<p>Are the core curricula same across different med schools?</p>
<p>In the sense that most everyone is teaching towards Step 1? Yes. But otherwise, I don't think there's a good way to answer this in any direction. Basically, everyone is going to learn anatomy, neuroanatomy, physiology, biochem, embryology, pathophysiology, microbiology, pharmacology, and the like, but it's impossible to say that there's any standardization in what is ultimately taught. </p>
<p>For example, my biochem course in medical school was extremely focused on just a few high points...but I have some friends who had to go back and memorize amino acid structures, the entire Krebs Cycle and things like that, while I barely had to recall the rate limiting steps and that amino acids formed to make proteins...</p>
<p>Due to the LCME accreditation process, the subjects will be the same (anatomy, biochem, etc.) and every school will have a doctoring course that will teach ethics, physical exam skills, and communication skills. The emphasis within the subjects will probably vary depending on the expertise and interests of the individual lecturers.</p>
<p>Thanks! Could any of you post the courses you take and the clinic training etc by each year?<br>
I am just trying to get an idea of what's taught and when. Third and 4th years are primarily oriented toward clinical training, right?</p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>
<p>My school uses a core system for the first two years, so we essentially take "one class" at a time, though many of the cores combine different fields.</p>
<p>M1:
Anatomy and embryology - 10 weeks
Cellular processes - 6 weeks, combines genetics, cell bio and biochem.
Physiology - 10 weeks (3 weeks cardio, 1 week pulm 1 week renal, 3 weeks GI, 2 weeks endocrine/reproductive)
Neurosciences - 6 weeks covering neuro phys and neuroanatomy</p>
<p>Integrated Clinical Experience lasts the entire year and is essentially the "how to be a doctor" class.</p>
<p>M2:
Disease processes - 10 weeks, covering immunology, micro, basic cellular pathology, etc.
Cardio/pulm/endo/ENT - 6 weeks
Neuro/Ophtho/Psych - 5 weeks
GI/GU - 5 weeks
Hem/Onc - 6 weeks</p>
<p>Pharmacology lasts the whole year but is a part of core exams
ICE last the whole year and includes biostats and epidemiology.</p>
<p>M3
Peds/Surgery/Family Med - 8 weeks each
IM - 12 weeks
OB/GYN and Psych - 6 weeks each</p>
<p>M4:
Entirely electives, though there are variations on the theme.</p>
<p>My school requires us to do one basic science month (which has A LOT of leeway - can include ethics or medicine in society type topics).
My school doesn't, but a lot of schools require one or more Sub-internships (also called acting-internships) or a block of time in an ICU setting.
Some schools also have a 4th year block that either ties together the loose ends from the "how to be a doctor class" covering things like death and dying or coping skills, OR they may have a "how to be a good intern" class which covers basic things like writing fluid orders or TPN or developing a reading schedule.</p>
<p>In the end though, curriculum shouldn't really matter much to pre-meds. Short of the full fledged PBL based schools I don't think it wise to limit choices based on curriculum type simply because of the difficulty it takes to get an acceptance.</p>
<p>BRM, can you give me some examples of med schools that are full-fledged PBL schools? Are any so-called top tier med schools going the full-fledged PBL route? I'm curious because I've read a lot of criticism of the PBL method and wanted your take on it.</p>
<p>There are almost no schools that are 100% PBL. The only ones I know are the Cleveland Clinic Program within Case Western Med and the UCSF/Berkely JMP program. </p>
<p>And there are almost no schools that don't have PBL. The trend has been less traditional lectures and more PBL/small group work. The difference between a school that emphasizes PBL vs. a school that doesn't would probably be 2 extra hours of PBL per week. Not that big a deal.</p>
<p>Reactions from med students generally run the spectrum. When I was interviewing, I'd say 50% didn't like it, 25% liked it, and 25% were neutral. I personally enjoy PBL. In your first year, you have little clinical exposure and PBL is one of your few chances to practice differential diagnoses (much as they do on House). I think the thing people don't like is the fact there's "homework" (they have to research learning issues that come out of each case and present what they found in the next PBL session).</p>
<p>The evidence for PBL is pretty strong. There are many papers showing that PBL leads to higher USMLE scores (I remember one done on the University of Missouri before and after they instituted PBL). Top schools known for emphasizing PBL are Harvard Med (I think this is where PBL was "invented"), Weill-Cornell, Northwestern Feinberg SOM, and University of Pittsburgh.</p>