Fourth-Year Discipline-based Pathways

Drexel University College of Medicine

The fourth-year (senior year) clinical curriculum is structured in the form of "pathways." A series of departmentally oriented discipline-based pathways have been developed by a number of the respective clinical departments. The specific discipline-based pathway curricula have been carefully written to allow the student to review the material in a fashion which will allow the choice of a discipline-based pathway suitable for the learning needs and career goals of the student.

I. Required Courses -

There are three required course rotations with respect to the fourth-year clinical curriculum necessary for graduation: Internal Medicine, Neurology, and an additional course dependent on pathway.
Each of the above three required rotations has an appropriately prepared curriculum including goals and objectives, syllabus, outcomes evaluation, examination description, student grading mechanisms, student evaluations of faculty, course curricula and clinical sites.
II. Elective Courses -
Six elective courses are to be chosen by the student in each of the pathways. In some cases, the pathway electives may contain strongly recommended choices and limited or expanded menus of choices.
III. Clinical Site: Home or Away -
In some cases, the clinical sites at which some courses will be taken may be limited to "home," that is any DUCOM clinical affiliate. In some cases, "away" sites are included in the selection process. Any rotation at a site not affiliated with DUCOM is considered "away."
No more than three (3) rotations may be taken in any one discipline or specialty, with two exceptions: Medicine, in which a student may take five (5) rotations, and Neurology, in which a student may take four (4) rotations. Research rotations in a discipline or specialty count towards the total weeks in that discipline. (See specific pathway descriptions for details.)
No more than 12 weeks may be taken at "away" sites. Redundancy of course selection is discouraged.
IV.Pathway Goals -
A pathway may offer students an opportunity for general professional education, building on the curriculum of the third year. The fourth-year discipline-based pathways will, in some cases, provide the student with a focused approach to preparation for graduate medical education and a specific career in that discipline. In other cases, the choice of a discipline-based pathway may be driven by a student to obtain a priority education in specific fields of interest in preparation for a different graduate medical education experience. Overall, the pathway system is developed to provide the medical student with a well rounded experience in addition to preparing the student for a specific focused career.
The fourth-year discipline-based pathways will allow the medical student to:
 
  • utilize the focused, more advanced discipline-based concepts leading to career choices;
  • obtain a priority education in specific areas of medical interest;complete a well rounded experience in addition to being prepared for a focused career;
  • apply the counseling and advise of a specific departmental pathway preceptor in planning course selection;
  • recognize the benefits of the monitoring progress through the academic year.
     
V. Senior Year General Professional Education (GPE) Pathway -
The general professional education (GPE) pathway will allow the student to have a greater breadth of choice of elective courses. The GPE pathway will include as its nucleus a series of three required courses including Internal Medicine; Neurology; and additional GPE Pathway required course to be selected from a limited subinternship menu or ambulatory menu. Six elective courses will also be chosen by the student from the senior student elective course manual with approval of the Pathway Director. Oversight will be provided for the general professional education pathway student by an interdisciplinary group chaired by the GPE Pathway Director. It will be necessary for the student to meet all the goals of the GPE pathway including those required for graduation. There should not be an excessive emphasis on any one discipline in the GPE pathway. This GPE pathway should fulfill the goal of providing the student with an appropriate education and experience necessary to prepare that student for the broad field of medical education.
Goals and objectives of GPE Pathway - Through the GPE Pathway, the student will have the opportunity to:
 
  • receive oversight and counseling by a GPE pathway director;
  • experience a broad base of clinical electives;
  • experience flexibility in early career decisions;
  • meet the Drexel University College of Medicine requirements for graduation.
     
VI. General Principles and Goals and Objectives of the Senior Year Pathways -
The general principles, goals and objectives for the curriculum of the fourth (senior) year pathway system will allow the student to:
  • balance structure and flexibility of learning needs;
  • prepare to enter postgraduate training with confidence;
  • maximize guidance and counseling from preceptors;
  • recognize the influence of focused and diversified experiences in making future career plans;
  • meet the promotion and graduation requirements of the MCP< >Hahnemann School of Medicine.
     
VII. Student Evaluation of the Senior Courses -
Student feedback on each clinical course is essential to assure completion of the goals and objectives, comparability of the experience across all sites and the continuous quality improvement of the educational experience. Students are expected to complete course, faculty and site evaluations at the completion of each course.

VIII. Student Exit Evaluation of the Senior Year Pathways -
At the completion of the academic year, all students are expected to complete an "exit evaluation form" for their respective Pathway. This information is essential to assure comparability across all clinica lsites for completion of goals and objectives and continuous quality improvement of the educational experience.

Fourth-Year Elective Course Selection

Over 300 elective courses have been approved for student selection in the senior year curriculum. A summary of each of these elective courses is included in a manual available for review by DUCOM students prior to their selection of a Discipline-based Pathway or General Professional Education Pathway. Specifically, each course is noted by course title, department, division, Course Director, and site location. The Course Directors should be available for information and counseling at the request of the student. Many of the elective courses listed are located at some distance from the Main campus and will require information concerning travel, living accommodations, meals, and other support services. An in-depth description of each of the elective courses is provided in the on-line electives catalogue.

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revised 10/01/02

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