Purpose
The "Immunology is Everywhere" model addresses the challenges of teaching immunology, including its complexity, the need for interdisciplinary integration, and student demand for active learning strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of immunological literacy in understanding disease mechanisms, vaccine development, and public health, further reinforcing the model’s relevance. The curriculum integrates Lifestyle Medicine principles and fosters clinical reasoning to promote immune resilience and prepare students for contemporary clinical practice.

Intervention Description
This innovative approach transforms immunology education by leveraging interdisciplinary integration, clinical relevance, active learning, clinical reasoning, and design thinking principles. In the first year, a dedicated Immunology course aligns with other biomedical sciences, emphasizing the immune system’s role in health and disease. Active learning strategies—such as storytelling, clinically relevant capsules, case discussions, and multimedia tools—contextualize knowledge within clinical and humanistic perspectives, strengthening clinical reasoning. In the second year, immunology concepts are integrated into Pathophysiology, Clinical Diagnosis, Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Pharmacology, and Community Medicine courses, ensuring continuity and application. The curriculum adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic to include real-time case studies on vaccine development and public health strategies. Lifestyle Medicine principles explore the interplay of behavior, environment, and immune health. Iterative refinements, guided by design thinking, include new content formats, participatory teaching strategies, and integrated review processes. The curriculum also incorporates cutting-edge topics like precision medicine, immunotherapies, and systems immunology.

Outcomes
Over 500 students have participated, reporting high satisfaction with the curriculum’s design and relevance. NBME and USMLE Step 1 scores consistently exceed national averages, and graduates frequently pursue immunology-intensive specialties.

Lessons Learned
Integration fosters understanding, clinical relevance enhances engagement, and active learning demystifies complexity. The model’s adaptability offers a scalable blueprint for innovative medical education worldwide.