Curriculum

Students sitting in a classroom looking at their laptops during lecture

  • Curriculum MEDS2023 & Beyond

  • Curriculum MEDS2020, MEDS2021, MEDS2022

 

The Undergraduate Medical Education curriculum is a four-year program. It is designed to provide each student with an opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to advance to graduate or post-graduate studies leading to clinical practice, research or other medical careers. The educational format is a blend of lectures, laboratory experiences, small group, case-based learning and supervised clinical experience in community and hospital settings. 

 


Curriculum Renewal

The Doctor of Medicine Program at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry is transitioning the undergraduate medical education curriculum to a competency-based, active learning medical education (CBME) model. This renewed curriculum will support personal and team adaptive learning along with a new assessment model as the foundation of its CBME model. The renewed curriculum will be socially accountable to the context of care in Southwestern Ontario, while addressing the evolving complexity of care in Canada.

For more information and course descriptions please click on the index buttons above or continue scrolling down this page.

4 Year Course Track

Infographic of 4-year curriculum

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The Patient-Centred Approach

Medicine is a calling, a call to service. The patient-centred curriculum reflects this noble tradition of commitment to individual patients, their families and community. The physician's covenant is a promise to be fully present to patients in their time of need - to "be there," even when the physician can offer no cure, to provide relief whenever possible, and always to offer comfort and compassion.

The patient is the centre of our clinical work and, consequently, the centre of our learning. Patient-centred care requires a relationship in which patients will feel that their concerns have been acknowledged and that the physician has understood their plight from each patient's own unique perspective. Patients and physicians must work together to find common ground regarding management - reaching a mutual understanding of their problems, goals of treatment and respective roles of patient and physician. Patient-centred care also incorporates the concept of ecosystem health which studies human health within the interrelations between economic activity, social organization and the ecological integrity of natural systems.

Our curriculum is a reflection of our responsibility to attend to our patients' suffering in the broadest and deepest sense. Our graduates must have a thorough understanding of the biological, behavioural and population sciences basic to medicine. They will apply their medical learning within the integrated context of patient's lives, families and communities and they must also begin a lifelong quest to understand the human condition, especially the unique responses of patients to their illnesses.

Undergraduate Curriculum

The undergraduate medical curriculum is a four-year program. It is designed to provide each student with an opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to advance to graduate or post-graduate studies leading to clinical practice, research or other medical careers. The educational format is a blend of lectures, laboratory experiences, small group, case-based learning and supervised clinical experience in community and hospital settings.

Year One

Foundations of Medicine

A course taking place from September to the end of December will support and assess learner competence on key topics in the foundational and specific clinical sciences necessary for critical thinking, problem-solving, and clinical decision-making. A key goal is outlined in the first week – “How to think like a physician”.

The curriculum will incorporate the social determinants of health, ethics, cultural competence, health promotion and prevention. This and all subsequent courses will be aligned with issues prominent in Canadian health care, especially those applicable to Southwestern Ontario.

An introduction to Hematology, Infectious Diseases, Immunology and Microbiology will offer clinical application for learning. This course will instill a firm grounding in what will be Themes within courses of: Basics of Anatomy and Cell Biology; Pathology and disease; Laboratory Medicine, Imaging, Lab and Pathology Diagnostics and Choosing Wisely; basic Pharmacology and therapeutics; Physiology; Ethics; Diversity and ethnic challenges; Health Systems; Quality Management; Biochemistry; Genetics (including genomics, epigenetics) and Evidence Based Care.

Learning will use a variety of methods including case-based and small group/team-based learning, interactive large group learning, labs and independent learning. This course will serve as a secure grounding for learning in other parallel and subsequent Program courses. Students will be introduced to the grounding for EPAs in demonstrating the tasks of a physician.

