Doctor of Medicine (MD)

Program Overview

The Max Rady College of Medicine offers a four-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program that provides a strong foundation in basic sciences, clinical skills, and professional attributes. Students engage in diverse learning environments, including research opportunities, service learning programs, and clinical rotations. Upon completion, graduates are prepared for a wide range of medical careers, including family medicine and medical specialties.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

As an undergraduate medical student in the Max Rady College of Medicine, you will experience diverse environments and explore opportunities in research as you attain the skills and professional attributes to serve you in your future practice and lifelong learning. As a medical student, you will engage with communities through service learning programs, participate with clinicians in co-curricular clinical activities and have the opportunity to be part of national and international exchange programs.

Outline:

The Max Rady College of Medicine offers a four-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree program. The program is a continuum over the four years organized into Pre-Clerkship (Years 1 and 2) and Clerkship (Years 3 and 4), each divided into four modules. Module 0: Foundation of medicine The first module provides basic science foundation relevant to the study and practice of medicine. The course is intended to provide foundational knowledge in cell biology, cell adaptation/response to insult, importance of genetics in disease, exogenous factors that impact health (pathogens, toxins), and a brief introduction to how these cellular mechanisms relate to regulating and/or maintaining whole body function; presented mostly with WGS (Whole Group Sessions) with relevant illustrative clinical scenarios if applicable. Module 1: Human biology and health The M1 courses will cover normal processes specific to the individual system including normal development and embryology, gross anatomy & Imaging, histology, physiology, biochemistry & molecular biology and general pharmacology where relevant. Included for each system is an overview of burden of illness and diseases, and impact of life cycle and aging related to the system. Anatomy sessions will integrate normal radiology and cross sectional imaging. Content is predominantly basic sciences with clinical cases (normal or abnormal) to contrast or help illustrate normal. The M1 courses will provide the foundation to begin to build a clinical approach to assessment and management of diseases within that system covered in M2. Format will be combination of WGS (Whole Group Sessions), AS (directed assigned studies) and Small Group Sessions (SGS) tailored to the system. Module 2: Health and disease The M2 courses will each build upon the basic processes established in their respective M1 course to develop clinical approaches to the relevant disease states. Abnormal processes and pathophysiology for disease related to the specific system are covered. This will include the scientific basis and anatomy review (i.e. M1) then for each entity epidemiology, prevention and screening, natural history & prognosis, diagnosis , therapeutics and disease management, and impact of cultural, social, ethical issues and health care system where relevant. Format will be predominantly clinical cases with review of basic science presented as combination of WGS (Whole Group Sessions), AS (directed assigned studies)and Small Group Sessions (SGS) tailored to the system. Module 3: Consolidation As the final Pre-Clerkship module, Consolidation ensures that all the content from the previous modules, and the CP4s (one hundred thirty (137) Composite Clinical Presentations) are fully integrated and applied to patient care in a complex health care environment at a defined level of competence. Sessions will include approaches to single symptom conditions with broad differential diagnosis (e.g. management of a patient presenting with shortness of breath), multisystem diseases such as complicated diabetes within a complex patient context, and systemic diseases such as HIV or SLE. Consolidation will also include topics that cross system boundaries, such as pain management, and dermatology, and address diseases and conditions across the life cycle specifically pediatrics and geriatrics. Format will be mostly AS (directed assigned studies) and Small Group Sessions (SGS) tailored to the system. Module 4: Transition to clerkship The goals of TTC are to help the students expand their focus from learning during the Pre Clerkship years to the actual provision of care in various health care settings. This includes supervised responsibilities that accompany the provision of health and the management of disease. The format includes the use of simulation, patient assessments, small group sessions and shadowing experiences to teach students to translate the knowledge gained in pre-clerkship to the clinical setting and the actual provision of care. This will enable students to further facilitate achievement of UGME global objectives transitioning from the predominantly medical expert, scholar and communicator domains to include collaborator, manager, health advocate and professionalism domains. The students spend the last week of TTC shadowing their first core rotation. Module 5: Core Clinical Rotations and UGME Academic Half Days M5 consists of the 8 core clinical rotations and a centrally organized weekly UGME academic half day separated into four, 12 week blocks. Students move through each block in a cascading pattern of eight tracks to complete all 8 core clinical rotations. Block 1: Surgery and Anesthesia provides clinical teaching in; general surgery (3 wks) musculoskeletal medicine (2 wks), urology (1 wk), plastic surgery (1 wk), neurosurgery (1 wk), anesthesia (2 wks), and perioperative care (2 wks). Block 2: Pediatrics and Obstetrics & Gynecology provides clinical teaching in; pediatrics inpatient care (3 wks), pediatric outpatient care (3 wks), obstetrics (2 wks), gynecology (2 wks) and obstetrics & gynecology outpatient clinics (2 wks). Block 3: Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine provides clinical teaching in; internal medicine inpatient care (6 wks), internal medicine selective (2 wks), and emergency medicine (4 wks). During emergency medicine students will also spend one morning a week attending an internal medicine outpatient clinic. Block 4: Psychiatry and Family Medicine/Public Health provides clinical teaching in; psychiatry inpatient, outpatient and consultations (6 wks), family medicine clinics – majority in a rural community with public health teaching interlaced within the community placement (6 wks). The UGME academic time occurs the first half of Thursday afternoons and incorporates the Longitudinal courses of Clinical Skills, Professionalism, Indigenous Health and Population Health. The sessions also incorporates many of the Themes specifically Clinical Health Psychology, Information Sciences, Health care systems and safety, and Social accountability amongst others. Each of the core rotations have scheduled academic time with the majority in the second half of Thursday afternoons but additional time may also be scheduled during the week. Surgery & Anesthesia, as well as, Internal Medicine & Emergency Medicine organize their Thursday afternoon sessions conjointly. Module 6: Electives and CaRMS M6: 14 weeks of electives followed by the CaRMS national interview period of 3 weeks. The module is completed with the Comprehensive Clinical Examination (CCE) a formal skills based exam that takes place in the Clinical Learning and Simulation Facility over a 3 day period. Module 7: Transition to residency M7 is the last 11 weeks of the UGME program and commences after the completion of the CaRMS interviews. The goal of TTR is to provide opportunities to enhance ambulatory and community care exposures for students, provide a platform to transition skills, experience and knowledge acquired during UGME to the entry point of the PGME program. TTR consists of the following: Selectives – two, 3 week blocks of selectives intended to be non-traditional emphasizing community and outpatient activities. Sandwiched between the two selective blocks is Match week. Match Week – With the CaRMS match released on a Wednesday, the students have that day free to celebrate and spend with family & friends. The two preceding days consist of a team building & leadership program; with the two days following devoted to presentations from PGME, PARIM and Financial management. Evidence Based Medicine Capstone Course & Project (EBM) – the course has 6 weeks of formal teaching sessions each Friday afternoon throughout the selective blocks. The course concludes with a written paper and presentation in the seventh week.

Careers:

On completion of your undergraduate and postgraduate education, you can choose to practice as a Family Physician with the College of Family Physicians of Canada, or in one of the many areas of medical specialist practice with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada