Curriculum
The curriculum of the School of Medicine consists of 164 weeks of instruction over a four-year period. It is divided into three phases.
- Phase 1 spans the first two years, covering the core basic science instruction and the foundations of clinical medicine.
- Phase 2 is one year, year 3 of the curriculum, and provides the core clinical experiences required of all students.
- Phase 3, year 4 of the curriculum, builds upon the clinical foundation of phase 2, and provides students with elective opportunities to tailor their
educational experience. An independent scholarly project is required in phase 3. Students may choose to enhance their educational program by participating in combined degree programs, such
as M.D./Ph.D., M.D./M.B.A. and M.D./M.P.H., or through involvement in the M.D. Enrichment Program. The latter program allows students to enrich the standard M.D. program with up to a year of
full-time academic work outside of the formal combined and dual degree programs. This enrichment experience is provided at no additional tuition cost.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Students must complete the following requirements in order to be eligible for graduation from the School of Medicine:
- Obtain a satisfactory grade in each course.
- Successfully complete an approved elective plan. (Unless authorized and approved by the Academic Advancement Committee, students must satisfactorily complete 12 credit hours of elective
during phase 1, and at least 4 electives during phase 3. The Academic Advancement Committee shall not authorize or approve an alternative elective plan which does not contain a minimum of 3
electives during phase 3.)
- Pass steps 1 and 2 of the USMLE examination. (Unless given special permission by the Dean for Academic Affairs and Education, students must sit for the USMLE Step-1 examination prior to
July 1 of the academic year they complete the phase 1 portion of the curriculum. Students must have passed the two components (CK and CS) of the USMLE Step-2 examination prior to the date
that residency match lists are sent to the NRMP, or they will not be permitted to participate in the “match”.)1
- Successfully complete the fourth year Clinical Skills Assessment.
- Complete the community service requirement.
Students enrolled in approved combined/joint degree programs, and who are in good standing with their program, may have the phase 1 electives and phase 3 selective requirements
waived.2 Waiver of these requirements shall require approval of the combined/joint degree program director, the Associate Dean of the Graduate School, and the Dean for Academic
Affairs and Education.
Students must complete the requirements of each academic year within a two-year period, but must complete the curriculum and meet all graduation requirements within a six-year
period . Additional time to complete the curricular requirements may be stipulated as part of an accommodation made under the provisions of the American With Disabilities Act. Approved leaves
of absence do not count toward time needed to complete curricular requirements. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs has the discretion to determine whether portions, or all, of an academic
year are not counted toward this requirement.
1 Effective for the class of 2005. The submission date for the “match” generally falls near the end of February.
2 Effective for the classes beginning with the class of 2012. |