Principles of Medicine I

Each course, (January 2 to mid-June of year 1 for Principles of Medicine I and September 2 to end January for Principles II), will support student development of competence in the key principles of body system or medical discipline based learning drawn from existing courses in the present curriculum with first and second year. Integration of content objectives will occur across the course using a case-based and application model of active learning at the end of course, and with parallel (Clinical Skills) and subsequent courses (Transition to Clerkship and Clerkship). Curricular competencies learned and assessed in these courses extend beyond medical expert to include all curricular competencies. Course goals are to integrate foundational and clinical sciences with learning related to social determinants of health and social accountability, while establishing competence to enter clerkship where they will have an active role in patient care and management. Case-based learning will serve as an environment for key integration, clinical reasoning and competency assessment. Students will see their growth as a clinician in their maturation of effectiveness in the Entrustable Professional Activities.

Clinical Skills (Year 1)

This course examines the process of the doctor-patient interaction. Using a patient-centred approach, instruction is given in interviewing and physical examination. Clinical reasoning and decision making are explored through the Problem-Orientated Clinical Record. Professionalism and ethics are emphasized as they relate to the clinical setting. Integration of knowledge, application of skills and development of appropriate attitudes are evaluated in this course. Students begin to develop history taking and physical exam skills. 

Professionalism, Career and Wellness (Year 1)

An important area of medical education is supporting the development of professional identity in students. This requires more than lectures, and is better understood in small group and seminar/team-based learning approaches. This course will introduce and reinforce key approaches to topics such as: professional regulation/ethics/boundaries; personal finance; career success tools; leadership and working in teams; reflection and professional improvement and personal wellness. This course will span all four years.

Experiential Learning (Year 1)

A core strategy of Western University’s strategic plan is to expand student access to and assessment in learning that derives from involvement in future work place projects. This course will oversee student achievement in the new Longitudinal Clinical Experience and established team based projects such as Service Learning and the Patient Safety/ Quality Improvement project. Because understanding and researching evidence and contributing to the expanded community of learning in health care will be a key competency in our student’s future, this course will also contain a module of original research developed with a mentor and delivered in teams of up to 4 students.

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Year Two

Principles of Medicine II

Each course, (January 2 to mid-June of year 1 for Principles of Medicine I and September 2 to end January for Principles II), will support student development of competence in the key principles of body system or medical discipline based learning drawn from existing courses in the present curriculum with first and second year. Integration of content objectives will occur across the course using a case-based and application model of active learning at the end of course, and with parallel (Clinical Skills) and subsequent courses (Transition to Clerkship and Clerkship). Curricular competencies learned and assessed in these courses extend beyond medical expert to include all curricular competencies. Course goals are to integrate foundational and clinical sciences with learning related to social determinants of health and social accountability, while establishing competence to enter clerkship where they will have an active role in patient care and management. Case-based learning will serve as an environment for key integration, clinical reasoning and competency assessment. Students will see their growth as a clinician in their maturation of effectiveness in the Entrustable Professional Activities.

Transition to Clerkship

Transition to Clerkship builds on content learned during Year 1 Foundation courses, Principles of Medicine 1 & 2 and Clinical Skills. It will prepare students for the practical skills and the clinical reasoning that are further developed during Clerkship. The focus will be on the transition from classroom-based learning to the workplace learning of clinical training. Students need to consolidate the knowledge they have learned from previous courses and begin the daily "thinking" and problem solving that physicians do, in the clinical environment. The course offers an introduction to the routins, and the culture of the workplace, as well as to expose their role and the expectations as part of the health care team. Learning outcomes and activities have been based on a framework of workplace learning which includes: (1) Preparation to participate in authentic tasks and activities of a physician; (2) Familiarization with relationships in clinical settings; (3) Introduction of Work Practices. 

Clinical Skills (Year 2)

This course examines the process of the doctor-patient interaction. Using a patient-centred approach instruction is given in interviewing and physical examination. Clinical reasoning and decision making is explored through the Problem-Orientated Clinical Record. Professionalism and ethics are emphasized as they relate to the clinical setting. Integration of knowledge, application of skills and development of appropriate attitudes are evaluated in this course. Students continue to refine history and physical exam skills with a focus on the life cycle and discipline specific content.

