Molecules to military medicine (m2mm) curriculum
The overall curriculum is divided into three major segments: the pre-clerkship, clerkship, and post-clerkship periods, all of which incorporate specialized instruction and training related to the unique aspects of military medicine. The M2MM curriculum includes a significant amount of time for senior electives, pre-Graduate Medical Education (GME) "auditions," and advanced research opportunities.
PRE CLERKSHIP
The pre-clerkship curriculum is presented via an organ-systems based approach, incorporating instruction on military-relevant clinical care and population health. The basic sciences and clinical medicine are integrated in all facets of the curriculum, with clinical skills training and patient care related activities beginning the first week of medical school. Early integration of health systems science into this curriculum allows our students to better appreciate the complex social, environmental, and system-level influences on the health of individual patients and populations.
The pre-clerkship period enables students to establish a strong foundation in the basic science associated with the mechanisms of human disease, and the latest approaches to prevention and treatment. During this time, students begin developing their professional identities as officers and physicians, so they can fulfill the promise of duty and expertise to their future patients and military units. They are mentored by experienced faculty with an emphasis placed on the cultivation of professional values and the mastery of key elements of basic and clinic science. Students also study and acquire an understanding of the social and epidemiologic principles needed for effective patient care.
The sixteen month pre-clerkship period begins with a seven-week "Foundation in Medicine" module which introduces key concepts in basic science and clinical medicine, and allows students to develop an understanding of the foundational skills that will be presented in greater depth in the six subsequent organ-system based modules: The Musculoskeletal and Integument module, the Cardiopulmonary-Renal module, the Neuroscience and Behavior module, the Gastrointestinal, Hepatobiliary, Metabolism and Nutrition module, and the Reproduction and Endocrinology module. The sevent and final module, Multisystem and Complex Diseases, prepares students to understand the intricacies of modern clinical medicine as they move into the next phase of their education: the clerkship year. There is also a longitudinal module, Military Medical Practice & Leadership, which runs through the entire pre-clerkship.
CLERKSHIP
Regardless of the specialty you choose, clerkships form a foundation for your life as a physician. An effective, confident physician successfully combines the personal qualities of compassion and commitment (duty) with an ever-evolving knowledge base to complement sharpened academic and clinical skills (expertise). Clinical clerkships provide students with an intense opportunity to apply their current fund of knowledge and basic history taking and diagnostic skills to multiple situations and settings.
POST-CLERKSHIP
Post-clerkship rotations provide students with opportunities to expand their knowledge of particular subspecialties, work as consultants, and manage patients primarily in the outpatient setting. Much of a clinician's time is spent in office practice and consultation; these electives allow students to experience those aspects of practice as well as expose them to common diseases rarely seen on internal medicine wards. Students learn specialized history taking and examination skills for a particular subspecialty and learn how and when to use diagnostic tools of that specialty. Our Fourth Year Programs include subinternship and elective rotations at military and civilian institutions throughout the world.
The major objectives of the post-clerkship period are to prepare students for Graduate Medical Education (internship and residency training), and to foster advanced clinical decision-making skills as students move from being able to Report and then Interpret information, to ultimately Manage and Educate patients in accordance with the synthetic "RIME" model of medical education.
The post-clerkship period includes six weeks of dedicated student time for the USMLE Step 1 exam, following by six weeks of advanced curricular instruction in the "Bench to Bedside and Beyond" (B3) module. B3 serves to further integrate basic science and clinical concepts in a more advanced context, and includes formal training in Advanced Life Support (ALS) and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS). Students then complete advanced clinical rotations and various elective rotations which can help them determine their optimal choice for internship and residency. The USMLE Step 2-CK examination is also taken in this time frame.
Included in the post-clerkship period is an opportunity to complete a Capstone project. Capstone is a longitudinal project involving scientific inquiry in an area of the student's choosing. Capstone opportunities range from traditional basic science to integrative, operational, translation, or clinically oriented projects. Students completing Capstone projects are expected to devote up to three months of the post-clerkship period to this scientific pursuit.
Required Advanced Clerkships
Anesthesia (if not completed during clerkship period)
Neurology (if not completed during clerkship period)
Emergency Medicine
Required Sub-Internships (choose 2)
General Surgery
Family Medicine
Pediatrics
Psychiatry
Internal Medicine
.... and more
Selectives
Students have seven 'selective' blocks. Students who complete Anesthesia or Neurology as a Core Selective block have eight 'selective' blocks. There are many options for selectives, including traditional sub-internships, clinical electives, operational/humanitarian rotations, and/or specialized research (including a Capstone project). Students are encouraged to complete an elective in behavioral health.
Capstone Program
As part of the post-clerkship period, students have the opportunity to complete a Capstone project. This is an optional program for students to complete before graduation, promoting self-directed discovery and advanced scientific inquiry as they progress through the MD program. Planning for the faculty-mentored project should begin prior to the post-clerkship period with identification of a project mentor, discussions about study design, and securing of necessary approvals. A dedicated time slot of up to three months is allotted in the post-clerkship phase specifically to complete the formally-assessed Capstone project.
These student-selected longitudinal projects include basic (bench) research, clinical research, education research, performance improvement studies, operational studies, and other public health projects. Projects proposed by students are considered on an individual basis, and planning is ongoing with students in their third and fourth year of study. Depending on student interests and/or type of Capstone project, work may start earlier and proceed in a continguous or non-continguous time frame.