Medical Doctor Program of Study
During the first two years, the curriculum is organized around three integrated courses that provide students with a comprehensive view of evidence-based medicine:
Year 1
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required courses | ||
| MED 811 | Foundations of Medicine (18 hours/week) | |
| MED 812 | Clinical Arts and Sciences (6 hours/week) | |
| MED 813 | Scholarly Concentration (SRCC) (4 hours/week) | |
| Note: Students take an 01 section in the Fall—receive IP grades and then are registered for the 02 section in the spring. All courses are required for degree completion. | ||
MED 811 - Foundations of Medicine I
Course Goal: The goal of Foundations of Medicine (FOM) I is for medical students to achieve foundational knowledge in the basic medical sciences, with an emphasis on gaining a detailed understanding of common and representative illnesses. By the end of year one, students are knowledgeable in human biology and the impact that psychological, social, cultural and economic forces have on human health. They are able to discuss the epidemiology and prevention of major medical conditions. Knowledge gained in FOM I will be revisited and expanded the following year in FOM II.
The course is divided into foundational and organ system blocks with horizontal and vertical integration across the blocks and with the other courses. The School of Medicine’s longitudinal themes of pharmacology, nutrition, behavioral and social sciences, biomedical ethics and epidemiology also are integrated throughout the curriculum as they relate to specific organs and diseases throughout each block.
The course is taught through a variety of teaching methods including lectures and small group events that employ case-based learning activities. Dissection-based anatomy is integrated across all of the organ system blocks in the first year.
MED 812 - Clinical Arts and Science I
Clinical Arts and Sciences (CAS) I is a contemporary introduction to clinical medicine course that aims to teach foundational clinical skills in a safe, collaborative environment incorporating experiential learning in both simulated and real clinical settings. CAS has two sections providing up to 6-8 hours of curricular activity each week.
Foundations of Clinical Care (FCC): This section is dedicated to teaching clinical skills, predominantly in a small group setting of eight students and two experienced physicians. Students learn patient-centered interviewing, history taking, communication and physical examination. Medical documentation and oral presentations are emphasized throughout the academic year. Clinical reasoning and motivational interviewing are introduced in semester two. Basic procedural skills training and interprofessional activities centered around ultrasound training also provide significant experiential learning opportunities.
Simulated practice with standardized patients (SPs) is one of the predominant features of this section of the course. Student knowledge of clinical skills is assessed via formative objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) on a monthly basis and with a summative OSCE at the end of the academic year. Faculty complete a summative evaluation of student performance each semester. The course also encourages learners’ understanding of professionalism and professional identity formation with self-assessments such as video review and goal setting opportunities, in addition to peer feedback and feedback from the SPs and faculty.
Medical Student Home (MeSH): This section pairs a medical student with a practicing community physician with the purpose of providing each medical student with a supervised environment to practice the foundational clinical skills learned in FCC. Students spend one afternoon a week, 4 hours at a time, in the physician’s office-based practice. Physicians directly observe students interview and examine patients. Physicians provide formative feedback through a workplace based assessment program. A summative faculty evaluation of students is also completed.
MED 813 - Scholarly Reflection & Concentration Capstone I
Course Goal: Scholarly Reflection and Concentration/Capstone (SRCC) is a four-year course focused on seven core domains: Evaluating Information Sources, Critical Appraisal of Literature, Interacting with and Interpreting Data, Self-Reflection, Personalized Curriculum, Responsible Research Practice, and Scholarship.
SRCC allows learners to personalize their curriculum and prepare for scholarly endeavors during residency and future practice. They self-design and execute a capstone project in an area they are passionate about. Learners use narrative medicine and mentoring to develop personally and professionally. They gain both conceptual understanding and practical skills in research methods, epidemiology, medical informatics, biostatistics, evaluating information sources, and critical appraisal of medical literature. The information presented in this course is integrated whenever possible with material in the Foundations of Medicine and the Clinical Arts and Sciences courses, to enable learners to apply biostatistics, epidemiology, and medical informatics to community and public health, medical literature interpretation, and clinical decision-making.
Year 2
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required courses | ||
| MED 821 | Foundations of Medicine (18 hours/week) | |
| MED 822 | Clinical Arts and Sciences (6 hours/week) | |
| MED 823 | Scholarly Concentration (SRCC) (4 hours/week) | |
| Note: Students take an 01 section in the Fall – receive IP grades then are registered for the 02 section in the spring. All courses are required for degree completion. | ||
MED 821 - Foundations of Medicine II
Course Goal: Building on the foundation provided by the FOM I curriculum, the goal of FOM II is for medical students to attain essential knowledge and skills related to the pathophysiology and epidemiology of diseases. In addition, students develop a broad understanding of treatment paradigms for common medical disorders. The longitudinal themes of behavioral and social sciences, biomedical ethics, epidemiology, pharmacology and nutrition are interwoven into curricular content in FOM II.
