MD Curriculum

In July 1999, the OSU College of Medicine initiated the 2006 M.D. Curriculum, a new medical student curriculum that takes its name from the fact that in 2006 the first students to experience the entire curriculum will enter practice, assuming a three-year residency.

The overarching goals of the M.D. Curriculum are that students will:

Understand the fundamental knowledge, principles, and processes of the sciences basic to the practice of medicine
Acquire the skills necessary to remain current with scientific research and new discoveries that influence patient care
Develop and use analytic problem-solving skills
Demonstrate effective communication with patients, families, colleagues, and other health care providers
Acquire knowledge and skills to promote health and prevent disease
Acquire the basic clinical knowledge and skills for the diagnosis and management of the spectrum of disease, occurring in individual patients as well as in special populations, with the emphasis on common disorders
Develop knowledge and skills for patient advocacy and cost-effective care through an understanding of contemporary health care delivery systems
Recognize, acknowledge, and address ethical issues related to patient care, resource management, and professional practice
Commit to life-long learning and professional development and
Demonstrate compassion, show respect, and take responsibility for patients, their families, one's colleagues, and all other heath care delivery participants

The OSU Department of Family Medicine has the following major responsibilities in delivering the M.D. Curriculum:

In Med I and Med II, Doug Post, PhD, leads the Patient-Centered Medicine Course. Many of the didactics and most of the small groups for the course are led by faculty from within the Department of Family Medicine. Doug Knutson, MD, leads the Physician Development Course. Within this two-year curriculum, the Doctor-Patient Relationship (DPR) curriculum and Physical Examination skills are taught. The students also participate in preceptorships both years. Members of our Department lead many of the small groups in this course. Many of our faculty also precept approximately 70 students per year, teaching history taking and physical examination skills.

In Med II, the Department of Family Medicine is responsible for over a third of the preceptorships, the Independent Study Program Physical Examination Course, and the Patient-Centered Medicine Curriculum.

In Med III, Holly Cronau, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, is the Director of the two-month Ambulatory Care Clerkship, a third and fourth- year required course. Additionally, Family Medicine faculty members provide pedagogic and content leadership in an interdisciplinary fashion to other Block partners plus to departments in other blocks as extensive efforts are expended to get students out of the hospital and into the community.

In Med IV, the Department of Family Medicine offers a variety of DOC-4 sub-internship experiences and a number of advanced Family Medicine electives both locally and abroad.