MD Program

Curriculum

Application Information

Physician-Citizen-Scholar Curriculum

The innovative curriculum at the Keck School of Medicine of USC trains medical students to become outstanding doctors, skilled researchers and leaders in the health care of tomorrow. Immersed in clinical settings early in their education, students at the Keck School of Medicine have the opportunity to create their own path at they build on their knowledge of biomedical sciences. We believe our unique approach to medical education provides our students with the foundational knowledge and skills to become the trail blazers who will shape the practice of medicine in the 21st century.

See Also Our Dual Degrees
MD Program student exams a pediatric patient.

MD curriculum phases

Curricular Phases

The MD Program is divided into three distinct phases:

    • Provides students with a broad and extensive range of knowledge and skills in biomedical sciences and clinical care. Students receive instruction in clinical skills and clinical reasoning using active and case-based learning.
    • Students learn about health systems and the social determinants of health that contribute to inequities in health access and outcomes.
    • Students participate in service-learning experiences to gain a firsthand understanding of the factors that influence health and health outcomes.
    • Students work with faculty mentors on professional development.
    • USMLE Step 1 is taken after completion of Phase 1.

    Phase 1 Courses

    • Introduction to Medical Sciences I-IV
    • Introduction to Clinical Medicine
    • Health Justice and Systems of Care
    • Empowerment Through Professional Identity Cultivation
    • Cardiovascular
    • Pulmonary
    • Renal
    • GI/Liver
    • Reproduction
    • Brain/Behavior/Movement I-II
    • Endocrine
    • Integrated Case Series
    • Students receive immersive clinical training as members of interprofessional teams in family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics & gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry and surgery.
    • Students participate in a one-week transition course to prime them for optimal learning in the clinical setting.
    • Cross-cutting themes in health justice and ethics are integrated within phase 2.
    • Elective courses are provided during phase 2.
    • Students participate in a two-week seminar on health justice and systems of care at the end of phase 2.
    • Students continue their professional development with support from dedicated faculty mentors.
    • Students design individualized schedules of advanced clinical experiences and non-clinical coursework with the academic and career advisors to refine and work toward career goals.
    • USMLE step 2 is taken early in phase 3.
    • Students select a Senior Seminar topic in one of the following topics:
      • Biomedical research
      • Global medicine
      • Advocacy and policy
      • Medical education
      • Narrative medicine
      • Primary care
      • Digital medicine
      • Quality and safety
    • All students participate in a two-week transition to residency course after Match Day to provide the knowledge and skills required of interns to position them for success when they begin their specialty training.

Premier Clinical Training

Doctor of Medicine students start interacting with patients in their very first weeks. From Los Angeles General Medical Center’s safety net setting to Keck Medicine’s state-of-the-art private hospitals and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, our students receive comprehensive training that prepares them to work in diverse environments.

Exterior shot of Los Angeles General Medical Center, formerly LAC+USC.

Los Angeles General Medical Center

Exterior of Keck Hospital of USC on the USC Health Sciences Campus.

Keck Hospital of USC

Exterior shot of Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Simulation Training Programs

The simulation training programs at the Keck School of Medicine offer comprehensive learning opportunities for medical students. Here they practice a wide range of clinical, surgical, and procedural skills in a state-of-the-art and immersive training environment.

Video: Tour the Simulation Training Programs at the Keck School of Medicine of USC

Student practice in the simulation training environment at Keck School of Medicine.

Learning Objectives

Educational Program Objectives
MD Program Academic Calendar