History of Electives at Tulane Elective courses first assumed a significant role in the education of all Tulane medical students in September of 1967 when the medical school initiated a major curriculum revision. Before that time, several electives were offered during hours when no courses in the regular medical curriculum were scheduled. Graduate courses could be taken by medical students only if their schedules permitted them to do so. The effective use of these opportunities by some students who earned dual degrees while attending medical school was one stimulus that led to the formation of a new curriculum that broadened these elective opportunities and made them available to all medical students.
Electives provide an opportunity for medical students to pursue graduate studies.
This opportunity was of considerable importance in the curriculum of the late 1960s and continues to be one of the curriculum's major emphases. These elective opportunities are described in this brochure and may include departmental research projects that are done under faculty supervision. Purposes of the Elective Program Tulane attracts a significant number of medical students with serious interest in research. While research is normally a part of all advanced degree programs, the elective program also provides additional research opportunities to medical students who are not participating in a combined degree program. The School of Medicine encourages independent and original investigations by medical students, primarily because they broaden the perspectives of the student involved and because significant contributions to knowledge have resulted from such starts.