUSOM students, the faculty developed the Active, Competency-based, Excellence-driven (ACE) curriculum. ACE focuses on multiple forms of active education including flipped classrooms, case-based collaborative and problem-based learning, and interprofessional and simulation-based activities. The HEB was designed to support ACE with large flat learning studios, small group rooms, and multiple simulation spaces. This unique opportunity to innovate the form and function of KUSOM medical education forever changed the future of medicine in Kansas and provided a paradigm for curricular change.