Students in the MD program at the Indianapolis campus can experience the benefits of the largest medical campus with multiple teaching hospitals.

MD Education

While the medical education curriculum across all nine IU School of Medicines’ campuses statewide share the same program objectives, students and faculty at the Indianapolis location can experience the benefits of being at the largest School of Medicine campus while also taking advantage of small-group community opportunities through activities such as team-based learning.

Classrooms range from large lecture halls to small-group study rooms, and students and faculty at this campus benefit from convenient proximity to some of the largest teaching hospitals in the state of Indiana as well as the Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center and other clinical care facilities. The clinical education portion of the IU School of Medicine MD curriculum, including third- and fourth-year clerkships and electives in Indianapolis, are held at these patient care facilities.

Indianapolis is home to an array of research centers, and students have the opportunity to complement the educational experience with research by working with faculty on various projects. Summer research opportunities range from cell research to hands-on clinical research.

The opportunity to earn dual degrees—such as MD/PhD, MD/MPH, MD/MBA and MD/MS while attending the Indianapolis campus for IU School of Medicine is also available. Dual degree programs are also available at the Bloomington, South Bend and West Lafayette campuses.

Student Policies

To protect the positive and collaborative learning and working environment at IU School of Medicine, medical students, staff and faculty at all campuses must adhere to the policies and standards established by the university and school.

MD Enrichment Programs in Indianapolis

Medical students can benefit from activities through the IU School of Medicine Division of Continuing Medical Education. This division focuses on continuing physician education and applies evidence-based adult learning principles that recognize different learning preferences and styles to develop live learning opportunities (such as symposia, conferences, workshops, seminars, live webcasts, mini-fellowships and regularly scheduled sessions) as well as materials in print, multimedia and Internet-based formats to improve population health status and outcomes.

Medical students benefit from symposia and engagement with residents in Graduate Medical Education programs. IU School of Medicine Graduate Medical Education programs provide primary, secondary, tertiary and inpatient quartiary care; ambulatory care; emergency care; and community health through affiliations with teaching hospitals and partnerships with many prestigious research and care centers on the Indianapolis campus and across the state that are staffed by IU School of Medicine faculty. Explore the IU School of Medicine residency and fellowship programs available in Indianapolis.

IU School of Medicine-Indianapolis offers a variety of programs that lead to a Master’s degree or a PhD. Dual degree programs and doctoral minors are also available. Learn more about the IU School of Medicine Graduate Division programs.

Concentration Topic: Biomedical Research
The Scholarly Concentration in Biomedical Research engages students in the critical concepts that underpin biomedical and clinical research. Through didactic instruction and faculty-mentored clinical research projects, students will acquire tools essential to undertake biomedical research, including critical reasoning skills, utilizing the scientific method in research study design, research rigor and reproducibility, research ethics, and disseminating research results for peer review.

Concentration Topic: Genetics in Medicine
Medical genetics is rapidly changing and shaping patient care. Therefore, it is imperative that clinicians understand cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment approaches. This Scholarly Concentration provides a deep-dive into the latest genetic developments and concepts that are transforming the practice of medicine. Students may explore clinical research (including lab diagnostics and gene therapy), clinical case reports with literature reviews, or new areas of interest.

Concentration Topic: Health Information Technology
Technology is omnipresent in health care. In this Scholarly Concentration, students gain an understanding of the components, concepts and relationships necessary to create, implement and use clinical information systems effectively. Through coursework and hands-on experiences, students learn to become better physicians by leveraging technology systems in increasingly complex health care systems.

Concentration Topic: Medical Humanities
This Scholarly Concentration offers an interdisciplinary course of study drawn from the Liberal Arts. The field of Medical Humanities provides medical students with qualitative humanistic and socio-cultural perspectives on health care. Students will study more comprehensively, and in-depth, the social, cultural, and humanistic determinants and consequences of health, disease and healing from literary, historical and bioethical perspectives.