Program of Study

The purpose of the medical curriculum is to give students with high academic promise the opportunity to develop the knowledge, clinical skills, attitudes, and behaviors of excellent physicians. The fundamentals of medicine are taught by a distinguished faculty in a caring environment.

The curriculum in medicine consists of four academic sessions. During the two preclinical years, students learn the sciences basic to the study of medicine and participate in laboratory exercises, small-group discussion, computer-assisted learning, independent study, and patient simulation. Junior students must complete and pass Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) to be eligible for promotion to the fourth year.

The third year involves full-time clinical study as students rotate through the major clinical disciplines and selected electives. Students also participate in the team care of patients in the University Hospitals and Clinics, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and various community settings. Advanced Cardiac Life Support and the required technical skills must be completed in the third year. The student must demonstrate skills in specified technical procedures and complete the documentation by the end of the third year.

During the fourth year, students select from a variety of courses that fulfill core requirements, including ambulatory, critical care, inpatient, and procedural medicine. Additionally, there is significantly more time for elective coursework that can be tailored to a student’s individual interests and specialty plans. Students also completed the Transition to Residency course to ease the transition from undergraduate medical education to the residency environment. Senior students must successfully complete Step 2 CK and CS in order to be eligible for graduation.

Distribution of Instruction by Semester Hours (select a program to jump to a section)

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Electives: Students are required to take at least 14 weeks of electives with at least 4 weeks at UMMC.

Note: These courses must also be verified and handled through VSLO. TO DO AN EXTRAMURAL YOU MUST COMPLETE THE VSLO PROCESS.

Students cannot take the same course twice. The courses listed above that are not taken to satisfy one of your core requirements can be taken as an elective.

Arrangements for extramural courses to be taken for credit shall be made in advance by the student with the appropriate department, the Office of Student Affairs, and the Office of Enrollment Management.

Students will be certified for graduation only after all requirements for graduation are completed. These requirements include passing the USMLE Step 2.

Medical students are not required to participate in any procedure or service for which they have religious objection. Students must attend all required educational sessions whether they have religious objection to the material discussed and are responsible for the educational content of the session. It is required that students communicate with the course or clerkship director at the beginning of the course or clerkship when they are aware that procedures to which they object may occur. In addition, students may not refuse to provide care to a patient based on religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, patient diagnosis, or any other patient personal characteristic.

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