Curriculum

The curriculum at VCOM is innovative and modern. VCOM faculty recognize students learn in a number of ways. Students generally assimilate a knowledge base through instruction, reading and experience. Students who are in problem based, case-based, or discipline-based curriculums, often complain of repetition and lack of variety. VCOM has developed a hybrid curriculum consisting of lectures, computerized case tutorials, laboratory experiences, clinical skills laboratories and clinical experiences throughout the four years.

All courses in the first two years are available to students on computer through Scholar. The computer based materials are placed on Scholar in order to augment student learning where minimal note taking is required in class. This leaves valuable classroom time for faculty/student interaction. Computer based instructional cases are the backbone of the clinical curriculum and demand preparation and performance prior to classroom instruction. Classroom instruction becomes concise case overviews rather than a detailed re-read of the text. The clinical cases are examples whereby students learn to apply their knowledge base to problem solving in clinical medicine. VCOM recognizes students also learn by pattern recognition. The symptom based, case based presentations advances students through the clinical curriculum and prepare them for the third year clinical rotations.

The third and fourth year curriculum is predominately clinical and provided in the hospital setting. Academics are presented in the clinical setting through advanced didactics including morning reports, case presentations, and grand rounds. The didactics are shared through telecommunications to all third year clinical sites. This allows a continuous curriculum through internship and an opportunity to learn through a spiraling of medical knowledge.

OMM is taught throughout the curriculum by faculty physicians who practice primary care and osteopathic medicine and sports medicine. The OMM curriculum is reinforced in the clinical years by providing clinical experiences with this same faculty, demonstrating the incorporation of the manipulative medicine skills into clinical practice. Osteopathic manipulative medicine skills labs continue through the third year.

The curriculum is directed toward the development of a primary care physician. VCOM faculty believe that the students who choose medical specialties will benefit from a broad based primary care curriculum and a whole patient approach to care. There are fellowship and curriculum specific tracts within the VCOM clinical curriculum for students who qualify and wish to enter research or missionary medicine training.

Osteopathic Medical School- Years One and Two

Block 1 – begins the curriculum at the cellular level with courses including:
Cell Biology and Physiology, Microbiology, Immunology, Genetics and Embryology. In addition students are introduced to Pathology and Pharmacology, as well as a course in Professionalism and Medical Ethics.

Blocks 2-8 – are comprehensive system based blocks and include courses in Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology and Pathology. Principles of Primary Care is extended throughout all blocks and includes Physical Diagnosis, Introduction to Osteopathic Manipulation and Behavioral Medicine topics. Clinical Case Correlations brings the cases with the medical disciplines aligned with the blocks. These include Immunology and Hematology, Dermatology, Cardiopulmonary System, Neurological, Psychiatry, and Musculoskeletal Systems, Gastrointestinal and Endocrine Systems, Nutrition, and Renal and Genitourinary Systems.

Students also have Early Clinical Experiences throughout the pre-clinical years which include experiences such as: Geriatrics, Palliative care, Free Clinics, Appalachian Medical Missions, Gynecologic experience, Clinical Skills training, Laboratory Medicine and Radiology rounds.

Osteopathic Medical School- Year Three

VCOM third year medical students are required to complete nine clinical rotations. Each rotation is estimated at 180 hours, with 160 hours in the regular program and 20 hours or greater on call per month. The required rotations for third year are listed below; all rotations must be taken and completed at VCOM core rotations sites. These rotations must be successfully completed to progress to the fourth year.

Core rotations are:

Family Medicine

Underserved Care

Internal Medicine

Surgery

Obstetrics/Gynecology

Pediatrics

Psychiatry

Emergency Medicine

Geriatrics

Osteopathic Medical School- Year Four

The fourth year of osteopathic medical school consists of completing nine months of selective and elective rotations. Minimum requirements for clinical rotations are 160 hours each for four week rotations, and 80 hours each for two week rotations.

Requirements:

VCOM Medicine Selectives 3 months

VCOM Surgical Selectives 2 months

Electives 4 months

Vacation and Interviews 2 months

Medical and Surgical Selectives are to be completed at VCOM sites where VCOM has established rotations, affiliation agreements and faculty. An exception may be granted for up to two Selectives in an outside region where AOA post-graduate programs exist.

Four electives may also be scheduled outside VCOM regional hospital sites; however, each elective site must be pre-approved through the Associate Dean for Clinical Academic Affairs.

Formal curriculum delivery continues in year four. The curriculum consists of clinical rotations and a thesis level written case presentation or publication for original research, and periodic internet delivered presentations.

Selective and Elective Rotations

Medicine Selective Rotations

List 1:	A minimum of two rotations must be taken from the following areas. A rotation may not be repeated in these disciplines: Cardiology, Nephrology, Pulmonology, Infectious Disease, hospital-based Internal Medicine, Critical Care, Intensive Care, Sub-Internship, Pediatric hospital-based subspecialties. One of these must be taken within the last five months of the fourth year.
List 2:	An additional rotation may be taken in one of the following as a medicine selective: Neurology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, VCOM International Medical Missions, Psychiatry, Hematology/Oncology, OMM, Physical Medicine and Rehab, Allergy/Immunology, Sports Medicine* from a primary care focus and Gastroenterology.
In order to offer the student a broad scope of training, medical selectives are not to be repeated.

Surgical Selective Rotations

	Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology, Oromaxillofacial surgery, Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Anesthesiology, Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, Cardiovascular surgery, Plastic Surgery, Surgery Trauma Unit, Urology, Vascular surgery, Urogynecology, Gynecology/Oncology Surgery, Ortho Spine Surgery, Surgical Critical Care.
In order to offer the student the broadest content possible, surgical selectives are not to be repeated.
*May be two or four weeks. Students should not schedule more than four, two-week rotations.

Elective Choices

All electives require prior approval by the Associate Dean for Clinical Academic Affairs.

Elective Rotations may be repeated.

Elective rotations include:

All rotations outlined in the third year core.
All rotations included in the Medical Selective List.
All rotations included in the Surgery Selective List.
The additional rotations of: Occupational Medicine, Forensic Pathology, Pathology, Pediatric subspecialties, Addiction Medicine, Adolescent Medicine, Maternal/Fetal Medicine, Reproductive Endocrinology, Radiology, Dermatology, OMM, Palliative Care, Gynecology, Clinical Research, Trauma, Biomedical Research, Proctology, Pain Management, Urgent Care, Rural Medicine, CDC, NIH, or other federally sponsored rotations.

	Other electives not included may be approved on a one-by-one basis if approved by the Associate Dean for Clinical Academic Affairs.
	Non-VCOM International Medical Missions rotations must be affiliated with a medical school, DOCARE or a federally sponsored organization and approved in advance by the Associate Dean for Clinical Academic Affairs. VCOM does not assume any liability for health or safety while on international rotations.

VCOM Medicine Selectives	3 months
VCOM Surgical Selectives	2 months
Electives	4 months
Vacation and Interviews	2 months

VCOM College Catalog 2009-2010