Doctor of Medicine

The curriculum of the College of Medicine is based on the Educational Program Objectives with a focus on competency outcomes in the eight areas of patient care, knowledge for practice, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, systems-based practice, interprofessional collaboration, and personal and professional development. The curriculum is structured in such a way that all program objectives are intentionally integrated throughout the curriculum with emphasis placed on the expectation of developmental progression as students advance from year to year. NEOMED’s curricular design for the MD degree prioritizes students learning and success by focusing on active learning and frequent assessment and feedback, as well as diverse options for clinical throughout all four years. Curriculum Blueprint Details

Students may choose to complete an additional degree or certificate from the College of Graduate Studies (COGS) while enrolled in the MD program. Please see COGS sections for more information.

First-Year Curriculum (M1)

Instruction in the basic medical science courses emphasizes foundations of structure and function of the human body, the mechanisms by which these are maintained, and the factors leading to injury and disease. While the sequential basic science courses focus on medical knowledge competencies, a parallel sequence of practice of medicine courses are designed to develop other important competencies, such as patient care and communication skills, practice-based learning and improvement, systems-based and interprofessional practice, personal and professional development, and human values in medicine.

Second-Year Curriculum (M2)

The second year emphasizes the fundamentals of clinical medicine and continues the biomedical science and practice of medicine parallel course series. The curriculum and educational activities cover material in body system modules and concentrate on basic pathophysiologic processes and the mechanisms underlying clinical signs and disease. The curriculum starts to shift emphasis from basic knowledge to more patient-centered applications by increasing hands-on experience in labs, hospitals and community settings, as well as the simulation center where students interact with standardized or simulated patients as well as actual patients. Students attend classes at the Rootstown Campus and at the community-based clinical teaching sites where small group teaching takes place.

Third-Year Curriculum (M3)

The third year of medical school provides theoretical and practical foundations in the clinical disciplines. Working with clinical faculty and residents in affiliated hospitals, students learn diagnostic and therapeutic skills, gain experience in patient management and examine the ethical dilemmas of contemporary medicine. Faculty physicians regularly provide special teaching sessions appropriate to the learning level of medical students. In each of the seven clerkships, students spend time in hospitals, private offices and clinics and study with a primary focus on the specific patients they encounter. They become junior members of clinical teams, gradually taking on active roles in support of the faculty, residents, nurses, and other healthcare team members. The third year is a demanding, full-time clinical experience, requiring students to apply the education they gained in the the first two years.

Fourth Year Curriculum (M4)

The fourth year emphasizes the transition to more independent clinical practice. Guided by advisors and working within a set of programmatic requirements, senior medical students personalize their schedules based on their educational and career goals. Over the year, students take at least six, four-week core rotations and electives, two online courses (one focused on quality improvement and the other on social determinants of health), a Clinical Epilogue and Capstone course, and a longitudinal Transformational Leadership course.