Professionalism, Career and Wellness (Year 2)

An important area of medical education is supporting the development of professional identity in students. This requires more than lectures, and is better understood in small group and seminar/team-based learning approaches. This course will introduce and reinforce key approaches to topics such as: professional regulation/ethics/boundaries; personal finance; career success tools; leadership and working in teams; reflection and professional improvement and personal wellness. This course will span all four years.

Experiential Learning (Year 2)

A core strategy of Western University’s strategic plan is to expand student access to and assessment in learning that derives from involvement in future work place projects. This course will oversee student achievement in the new Longitudinal Clinical Experience and established team based projects such as Service Learning and the Patient Safety/ Quality Improvement project. Because understanding and researching evidence and contributing to the expanded community of learning in health care will be a key competency in our student’s future, this course will also contain a module of original research developed with a mentor and delivered in teams of up to 4 students.

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Students participate in early patient contact that emphasizes a patient-centred approach to medicine, beginning in Clinical Methods in Year 1. At the end of first year, all medical students participate in Rural & Regional Discovery Week to gain clinical experience and exposure to rural and regional medicine in a southwestern Ontario community hospital or clinic.  This experience enhances the understanding of the communities where patients live.

The weekly timetable is often structured around a case which is introduced at the beginning of each week. The case provides the stimulus for instruction, and is designed to highlight a number of objectives of the MD program. Throughout the week, the student is exposed to a variety of teaching methods including: small group tutorials, problem-based learning, lectures and large group discussions, self-instructional materials, and laboratories.  Time is also provided in the curriculum for students to explore career opportunities.

Year Three

The third year of medicine includes a 52-week integrated Clerkship (Medicine 5475)

Clerkship

  • The Clinical Clerkship Program at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry is an integrated 52-week course in the third year of the four-year MD program which is distributed across various sites in Southwestern Ontario.  During Clerkship, the student becomes an active member of clinical care teams in the following medical disciplines: family medicine, medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, psychiatry, emergency medicine, anesthesia, and surgery. Under the supervision of faculty and more senior housestaff, clerks are given graded responsibility in the diagnosis, investigation, and management of patients in hospital, clinic and outpatient settings.  All students in third year are required to complete a community/rural Clinical Clerkship rotation for a minimum of four weeks.

    The Clinical Clerkship Program in London is being delivered at the Medical Sciences Building and the Dental Sciences Building at Western University, at the London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care and at other regional education sites through the Distributed Medical Education.

    The Clinical Clerkship Program in Windsor is being delivered at the Medical Education Building on the campus of the University of Windsor, at Windsor Regional Hospital, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital and at other regional education sites through the Distributed Medical Education. 

    Distributed Medical Education includes faculty located in over 45 communities in the region from Tobermory to Leamington.  Students learn clinical skills in various geographic sites.  The objective is to ensure that Western students at all levels gain an understanding and experience of the practice of Medicine from both a rural/regional and tertiary care/urban perspective.

Professionalism, Career and Wellness (Year 3)

An important area of medical education is supporting the development of professional identity in students. This requires more than lectures, and is better understood in small group and seminar/team-based learning approaches. This course will introduce and reinforce key approaches to topics such as: professional regulation/ethics/boundaries; personal finance; career success tools; leadership and working in teams; reflection and professional improvement and personal wellness. This course will span all four years.

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Year Four

The fourth year of medicine includes Clinical Electives (Medicine 5401) and Transition to MD (Medicine 5402).

Clinical Electives

  • Beginning in Year 4, Clinical Electives are arranged entirely by the student in any area of medicine, at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry or in other centres. After completion of the Clinical Electives, students return to campus in January for Transition to MD which permits students to further integrate the basic and clinical aspects synthesized with their clinical experience. For more information on 'What You Need to Know' about Year 4 Clinical Electives (including Applying for Electives, Academic/Clinical Policies & Procedures, Assessment and General Information), please click on the link below.

