Curriculum

UT Southwestern Medical School has a four-year curriculum based on departmental as well as interdisciplinary teaching. The first 18 months offer the student an opportunity to develop a strong foundation in the basic sciences and to receive an introduction to clinical medicine.

The curriculum begins with a study of the normal human body and its processes at the molecular and cellular levels. Material is integrated into three parallel tracks during the first semester: Fundamentals of Biomedical Sciences, Body Structures Foundations, and Academic Colleges. Foundational science subjects such as anatomy, embryology, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, cell biology and physiology are covered together with an introduction to applied subjects such as radiology, neoplasia, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, and immunology. These subjects are presented with medically relevant contexts and are integrated both horizontally within the first semester and vertically with content in subsequent semesters. For example, the Human Structure course integrates cadaveric dissection with embryology and an introduction to radiology. The integration of dissection with embryology exemplifies horizontal integration, providing the developmental basis for congenital anomalies and malformations. Integration of dissection with radiology provides the foundation for radiographic instruction given in the Integrated Medicine (IM) courses of the subsequent two semesters. Throughout the Pre-Clerkship phase, courses build concepts necessary for clinical medicine.

The second and third semesters of the Pre-Clerkship have IM courses, which are organized by organ system. The second semester has five IM courses: musculoskeletal and skin; hematopoietic; kidney and genitourinary; respiratory; and cardiovascular systems. The third semester has three IM courses: the gastrointestinal; endocrinology, energy homeostasis, and reproductive health; and brain and behavior systems. During IM courses, students learn the pathophysiology of diseases for individual organ systems and the clinical reasoning that physicians use to diagnose and treat these conditions. The goal of the IM courses is to provide the core principles needed to practice clinical medicine.

In addition to the courses described above, two courses, Academic Colleges and Strive, run throughout the Pre-Clerkship phase. Academic Colleges is designed to prepare students for the practicalities of practicing medicine. The course is taught by gifted faculty members, each of whom mentors six (6) students for the duration of their tenure at UTSW. As part of the Colleges curriculum, students observe and learn the clinical and professionalism skills that they will employ in the Clerkship and beyond. Students are taught communication skills, history-taking, and the physical exam by their mentors in combination with standardized patients and visits to hospital wards and outpatient clinics. Academic Colleges meet weekly during the Pre-Clerkship phase of education and then continue monthly once the Clerkship phase begins. Strive (Personal and Professional Development for Careers in Medicine) is a seminar-based course focused on professionalism, career development, cultural competency, leadership, wellness, and financial literacy.

The Pre-Clerkship phase ends with the Transitions to Clerkships course. Certification in advanced cardiac life support is also presented during this time and is a requirement for graduation. Students take the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 during the first semester of the Clerkship phase. The curriculum includes dedicated time to prepare for the exam. The details of the USMLE Step 1, as it pertains to meeting academic requirements, are discussed later in this section of the catalog.

The Clerkship and Post-Clerkship phases offer intense clinical experiences involving the student in direct patient care. The Clerkship phase lasts 18 months and requires rotations in core clerkships including eight weeks each in surgery and internal medicine, six weeks each in ambulatory medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology, four weeks each in family medicine and neurology. During this phase, students also are required to perform 12 weeks of Scholarly Activity. Scholarly Activity projects may be performed in Basic Research, Clinical and Translational Research, Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, Community Health, Global Health, and Medical Education. As mentioned, students will have six weeks dedicated to preparing for Step 1 exams. This leaves sufficient time for students to structure electives to develop a unique pathway designed to reach each of their career goals.

The current fourth year consists of two four-week Selectives and a minimum of three four-week electives chosen from an extensive list of options to fulfill the remaining course requirements. The Post-Clerkship phase includes the new courses – Frontiers in Medicine; Physicians and Society; and Residency Essentials – all designed to prepare the student for graduate medical education and practice. Students may choose among eight subsections of Frontiers in Medicine, depending on their interests. These include Behavioral Health and Neuromedicine; Conception, Obstetrics, and Child Health; Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Microbiome; Frontiers in Aging; Neoplasia and Neoplastic Disease; Regenerative and Restorative Medicine; Autoimmunity; and Resuscitation Medicine.

Upon graduation, students will have completed at least 8 hours of drug addiction and pain management training.

The curriculum is dynamic and responds to the changing requirements of medical education. Faculty and students review the curriculum regularly, and changes are introduced almost every year. For an updated list of courses and credits, students should contact the Office of the Registrar.