The University of Texas Medical School at Houston
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Medical Doctor Degree



Curriculum

The basic four-year program outlined below is required for the M.D. degree. Variations and adjustments may be made as the Curriculum Committee deems necessary.

Basic Sciences

First Academic Year

Required Courses:

Fall Semester/18 weeks

Biochemistry
Clinical Applications (cont’d in spring)
Developmental Anatomy
Gross Anatomy
Histology
Intro. to Clinical Medicine (cont’d in spring)

Spring Semester/19 weeks

Clinical Applications
Immunology
Microbiology
Neuroscience
Physiology
Intro. to Clinical Medicine

Second Academic Year

Required Courses:

Fall Semester/18 weeks

Behavioral Sciences
Ethics
Genetics
Fundamentals of Clinical Medicine
Integrative Clinical Experience/Problem-Based Learning
Pathology
Pharmacology
Physical Diagnosis

Spring Semester/19 weeks

Behavioral Sciences
Ethics
Fundamentals of Clinical Medicine
Integrative Clinical Experience/Problem-Based Learning
Pathology
Pharmacology
Physical Diagnosis
Reproductive Biology
Technical Skills

Clinical Sciences

Third Academic Year

Begins in the first week of July/48 weeks. During this time there are four weeks of vacation and two 24-week rotation periods consisting of the following:

Required Clerkships Number of Weeks
Internal Medicine 8
Medicine Fundamentals 4
Obstetrics & Gynecology 6
Neurology 4
Pediatrics  8
Psychiatry 6
Surgery 8
Family Practice 4
Comprehensive Clinical Competency Exam (CCCE)  

Fourth Academic Year

Begins in July/11 months

Required Clerkships Number of Months
Critical Care Selective 1
Advanced Patient Care Selective 1
Ambulatory Medicine Selective  1
   
Transition to Residency Month   1
   
Required Elective Program:  
Students take a minimum of five
one-month electives 
5
   
Two months are available for
vacation or additional electives
2
   
Jurisprudence  
ACLS

The Medical School’s elective and preceptorship programs in the fourth year permit students to seek clinical opportunities away from Houston, at their own expense, ranging from family practice in rural communities to experiences in the most sophisticated settings requiring advanced technology. International clinical and research electives also are available. The School is fortunate regarding the wealth of clinical opportunities available to its students.

The fourth-year elective catalog is available online at http://med.uth.tmc.edu.