Clinical Electives - What You Need to Know

Transition to MD

Transition to MD advances student competency beyond Clerkship and is foundational for entering supervised practice. The course supports a learning environment of professional practice to advance Year Four students as mature learners who must be able to function in a learning environment that is grounded in independent learning; small group; collaborative and with some large group interactive non-didactic sessions based on clinical presentations not diseases. The course supports students meeting the Entrustable Professional Acts of the Medical Council of Canada. The course provides students with an approach to common societal problems by integrating advances in Basic Sciences, appropriate use of investigation, evidence based critical appraisal, use of therapeutics including medication, education, counseling and prevention and collaboration with other Health Care Professionals into demonstrating competency in supervised practice. The course provides professional and life skills for entering residency. The course allows for a clinical patient care experience with an independent self or team-based project to answer a question or issue of a chronic disease of interest to the learner.

Transition to MD - What You Need to Know

Professionalism, Career and Wellness (Year 4)

An important area of medical education is supporting the development of professional identity in students. This requires more than lectures, and is better understood in small group and seminar/team-based learning approaches. This course will introduce and reinforce key approaches to topics such as: professional regulation/ethics/boundaries; personal finance; career success tools; leadership and working in teams; reflection and professional improvement and personal wellness. This course will span all four years.

top

 

 

The Undergraduate Medical Education curriculum is a four-year program. It is designed to provide each student with an opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to advance to graduate or post-graduate studies leading to clinical practice, research or other medical careers. The educational format is a blend of lectures, laboratory experiences, small group, case-based learning and supervised clinical experience in community and hospital settings. 

 

4 Year Course Track

image of curriculum track

top

The Patient-Centred Approach

Medicine is a calling, a call to service. The patient-centred curriculum reflects this noble tradition of commitment to individual patients, their families and community. The physician's covenant is a promise to be fully present to patients in their time of need - to "be there," even when the physician can offer no cure, to provide relief whenever possible, and always to offer comfort and compassion.

The patient is the centre of our clinical work and, consequently, the centre of our learning. Patient-centred care requires a relationship in which patients will feel that their concerns have been acknowledged and that the physician has understood their plight from each patient's own unique perspective. Patients and physicians must work together to find common ground regarding management - reaching a mutual understanding of their problems, goals of treatment and respective roles of patient and physician. Patient-centred care also incorporates the concept of ecosystem health which studies human health within the interrelations between economic activity, social organization and the ecological integrity of natural systems.

Our curriculum is a reflection of our responsibility to attend to our patients' suffering in the broadest and deepest sense. Our graduates must have a thorough understanding of the biological, behavioural and population sciences basic to medicine. They will apply their medical learning within the integrated context of patient's lives, families and communities and  they must also begin a lifelong quest to understand the human condition, especially the unique responses of patients to their illnesses.

Undergraduate Curriculum

The undergraduate medical curriculum is a four-year program. It is designed to provide each student with an opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to advance to graduate or post-graduate studies leading to clinical practice, research or other medical careers. The educational format is a blend of lectures, laboratory experiences, small group, case-based learning and supervised clinical experience in community and hospital settings.

Year One

MED5115 - Introduction to Medicine

This course ensures that all students, regardless of their academic background, are grounded in some principles of the basic sciences that underpin medicine. These include anatomy, biochemistry, genetics, pathology, physiology and pharmacology. It also introduces some aspects of human development; and addresses some areas that are contextual to medicine including ethics, epidemiology, health and healthcare. In addition to lectures on these topics, students meet in small groups each week to discuss issues arising from patient cases and the week's lectures. (weight 1.0)

MED5121 - Blood

This course covers the essential fundamental knowledge of blood structure and function in health and disease. Blood is a highly specialized circulating system that is linked to all body organs and responsible for the life and wellbeing of an individual. At the end of the course, the student will have the necessary skills to make the appropriate diagnosis/differential diagnoses, be able to perform the necessary investigative tests, and treat the disease. (weight 1.0)

