The program consists of 7-semesters (also called trimesters) in 28 months, including summer semesters. The curriculum is a lock-step format, and everyone accepted into the program must complete the same coursework in the same sequence, regardless of past degrees. No coursework exemptions will be granted. This program requires full time commitment, 5 days weekly and classes can be scheduled anytime from 8 am – 8pm Monday-Friday, therefore students are not able to work while in the program.
The first 12 months, divided into three consecutive semesters, are devoted to didactic work in the basic sciences, clinical medicine, behavioral sciences, and research methodologies. The clinical phase is divided into four semesters over 16 months. The first three clinical semesters are divided into 9 supervised clinical practice experiences/rotations - 8 required and 1 elective. Each supervised clinical practice experience (SCPE) is five weeks long and are offered at clinical sites such as hospitals, clinics, and private practices. In the culminating semester, there is an additional elective rotation course, PANCE preparation, didactic coursework, a required master’s capstone project, and a community service course.
The curriculum is formulated to sensitize the student to diverse patient populations and the impact of socioeconomic factors on health care delivery and its availability. Students are required to participate in a community service project during the Program and are exposed to a great variety of socioeconomic patient populations and treatment facilities during the clinical phase. Together, community service and expansive clinical training, are designed to enhance the student’s medical perspective on illness and disability, and to sensitize the student to the concept of life-long service to medically underserved communities.
During the Master’s Capstone Project, students are provided with the opportunity to work with a faculty advisor and write a research paper that is suitable for presentation and publication. This project fosters research and the importance of life-long learning as a medical provider. Basically speaking, the curriculum is designed around and dependent on an accumulation of comprehensive and broad-based knowledge in the didactic year. The students' transition from the didactic to the clinical phase emphasizes the application of this knowledge to patient care.
