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Doctor of Medicine Program 20 Doctor of Medicine Program Doctor of Medicine Program Mission Statement and the Medical Curriculum The mission of the Duke University School of Medicine is: To prepare students for excellence by first assuring the demonstration of defined core competencies. To complement the core curriculum with educational opportunities and advice regard- ing career planning which facilitates students to diversify their careers, from the physician- scientist to the primary care physician. To develop leaders for the twenty-first century in the research, education, and clinical practice of medicine. To develop and support educational programs and select and size a student body such that every student participates in a quality and relevant educational experience. Physicians are facing profound changes in the need for understanding health, disease, and the delivery of medical care—changes which shape the vision of the medical school. These changes include: a broader scientific base for medical practice; a national crisis in the cost of health care; an increased number of career options for physicians, yet the need for more generalists; an emphasis on career-long learning in investigative and clinical medicine; the necessity that physicians work cooperatively and effectively as leaders among other health care professionals; and the emergence of ethical issues not heretofore encountered by physicians. Medical educators must prepare physicians to respond to these changes. The most successful medical schools will position their students to take the lead addressing na- tional health needs. Duke University School of Medicine is prepared to meet this challenge by educating outstanding practitioners, physician scientists, and leaders. Continuing at the forefront of medical education requires more than educating Duke students in basic science, clinical research, and clinical programs for meeting the health care needs of society. Medical education also requires addressing such concerns as national science and health policy, meeting the health care needs of society, providing medical care for the disadvantaged, and applying basic science discoveries to clinical medicine. As health care practices at the federal, state, institutional, and individual levels evolve, these endeavors need input from physicians uniquely prepared to assume guiding roles. Duke University's role as a leader in medical education is built upon its internationally- recognized tradition of fostering scientific scholarship and providing excellent preparation for the practice of medicine. The curriculum promotes creativity, scholarship, leadership, and diversity. It integrates the basic and clinical sciences and prepares students to pursue the spectrum of options available to modern physicians, from basic science to primary care. Duke University Medical School produces at least three prototype physicians; the physician scientist, the clinician-investigator, and the practitioner (either generalist or specialist). The Duke faculty enhance the Medical School's curriculum by continually embracing new methods of education and evaluation to improve the medical education experience. Attention to curricular development assures Duke graduates that they are grounded in basic biomedical sciences, competent and caring clinicians, prepared to pursue a lifetime of continuing education, and capable of participating in local, national, and international discussions about the delivery of health care now and in the future. Features of the four-year curriculum include: • Development of a core medical curriculum that is rigorous, efficient, integrative, and forms a realistic base of knowledge for a physician; Doctor of Medicine Program 21 • Integration of basic, clinical, psychosocial, and population information and skills throughout the four years of medical education; • General introduction to basic and clinical science for one year each, followed by two years of individualized curricular options that promote professional diversity and personal development; • An elective third year which permits students to pursue their independent scholarly interest across a range of scientific disciplines from basic biomedical science to health policy; • Promotion of structured active learning that includes explicit experience in leadership and cooperative roles; • Mentorship of students by faculty in all facets of the learning process; • Implementation of a standardized and valid assessment of progress, carefully and thoughtfully evaluating the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes appropriate to the future goals of each student; • Incorporation of information technology and the use of computers into student learning and evaluation; • Research and implementation of new and improved methods of teaching. The curriculum, while offering a previously unattainable degree of flexibility to medi- cal education and new opportunities for intellectual exploration, also makes heavy demands upon the student. It should be recognized that medical students at the Duke University School of Medicine are expected to maintain a consistent level of performance and to dem- onstrate qualities of initiative and dedication to their chosen profession. A scholarly attitude toward medicine that continues throughout an entire career is an important objective of the medical school. The foundations of this attitude to learning should accompany the student upon entering. Students are expected to maintain a professional attitude toward patients at all times, to respect confidences, and to recognize that they are the recipients of privileged information only to be discussed within the context of scholarship and in circumstances that truly contribute to the educational process or to the care of the patient. This attitude involves consideration not only of speech and personal appearance but also of morality, honor, and integrity. Beginning in the fall of 1987, the School of Medicine greatly enlarged the focus on ethics and human values in the curriculum. In the face of major advances in medical technology and sciences, today's medical student must be prepared to deal with new complexities of medical practice. These advances and complexities also make it of paramount importance that medical education enable each student to grow in both depth and breadth as a human being. The Duke University School of Medicine is rising to this challenge. Doctor of Medicine Degree The degree of Doctor of Medicine is awarded, upon approval by the faculty of Duke University, to those students who have satisfactorily completed the academic curriculum; demonstrated the intellectual, personal, and technical competencies to function as skilled physicians; and demonstrated their fitness to practice medicine by adherence to a high stan- dard of ethical and moral behavior. 22 Doctor of Medicine Program The faculty of Duke University School of Medicine have developed general guidelines for technical standards for medical school admissions and degree completion. These are available on request from the Office of Admissions. Doctor of Medicine Degree 23 The awarding of degrees is contingent upon payment of, or satisfactory arrangements to pay, all indebtedness to the university. In February, 2002, the Duke University School of Medicine was fully accredited for seven years by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Curriculum Revision. In January, 2002, the School of Medicine began a curriculum revision project. While every effort has been made to include decisions on changes to date, we reserve the right to make further changes. As such, the curriculum described below is sub- ject to change. Course Requirements—First Year. The student studies the principles of all the basic science disciplines. Rather than mastering an encyclopedic array of facts, the purpose is to acquire familiarity with the major principles of each subject. In addition, during the first three years students are required to participate in the Practice course which is designed to ex- pand primary and continuity care experience for Duke medical students. The course is a combined clinical curricular experience which emphasizes progressive knowledge and com- petencies. The first year consists of instruction in the following: Semester 1 Credit BAA 200B - Gross Human Anatomy 4 INTERDIS 100B – Molecules and Cells 8 CELLBIO 201B - Microanatomy 2 CELLBIO 202B - Medical Physiology 4 INTERDIS 201B - Practice I 1 Total 19 Semester 2 Credit IMMUNOL 201B - Immunology 2 INTERDIS 201B – Practice I 2 MGM 200B - Microbiology 5 NEUROBIO 202B - Basic Neurobiology 4 PHARM 200B - Pharmacology 4 PATHOL 200B - Pathology 5 Total 22 A vacation takes place after the conclusion of the first year. In addition, every class has Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, Christmas, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, and spring break with the exact dates depending upon rotation and class schedules. Approved calendars are included in this Bulletin as well as published on the http://regis- trar.mc.duke.edu website. Course Requirements—Second Year. Satisfactory completion of the first year curric- ulum is a prerequisite to the second year curriculum. The second year provides an exposure to clinical science disciplines. This permits students early in their careers to become partici- pants in the care of patients. The acquired appreciation of the problems of the clinical areas and the opportunities to recognize the applications of the basic sciences