The first-year curriculum addresses normal structure and function of human organ systems and emphasizes relationships among different disciplines. During the first semester, trainees take courses in biochemistry, gross anatomy, cell biology, and medical genetics. The second semester presents an integrated systemic core, which incorporates physiology, histology, and embryology and focuses on the development, structure, and function of human organ systems. Discipline-specific basic science instruction continues through the second semester with the medical neuroscience course. The second-year curriculum emphasizes abnormal structure and function of human organ systems.
Trainees take courses in pathology, microbiology, and pharmacology.
Students receive instruction in the foundations of clinical practice, including patient experience in medical history taking and physical examination, throughout the first two years of study. At the beginning of the third year, trainees select a research project based in a graduate department or interdisciplinary program. The focus of the graduate years of study is engagement in academic and research experiences that promote the trainees' development into independent investigators. Clinical contact is maintained during this phase of training through participation in seminar programs, MSTP grand rounds, and Clinical Connections, a course that provides the opportunity for mentored clinical experiences and clinical case studies. Upon completing the Ph.D. dissertation, trainees return to the College of Medicine curriculum to complete the clinical clerkship requirements appropriate to their career goals.