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MD Curriculum

 

The CUSM MD curriculum is a 4-year program of study to prepare each student for a career of service in healthcare. The curriculum promotes critical thinking, teamwork, and early patient contact, facilitates the integration of basic science with clinical problem-solving, and stimulates students to develop skills for self-directed learning. The basic science and clinical disciplines are integrated with case presentations in each system from the first day of class.

 

CUSM MD Program Phases:

The Pre-Clerkship Phase spans 62 weeks, from matriculation through the winter break of Year 2. The Clerkship Phase is 72 weeks and includes dual-pass core clinical rotations (Clerkship I and II) along with a dedicated Professional Development (PD) Semester, which may be taken before or after required Clerkships. The Transition to Residency Phase occurs during the M4 year and spans 36 weeks, emphasizing sub-internships, electives, and residency preparation. Throughout the curriculum are clinical skills and simulation, Spanish for healthcare professionals, anatomy, co-curriculars such as scholar programs or global health. Overencompassing the curriculum is Social Mission and Accountability.

Orientation

The CUSM MD program begins with a two-week orientation program in July. Orientation is an introduction to the program, faculty, and fellow students. The program culminates with the White Coat ceremony. During orientation, students will be introduced to their small group learning communities designed for team-based learning in a flipped classroom model.

[A sample snapshot of CUSM MD Program Construct ]

 

Pre-Clerkship Phase

The first 18 months of the program focus on core medical education. During the Pre-Clerkship Phase, the curriculum is interdisciplinary and systems-based, with integrated coursework in the foundational sciences categorized by organ systems. Weekly, team-based clinical case presentations within the Systems courses promote application-based learning and the development of clinical reasoning skills. These activities are aligned with weekly Clinical Skills sessions that include clinical simulation and encounters with standardized patients. Health Systems and Professional Practice coursework covers health systems science, public health, ethics, professionalism, and related topics. As part of this coursework, students participate in community-engaged projects with regional partners through the CHANGE program. In the longitudinal Academic Research Study coursework, students develop a research proposal in Year 1 and carry out the proposed study in Year 2. Students are also enrolled in a Medical Spanish course designed to build communication skills and cultural competency to enhance care for Spanish-speaking patients.

The Pre-Clerkship Phase is delivered over 18 months in integrated blocks for each organ system supported by flipped classroom, clinical case presentations, and laboratory sessions. MS1 courses include Foundations, Musculoskeletal-Skin, Blood-Lymph, Renal-Urinary, Respiratory-Cardiovascular, Gastrointestinal-Metabolism. MS2 includes Endocrine- Reproduction-Stages of Life, then Neuroscience-Behavior. The phase includes components in Clinical Skills and Simulation, Spanish for Healthcare Professionals, Health Systems and Professional Practice, and Academic Research Study.

 

Clerkship  and Transition to Residency Phases

The clerkship phase of the MD program is designed to build on the pre-clerkship experience. It includes 12 months of core clerkship rotations and a 6-month Professional Development Semester (PDS). The PDS provides the opportunity for students to explore their professional identity and engage in activities that are aligned with their professional interests, including flexible time to engage in distinguishing activities, or dedicated study time for USMLE Step.

CUSM is affiliated with Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC), which is the primary teaching hospital for the clerkship and transition to residency phases. CUSM also has several regional affiliated clinical sites that provide clerkship educational experiences for the 3rd and 4th-year students. This diversity of sites provides students with varied clinical environments to develop expertise in managing patients from a wide range of backgrounds.

The Dual-Pass Clerkship Curriculum (DPCC) spans a full academic year, providing students with valuable experiences across multiple specialties. DPCC consists of two 6-month semesters, with students repeating 3-4 week rotations in six of the eight core clerkships. Two core clerkships, Emergency Medicine and Neurology, are single-pass, 4-week rotations.

During their first semester, students rotate through the formative first-pass of clerkships, providing a chance to acclimate to clinical environments and their roles within healthcare teams.  At the midpoint of the year, students review multiple modalities of mid-clerkship, formative feedback during a 1:1 with a Clerkship director including scores on NBME, OSCEs and clinical performance evaluations.

During their second semester, students return for a summative second-pass rotation to demonstrate their clinical competence, applying what they learned during the formative semester across all dual pass specialties.

Diagram of Dual-Pass Core Clerkship Curriculum. The first pass is a 6-month formative semester with NBME Subject Exams, a mid-year OSCE and mid-clerkship feedback. The second pass is a 6-month summative semester with NBME Subject Exams, an end-year OSCE and end-clerkship feedback. The 8-week rotations are split into 4 week dual-pass segments in both semesters, including Surgery and Internal Medicine. The 6-week rotations are split into 3 week dual-pass segments in both semesters, including Peds, OBGYN, Family Medicine, and Psychiatry. The 4-week single-pass rotations are Neurology and Emergency Medicine.

The Transition to Residency Phase aligns with students fourth year of the program. During this year, students engage in sub-internships, clinical and non-clinical electives, and a transition-to-residency bootcamp course.

In the Transition to Residency Phase, the Match Process includes 1. Applying for residency through MyERAS (My Electronic Residency Application Service), 2. Interview for Residency, and 3. Participate in the NRMP Match (National Residency Matching Program). 4th Year Graduation and Residency Preparation process includes 4 weeks of sub-internships, 2 weeks of radiology, 2 weeks of internship bootcamp, and 26 weeks of electives. Electives include both clinical and non-clinical electives, such as research, teaching, advanced medical Spanish, or learning assistant programs.

 

Clinical Training Sites

At the California University of Science and Medicine, students complete their core clinical training primarily at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC), a major teaching hospital serving the Inland Empire. Our clinical network includes a range of hospitals, medical centers, and community-based clinics that reflect the diverse healthcare needs of the region. CUSM values its community partnerships with clinical sites as these training opportunities reflect our commitment to training future physicians who will serve local communities.

Our clinical training sites for core clerkship rotations include: 

  • Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
  • San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health
  • Eisenhower Health
  • Inland Pediatric
  • Interim Psychiatric Care
  • Inland Psychiatric Medical Group
  • Mission Community Hospital
  • Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center
  • Riverside Community Hospital
  • Riverside University Health System
  • Bernardine’s Medical Center
  • Talia Medical Group
  • Universal Health Services
  • Choice Medical Group
  • Kidstrong Medical Group