Academics

Curriculum

The four-year curriculum is guided by the Educational Objectives.

Biennium I

The first two years are devoted to learning the basic science of medicine. Learning activities include presentations, small group case discussions, team-based learning modules, laboratory exercises, and standardized and volunteer patient interviews. Assessments include computer-administered multiple-choice and short essay examinations, laboratory and dissection practicals, essays, team-based learning modules, peer evaluation, supervised interviews with volunteer patients and evaluation by standardized patients. All students must successfully complete the USMLE Step One prior to starting Biennium Two.

All courses in Years 1 and 2 are Pass/Fail with a final percent score as shown below.

Year-1 Courses
(View the Year 1 Academic Calendar)

The following are the courses in the first year:

Year-2 Courses
(View the Year 2 Academic Calendar)

Year 2 is divided into two academic grading periods: Medical Systems Term I (Aug.-Dec.), and Medical Systems Term II (Jan.-May). One grade is given for each term.

Biennium II

The concluding two years are almost entirely devoted to learning clinical medicine. In our region there are many hospitals and clinics where our full-time and voluntary faculty both practice and teach and supervise medical students and residents. All third-year and the two required fourth-year clerkships must occur at our affiliated hospitals whereby the school’s faculty can supervise a student’s progress. Required clerkships cannot be taken at other medical schools. Duty hours are restricted to 80 hours per week and each student must attest compliance with this requirement at the end of each clerkship.

Each clerkship has a set of learning objectives that are congruent with the School's Educational Objectives and an assessment system. Faculty evaluate student performance in a standardized web-based format at the end of the clerkship, however, there is also a mid-clerkship formative evaluation process. All clerkships, with the exception of Emergency Medicine, require the NBME Shelf Exam as part of the final grading. All students must complete the School’s Fourth Year Objective Standardized Clinical Examination (OSCE) within about six weeks of finishing the third year. The USMLE Step Two (CK) should be taken during this time frame as well.

Year 3 begins in late July or early August and lasts 12 months. The number of hours per week varies with each clinical rotation but is limited to 80 hours per week. Students will receive three weeks of vacation during the year. By the end of the third year, all students are expected to have demonstrated the ability to:

• Establish rapport with patients and their families and co-workers.
• Obtain a complete medical history using the appropriate departmental format.
• Perform a complete physical exam using the appropriate departmental format.
• Recommend appropriate diagnostic studies.
• Interpret diagnostic studies.
• Synthesize data from the medical history, physical exam, and diagnostic studies.
• Develop a differential diagnosis.
• Develop management plans.

Year-3 Clerkships

Year 4 begins in August and lasts 10 months. During this period, students may choose two months for vacation and visiting potential residency program sites. During the remaining eight months, the required and elective rotations will be completed.

Year-4 Clerkships & Electives

Much of Year 4 is devoted to electives. None of these electives may be "essentially identical," and only two may be extramural. Students may satisfy one of the months by completing two two-week experiences.

Students will choose an electives program after consulting with an advisor and receiving his or her approval. Electives must be chosen from at least three different departments, with at least one being a Junior Internship in a primary care department (Family Medicine, Medicine, or Pediatrics).

Conduct and Dress Code for Clinical Activities

A neat, clean personal appearance is required at all clinical sites.

Electives

Students are required to complete six weeks of electives before the end of Year 2. The electives available are not intended to duplicate nor replace the core or required courses, but to supplement and complement the required curriculum. Content varies widely among electives. Some electives expand the basic science offering; others offer early exposure to clinical medicine; still others address psychosocial or value issues.

Biennium I students are required to take and receive a passing grade for six weeks of elective time. The grading system employed for B-I electives will consist of Pass/No Record.

Biennium I Electives

Biennium I Electives are listed in the electives catalog. Students rank order their preferences for electives.

• Each student is given a random numerical assignment by computer scrambling, and priority for elective enrollment is determined accordingly.
  
  
• Students may design their own electives to meet specific needs or special opportunities. Student Initiated Elective proposals must be submitted to the Biennium I Subcommittee of the Faculty Curriculum Committee for approval. See the deadline dates in the B-I Electives Catalog.

During the first Biennium, a student may enroll for elective credit in courses occurring during core time if he or she has:

• a course percent average of 75 percent,
  
  
• a satisfactory remediation record, and
  
  
• no schedule conflict between the course taken for elective credit and the schedule of core courses.

Student Initiated Biennium I Electives

A student may design his or her own elective experiences around a special medical interest, subject to departmental sponsorship and the routine approval process. Please consult the B-I Electives Catalog before preparing a proposal. A written proposal must be made to the Subcommittee using the format below. (See deadline dates in the B-I Electives Catalog.)

Before granting final approval of student-initiated electives, the subcommittee must receive forms from the faculty preceptor and from the chair of an appropriate department indicating approval and commitment. Students will be notified of approved Student Initiated Electives. Off campus electives in which the preceptor/evaluator is a relative of the student will not be approved.

