The Academic Bulletin compiles the mission and objectives of the medical education program, the admission and completion requirements for the MD degree and associated joint degree programs, the academic calendar, and the courses and clerkships required by the medical education program.
The courses which make up the degree requirements for the MD degree are found under each Phase of training linked below.
Duration: 2 weeks
In Transitions 1, medical students begin to develop an appreciation of their role as health care professionals by acquiring knowledge, skills and attitudes that will shape their medical education and self-understanding as they undertake patient care as a novice member of a healthcare team.
Duration: 36 weeks
In the course Foundations of Clinical Practice Year 1, medical students develop clinical skills, gain knowledge about the field of medicine, and explore the social context of health and disease.
Duration: 4 Weeks
The Critical Care Selectives are four-week rotations that give students the opportunity to participate in a critical care environment.
Learn MoreT3 is a month-long course in the spring of your final year of medical school providing opportunities for professional development, medical knowledge review, and procedural skills practice making the transition to intern year a smoother one.
Learn MoreDuration: 36 weeks
In the Health Systems Science course, medical students engage with health systems science topics, such as health care policy and economics and health systems improvement, using discussions, journal-clubs, guided reflections, and interprofessional education opportunities.
Duration: 9 weeks
In the Human Structure course, students’ gain knowledge of the functional and developmental relationship between anatomical structures, organs and organ systems. This enables them to explain the anatomic (microscopic and macroscopic) basis of common clinical conditions, injuries, diseases and functional deficits.
Duration: 2 weeks
Phase 2 marks the beginning of clinical clerkships. During clerkships, students gain hands-on specialty-specific skills that will help them choose a specialty for residency. Transitions 2 and Session to Enhance Physician Success (STEPS) supplement clinical experiences with vital information that expands student knowledge.
Duration: 7 weeks
In the Molecules to Cells and Tissues course, medical students gain knowledge of fundamental concepts in molecular, cell and tissue biology, and in clinical genetics to enable them to explain the molecular, biochemical and cellular underpinnings of health and various disease states.
Duration: 6 weeks
The Fundamentals of Health and Disease course advances student knowledge of physiological, pathophysiological and pharmacological principals to enable them to describe maintenance of normal physiologic functions and discuss disease states and drug treatments in terms of altered cellular and tissue function.
Duration: 6 weeks
Students’ knowledge of the immune system and the pathogenesis of infectious organisms enable them to formulate appropriate diagnostic and interventional strategies for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and immune-mediated pathologies.
Duration: 6 weeks
Students’ knowledge of the physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology of the brain and the nervous system and their knowledge of mind-body interactions enable them to describe the major diseases of these systems, including their signs and symptoms, behavioral patterns, histopathologic and clinical laboratory characteristics, and rationale for current therapeutic interventions.
Duration: 24 weeks
Students in the Foundations of Clinical Practice Year 2 course advance clinical knowledge and skills, expand communication skills, and increase understanding of the social context of health and disease in order to prepare for third-year clinical rotations.
Duration: 24 weeks
In the Health Systems Science course, medical students engage with health systems science topics, such as health care policy and economics and health systems improvement, using discussions, journal-clubs, guided reflections, and interprofessional education opportunities.
Duration: 6 weeks
Through the Cardiovascular and Hematology course, students gain knowledge of the physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology of the cardiovascular and hematologic systems, which enables them to describe the major diseases of these systems, including their signs and symptoms, histopathologic and clinical laboratory characteristics, and rationale for current therapeutic interventions.
Duration: 6 weeks
The Renal and Respiratory course advances students’ knowledge of the physiology, pharmacology and pathophysiology of the respiratory and renal systems to enable them to describe the major diseases of these systems, including their signs and symptoms, histopathologic and clinical laboratory characteristics, and rationale for current therapeutic interventions.
Duration: 6 weeks
Students in the Gastrointestinal and Nutrition course gain knowledge of the physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology of the gastrointestinal system to enable them to describe the major diseases of this system, including their signs and symptoms, histopathologic and clinical laboratory characteristics , and rationale for current therapeutic interventions including the application of principles of nutrition and their role in health and disease.
