UPDATE ON NEW SECOND YEAR CURRICULUM

The new pre-clerkship curriculum for the School of Medicine is halfway through its first new L2 year.  L2 students have been through five new courses so far:  Foundations of Disease and Therapy and 4 organ systems courses, Hematology, Neuropsych, Musculoskeletal/Dermatologic, and Cardiovascular.  Spring organ system courses are Pulmonary, Renal, Gastrointestinal, and Endocrine/Reproductive, and a two-week Synthesis course to help students prepare for their USMLE Step 1 examinations.  A continuous improvement process that utilizes both faculty and student feedback is in place.  As part of the new curriculum, L2 students are participating in a longitudinal selective that enables them to explore career opportunities.  The Clinical Skills Integration 200 course has been significantly altered from past years to include an improved physical diagnosis program and specific activities to enhance students’ ability to evaluate the literature and provide patient counseling.