Problem Based Learning (PBL) is a major instructional component in FOM II and integrates active and self-directed learning with the development of clinical reasoning skills in the assessment of patient symptoms, signs and laboratory findings. Collaborative and professional participation in this activity are essential components of PBL.
MED 822 - Clinical Arts and Science II
Clinical Arts and Sciences (CAS) II is a contemporary introduction to clinical medicine course that aims to teach foundational clinical skills in a safe, collaborative environment incorporating experiential learning in both simulated and real clinical settings. CAS has two sections providing up to 6-8 hours of curricular activity each week.
Foundations of Clinical Care (FCC): This section is dedicated to teaching clinical skills, predominantly in a small group setting of eight students and two experienced physicians. Students build upon the skills they learned in CAS I. Sessions are dedicated to advanced physical examination techniques as well as advanced communication skills such as delivering unwelcome news and sharing medical information. Medical documentation and oral presentations continue to be emphasized throughout the academic year with a focus on assessment and plan in CAS II. Clinical reasoning becomes a central component of the course in year two with a monthly instructional sessions. Basic procedural skills training and interprofessional activities centered around ultrasound training also provide significant experiential learning opportunities.
Simulated practice with standardized patients (SPs) is one of the predominant features of this section of the course. Student knowledge of clinical skills is assessed via formative objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) on a monthly basis and with a summative OSCE at the end of the academic year. Faculty complete a summative evaluation of student performance each semester. The course also encourages learners’ understanding of professionalism and professional identity formation with self-assessments such as video review and goal setting opportunities, in addition to peer feedback and feedback from the SPs and faculty.
Medical Student Home (MeSH): This section pairs a medical student with a practicing community physician with the purpose of providing each medical student with a supervised environment to practice the foundational clinical skills learned in FCC. Students spend one afternoon a week, 4 hours at a time, in the physician’s office-based practice. Physicians directly observe students interview and examine patients. Physicians provide formative feedback through a workplace based assessment program. A summative faculty evaluation of students is also completed.
MED 823 - Scholarly Reflection & Concentration Capstone II
Course Goal: Scholarly Reflection and Concentration/Capstone (SRCC) is a four-year course focused on seven core domains: Evaluating Information Sources, Critical Appraisal of Literature, Interacting with and Interpreting Data, Self-Reflection, Personalized Curriculum, Responsible Research Practice, and Scholarship.
SRCC allows learners to personalize their curriculum and prepare for scholarly endeavors during residency and future practice. They self-design and execute a capstone project in an area they are passionate about. Learners use narrative medicine and mentoring to develop personally and professionally. They gain both conceptual understanding and practical skills in research methods, epidemiology, medical informatics, biostatistics, evaluating information sources, and critical appraisal of medical literature. The information presented in this course is integrated whenever possible with material in the Foundations of Medicine and the Clinical Arts and Sciences courses, to enable learners to apply biostatistics, epidemiology, and medical informatics to community and public health, medical literature interpretation, and clinical decision-making
Clinical Requirements
Year 3
The third year comprises in-depth clinical experiences in six core specialties. Students receive training in both ambulatory and inpatient settings. Students take a national board exam for each core specialty. Based on their clinical evaluation, Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) and a “shelf” exam, students are assigned an Honors, High Pass, Pass, or Fail. A selected group of students will have the option to participate in a longitudinal integrated clerkship in Maine that encompasses all of the core clerkships. All students will have taken Step 1 before starting their fourth year. There are opportunities for students to take electives in their third year after meeting specified requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MED 831 | Internal Medicine Clerkship | |
| MED 832 | Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship | |
| MED 833 | Pediatrics Clerkship | |
| MED 834 | Primary Care Clerkship | |
| MED 835 | Psychiatry Clerkship | |
| MED 836 | Surgery Clerkship |
Year 4
The Class of 2021 will choose a four-week required clerkship, a sub-internship and electives. Students will also complete and present their Capstone project and take USMLE® Step 2 Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Skills examinations. Finally, there is dedicated time for residency interviews during this year.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Clerkships - 4 weeks | ||
| *The Class of 2021 will choose either MED 841 or MED 842. | ||
| MED 841 | Emergency Medicine Clerkship (4 weeks) | |
| MED 842 | Critical Care Clerkship (4 weeks) | |
| MED 843 | Capstone Course | |
| Required Sub-Internship - 4 weeks (choose one of the following): | ||
| Internal Medicine Sub-Internship | ||
| Pediatric Sub Internship | ||
| Surgery Sub Internsip | ||
| Family Medicine Sub Internship | ||
| Ob/Gyn Sub-I | ||
| Psychiatry Sub-I | ||
Electives
Students take a minimum of 24 weeks of electives of their choice. Electives can be taken at the Netter School of Medicine or students can participate in away rotations — internationally or domestically as available and meeting criteria. Custom electives are also an option, subject to approval. Elective choices vary depending on site availability.