Rush Medical College: Academic Program

Curriculum: First Year

The M1 Basic Science content is integrated into seven blocks taught in sequence through the academic year. Those seven blocks, listed in the order in which the blocks are presented in the 2014-2015 academic year, are:

• RMD - 510 Cell and Molecular Biology Credit Hours:
• RMD - 512 Musculoskeletal System Credit Hours:
• RMD - 513 Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems Credit Hours:
• RMD - 514 Gastrointestinal System and Metabolism Credit Hours:
• RMD - 515 Genitourinary Systems Credit Hours:
• RMD - 516 Central Nervous System and Head and Neck Credit Hours:
• RMD - 511 Immunology and Hematology Credit Hours:

Curriculum: Second Year

The M2 Basic Science content is integrated into blocks taught in sequence through the academic year that focus on the study of the causes and effects of disease and therapeutics. The Physicianship Program continues In the second year to complement the courses listed. The blocks are listed in the order in which the blocks are presented in the 20014-2015 academic year:

• RMD - 523 Mechanisms of Disease Credit Hours:
• RMD - 524 Diseases of the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems Credit Hours:
• RMD - 526 Diseases of the Central Nervous System Credit Hours:
• RMD - 525 Diseases of the Genitourinary Systems Credit Hours:
• RMD - 527 Gastrointestinal, Liver and Metabolic Disease Credit Hours:
• RMD - 528 Hematology, Dermatology and Musculoskeletal Disease Credit Hours:
• RMD - 529A Evidence-Based Medicine I Credit Hours:
• RMD - 529B Evidence-Based Medicine II Credit Hours:
• RMD - 533 Physicianship III Credit Hours:
• RMD - 534 Physicianship IV Credit Hours:
• RMD - 519 Capstone III Credit Hours:
• RMD - 520 Capstone IV Credit Hours:

Curriculum: Third and Fourth Years

The curricula of the third and fourth years provide students with additional training in clinical skills, diagnosis and patient management in a variety of patient care settings.

Prior to the start of the third year, students participate in an intensive review of clinical skills. Students must take the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1(USMLE) before the start of the intensive review of clinical skills. Students who do not pass USMLE Step 1 are required to discontinue the M3 curriculum for remediation (please refer to section on Step 1 failure for additional information).

Clinical experiences primarily take place at Rush University Medical Center and the John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County. Students request a schedule of the M3 required clerkships through a lottery toward the end of the M2 year and students request a schedule of the M4 required clerkships and electives through a lottery toward the end of the M3 year.

A minimum of 78 weeks of clinical experiences is required for graduation. The curriculum includes 50 weeks of required core clerkships in internal medicine, neurology, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics/gynecology, surgery, emergency medicine, primary care and a required senior sub-internship. The remaining 28 weeks required for graduation consist of elective study in areas of special interest to each student. The choice of electives is guided by the goal of an educationally-balanced undergraduate experience. Of the 28 weeks of required student-chosen electives, up to 12 weeks of elective study may take place at other LCME- or ACGME-accredited institutions and a maximum of eight weeks of elective rotations may be taken in a single subspecialty.