Weill Cornell Medical College

Trends in Medical School Curricula

Over the years, several alternative models have been introduced for the first one to two years of medical school instruction. Recently, medical schools have continued to develop and implement a variety of more patient-centered and collaborative approaches. Since 2020, urgent political issues including the COVID pandemic, Black Lives Matter, and the ongoing climate crisis have ushered in more changes still. In this post, we’ll walk through some of the latest trends in med school curricula.

The Clinical Years of Med School: What to Expect

If you are considering medical school, here is an overview of the opportunities and experiences you may have during the clinical years, including clerkships (a.k.a. “rotations”), selectives and/or electives, sub-internships, away rotations, and scholarly concentrations. Find out how to carefully compare the curricula of various medical schools so that you ultimately attend a program that is compatible with your future goals.

Medical Schools’ Varied Update Letter Policies

Find out everything you need to know about whether or not to send a medical school update letter, if allowed by the med school, including the timing, content, length, number, and how the letter should be delivered!

What Mission Statements Reveal About Medical Schools

Med school mission statements, which are carefully constructed descriptions of their values and approaches, can help you distinguish unique philosophies among programs. Spending time parsing the mission statement of each school will help you choose among schools and aid in composing your application materials later on.

Could a Post-Baccalaureate Program Be Right For You?

What is a post-bac program in the medical sciences and how can it help to improve your chances as a competitive med school applicant? Whether you are a career changer or need to improve your undergrad science GPA—find out if this path could be for you!

Post-Baccalaureate Programs for Medical School

What is a post-bac program in the medical sciences and how can it help to improve your chances as a competitive med school applicant? Whether you are a career changer or need to improve your undergrad science GPA—find out if this path could be for you!

The Clinical Years of Med School: What to Expect

Once medical students complete their time in the classroom, they move on to what many consider to be the real reason they went to med school in the first place: treating patients. This transition usually occurs during the second or third year depending on the length of a school’s pre-clinical ...

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