Duration: 6 weeks
The Endocrine, Reproductive, Musculoskeletal and Dermatologic course advances students’ knowledge of the physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology of the endocrine, reproductive, musculoskeletal and dermatologic systems. This enables students to describe major diseases of those systems, including their signs and symptoms, histopathologic and clinical laboratory characteristics, and rationale for current therapeutic interventions. Students in this course also explore ethical and psychosocial issues related to wellness and illness within these four body systems.
Selective
The third-year core clerkship in anesthesia exposes medical students to the basic management of perioperative patients. With faculty physicians and residents, students participate in the anesthetic care of patients in the operating room.
Clerkship
During the four-week Family Medicine Clerkship, third-year medical students at Indiana University School of Medicine work side-by-side with practicing physicians in urban cities, small towns and rural areas throughout Indiana. Students meet patients who present with acute medical problems as well as those who are chronically ill or may need preventive health education and witness first-hand how patients interact with their personal physician.
STEPS is a required component of the Phase 2 curriculum that occurs on inter-clerkship days throughout the academic year. The majority of the course is held online and is a mixture of synchronous live sessions and asynchronous material. At the end of the course students will engage with community health partners to learn more about population health in our community.
Clerkship
The Internal Medicine Clerkship is an eight-week rotation with opportunities for third-year medical students to gain ambulatory and community-based experience as well as inpatient experiences at diverse patient-care facilities.
Clerkship
The Neurology/Neurosurgery Clerkship is a required four-week clerkship for third-year medical students at Indiana University School of Medicine. Students have the option of rotating among three categories of clinical exposure: adult neurology, child neurology or neurosurgery.
Clerkship
The Obstetrics/Gynecology Clerkship is a six-week rotation that includes surgical and clinical experience. Third-year medical students participate in morning report, attend Grand Rounds, and complete online learning modules and assigned reading material.
Clerkship
As part of the pediatrics clerkship, third-year medical students complete two different subspecialty inpatient rotations and one outpatient ambulatory rotation during a eight week period. At IU School of Medicine, MD students consistently rate pediatrics as one of the best clinical rotations. They appreciate the diversity of clinical experiences and the mentorship of pediatric faculty.
Clerkship
The psychiatry clerkship is a four-week clinical rotation that gives medical students the opportunity to see a broad range of psychiatric illness. Students develop an ability to elicit symptoms and to formulate diagnoses and basic treatment plans. This clerkship is offered at all nine IU School of Medicine campuses in a diverse range of clinical settings, including acute inpatient settings, outpatient clinics, and emergency services.
Clerkship
The surgical block of third-year clerkships is eight weeks of curriculum that involves general surgery and subspecialty surgery. Medical students spend approximately four weeks on one of nine chosen subspecialty rotations available at the school’s clinical partner, patient-care facilities in Indianapolis. Students can also complete the general surgery clerkship at the IU School of Medicine campuses in South Bend, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute or Gary.
Clerkship rotation
Duration: 4 Weeks
Students on the emergency medicine rotation develop critical competencies in diagnosis, management and communication required to care for patients with urgent and emergent conditions in a complex and ever-changing medical system. Autonomy and responsibility are essential for the student to learn fundamental approaches to patients with undifferentiated urgent or emergent conditions.
Sub-Internship Rotation
Duration: 4 Weeks
The sub-internship is a rotation during which a fourth-year medical student takes on an expanded role in patient care, attending to progressive frontline duties and responsibilities regarding patient admission, diagnosis, treatment and discharge under close supervision. Students have the option of completing a sub-internship in either internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, obstetrics/gynecology or pediatrics.
Selective Rotation
Duration: 2 Weeks
It is difficult to imagine practicing medicine today without radiology. Therefore, it is vital for medical students to understand how to effectively use radiology in patient care. The radiology rotation provides students an opportunity to review and integrate key lessons from the first two phases of medical school in subjects such as anatomy, physiology and pathology.
Indiana University School of Medicine is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the accreditor for U.S. medical education programs leading to the MD degree. Email lcme@aamc.org to contact the LCME.