MD Program Curriculum Overview & Highlights
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Bringing Out Your Best

Build on a tradition of excellence to improve healthcare for all.

Curriculum Highlights

Our curriculum features scientific foundational learning integrated with in-depth clinical training across all four years of the program with plenty of opportunity to make an impact while you train.

Here are the highlights of what sets us—and ultimately you—apart:

RMF IPE SDOH Lecture

Supportive Mentors, Small Group Settings

Students find support in small groups with longitudinal learning experiences across their four years of training. You are part of a team of exceptional students, problem-solving together and expanding each other’s sense of inquiry and discovery. Our dedicated faculty coaches foster a collaborative learning environment and individualized professional development with a special focus on your well-being.

 

Early Engagement with Patients

Preparing the best physicians for taking care of patients from all walks of life starts in the clinic. Beginning within your first month, you will be introduced to team-based clinical care in the Interprofessional Collaborative Skills-Introduction. You will learn from a variety of health care professionals in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

 

Doctors in green scrubs holding hands with masks on

Proven Clinical Training for Success in Residency & Beyond

You’ll have the opportunity to explore a variety of disciplines in medicine at our highly regarded medical school and hospital system with the best and brightest faculty so you can make a meaningful choice and be more than ready to take the next step.

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Real-World Leadership Skills

The future of medicine needs physician leaders who are prepared to influence the systems of health care to improve health outcomes for patients and society. Our curriculum not only trains you to become an excellent clinician, but also helps you develop the necessary skills to lead meaningful change no matter where you serve.

Opportunities to Make an Impact That Interests You

Addressing challenges in health care should not have to be put on hold for med school. Our Impact curriculum provides the framework for you to take on the problems that matter most to you, culminating in a Capstone for Impact project that is uniquely yours. You can choose to make an impact via a Path of Excellence, the Leadership Program, a dual degree, or in one of four Branch concentrations.

Flexible Assessments

One of the most popular features of our first-year curriculum is the flexibility of our quizzes, which you can choose to take anytime between Friday afternoon and Sunday night. Flextime quizzing helps to ease you into the rigors of med school, allowing you to take the exam when you’re ready, maintain some control over your own schedule, and still make time to see your friends and family, participate in student groups or do whatever interests you. We also provide Second Chance Quizzes on the Mondays following each quiz that allow students to take an optional second quiz covering similar content to the standard quiz. These Second Chance Quizzes provide an additional opportunity to test for learning, reinforce material and attempt to relieve some of the stress that accompanies those quizzes.

Personalized Learning Support

In addition to peer and mentor support through M-Home, our learning specialist works with students to identify a wide spectrum of learning challenges and then develops targeted learning support plans to maximize students’ capabilities. Med school faculty coaches, along with Branch, Leadership and Capstone advisors, and OHEI faculty are available to provide additional guidance as needed in all four years. There are many additional resources available on the greater University campus to help students with specific learning disabilities that our learning specialist can help students access when they need them. Learn more about the types of student support available through the Medical School.

Valued Student Voice

Michigan believes in seeking input and counsel from students on all aspects of the medical school experience, both formally and informally. This feedback provides invaluable insight and direction about what’s working and what can be improved in both content and delivery. As a student, you can review sequences, courses and clinical experiences; participate in pilot courses; join the Student Advisory Committee; complete evaluations and end-of-year surveys; and/or participate in Student Council activities.

Credit Hour Policy

The University of Michigan complies with Title IV student financial aid eligibility and must follow all applicable federal rules and guidance from U-M’s regional accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), concerning credit-hour definitions regardless of course modality. More information can be found in the Medical School Credit Hour Policy.