Scheduling

Entering Students

Students are automatically registered by the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions with the university registrar each quarter. To complete registration:

• The School of Medicine must have all transcripts for a student on file.
  
• For each subsequent quarter, students must clear any "holds" — such as the library, parking services, student loans, or the bursar — through the appropriate university division before they can be registered.

Tuition statements are mailed to the student's current address each quarter. For smooth processing, remember:

• Payments are due by the dates specified on the statement.
  
• A $100 fee is charged for late payment.
  
• If a student has loans and takes a leave of absence, he/she should contact the director of financial aid as soon as the leave is approved.

Year-3 Clerkships

The Office of Student Affairs makes all assignments to clerkships by early April for the upcoming third year. Student are advised that there may be changes to an assignment after this date, depending upon facility or faculty load for a particular block of time. Student preferences are not considered for the assignment process. Within each clerkship, students may have the opportunity to rank-order their preferences for a hospital or clinic setting, but this is done within a couple of weeks of the start of a clerkship.

Year-4 Clerkships and Electives

In January of Year 3, students will meet with members of the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions to discuss Year 4 scheduling.

• Students will have have several weeks to review the Catalog of B-II Electives, meet with their advisors and plan their schedules.
  
  
• Each student has eight priority points to assign to the clerkship or elective(s) he or she considers most important. Electives may be chosen from the catalog or developed in conjunction with a sponsoring department.
  
  
• Electives should be drawn from three different departments, and one should be in primary care. No more than two may be taken at non-WSU locations unless approved by the Student Promotions Committee.
  
  
• Student-Initiated Electives are available. A student may not do more than three Student-Initiated Electives. Procedures and requirements for establishing Student-Initiated Electives are outlined in the Biennium II Electives Catalog.
  
  
• Up to two months of Year 4 may be used for vacation and visiting potential residency program sites.

Student Initiated Year-4 Electives

Developing or taking an elective that isn't part of an approved program in the Association of American Medical Colleges or the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals may require approval from the B-II Curriculum Subcommittee.

The details in a proposal outline should correspond to WSU Boonshoft SOM knowledge of the proposed sponsor. Significant detail will speed the process when the departmental Y-4 elective director is not familiar with the sponsor. Upon approval, the student must discuss the proposal with, and receive approval from his or her advisor first, the department second and then the WSU Boonshoft SOM Y-4 elective director.

Students must coordinate arrangements with those who will supervise the experience and confirm them in writing. The Student-Initiated Elective approval form should be submitted it to the Y-4 elective director with the student's proposal, a written confirmation of arrangements, an elective description and an acceptance signature by the sponsor. The completed proposal with signatures must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs at least 45 days prior to the start of the elective.

The Office of Student Affairs and Admissions will submit the student's proposal package to the B-II Curriculum Subcommittee for approval and will notify the student and the department of approval/nonapproval. If approved, an updated copy of the schedule will be mailed to to the student. If not approved, the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions will contact the student. Off-campus electives in which the preceptor/evaluator is a relative of the student will not be approved. Students must notify the elective preceptor of any withdrawal or alteration of arrangements previously confirmed.

If a Student-Initiated Elective is dropped after it has been added to the schedule, the student must request a Drop/Add form, have it signed by his or her advisor and the appropriate department chair, and return the form to the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions at least 30 days before the elective is to begin.

Electives will be offered in two- and four-week periods. Eight credit hours will be assigned to each of the monthly elective experiences and four credit hours will be assigned to each two-week elective.

Extramural Year-4 Electives

Extramural electives include both fourth-year course offerings listed at other institutions and student-initiated electives at other institutions. B-II students may take two extramural electives without approval of the Student Promotions Committee; however, if academic deficiencies are apparent, the committee may place a lower limit on extramural electives. Students who wish to take extramural electives are responsible for contacting external institutions for application materials.

Extramural request forms are available in the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions. Requests must be approved by the student's advisor and the Y-4 elective director before they are submitted to Student Affairs and Admissions for approval. Department chairs are responsible for review and approval of content and evaluation procedures of all electives in their specialty. The sponsoring department is responsible for distribution and collection of evaluation forms. The extramural form should be accompanied by a complete description as published by the approved institution. The extramural form must be submitted to the Office of Student Affairs with all necessary signatures no later than 45 days before the start of the elective. Students will be notified regarding whether an elective haas been apporved or not. If an extramural elective is canceled after being added to a student's schedule, the student must submit a Drop/Add form to the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions after signatures are obtained from his or her advisor and the appropriate department chair.

International Year-4 Electives

International electives are subject to the policy governing student-initiated electives.

Schedules may be changed at any time throughout the academic year with an advisor's approval and sufficient notice. If a desired elective is not available, students may ask to be put on a waiting list to be notified if a vacancy occurs.