MED5116 - Infection & Immunity

This course outlines the attributes of infectious agents relevant to understanding the causation, control, and management of infectious diseases. The course also provides of a general understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of immune response, as well as its roles in defense against infections and diseases due to abnormal immune response. Patient-centered learning will enable the student to explore the common experiences of illness related to specific diseases in a contextual and focused manner. (weight 1.0)

MED5117 - Skin

During this course, the students will learn how to take a dermatological history and describe cutaneous physical signs in an organized way using proper terminology. The students will learn about the pathophysiology and treatment of important and common medical and surgical skin diseases. Students will appreciate the impact of skin diseases on patients and their families and will take part in a community outreach program. Patient-centered learning will enable the student to explore the common experiences of illness related to specific diseases in a contextual and focused manner. (weight 0.25)

MED5120 - Heart & Circulation

This course examines the structure, function, disease recognition and management of the cardiovascular system. Integrative learning models will be used to study congenital heart disease, valvular and coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension, trauma, heart failure, and rehabilitation of patients with heart disease. Patient-centered learning will enable the student to explore the common experiences of illness related to specific diseases in a contextual and focused manner. (Weight 1.0)

MED5119 - Respiration & Airways

This course examines the structure and function of the upper respiratory tract and lower respiratory tract. Basic science material will be correlated with respiratory tract symptoms of clinical relevance, such as dyspnea, wheezing, hoarseness, dysphagia, cough, airway obstruction, and neck mass. Basic science material will also be correlated with clinically relevant respiratory tract problems seen in clinical specialties including, but not limited to: Otolaryngology (ENT), Respirology, Dentistry, Oncology, Anaesthesiology, and Paediatrics. Cross-disciplinary lectures will be integrated to engage related specialties such as Audiology, Genetics, and Communication Sciences. Patient-centered learning will enable the student to explore the common experiences of illness related to specific diseases in a contextual and focused manner. (weight 1.0)

MED5104 - Genitourinary System

This course uses basic principles of renal physiology to understand commonly encountered fluid and electrolyte disorders and the actions of diuretic drugs. The pathophysiology of diabetic kidney disease, glomerular and tubulointerstitial diseases, and the relationship between hypertension and the kidney are discussed. The basic principles of urinary system anatomy and physiology are applied to understand kidney stones, genitourinary cancers and infections, as well as disorders of the bladder and prostate. The course also introduces basic principles of dialysis and kidney transplantation. Lectures, small group problem-solving and team-based learning sessions will be used to help medical students gain insight into the interesting world of genitourinary diseases. (weight 1.0)

MED5151 - Social Medicine

A year-long integrative social medicine course concentrating on the social, cultural and economic impact of medical phenomena. This course will include social medicine, population health, epidemiology, medical ethics and service learning and will provide students with an understanding of cultural and social roots, social inequalities, factors affecting treatment outcomes, ethical challenges, and experiential learning opportunities. 

For more information on Service Learning, please click here.

MED5139 - Patient Centred Clinical Methods (Year 1)

This course examines the process of the doctor-patient interaction. Using a patient-centred approach, instruction is given in interviewing and physical examination. Clinical reasoning and decision making are explored through the Problem-Orientated Clinical Record. Professionalism and ethics are emphasized as they relate to the clinical setting. Integration of knowledge, application of skills and development of appropriate attitudes are evaluated in this course. (weight 1.0)

MED5140 - Professional Portfolio (Years 1 & 2)

An Introduction to the concept of a professional portfolio. Through practical application of curriculum competencies students will develop the skills required to assemble and utilize a professional portfolio. The portfolio will be further developed during years three and four. This course spans years one and two of the medical curriculum. (weight 1.0)

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Year Two

MED5203 - Digestive System & Nutrition

This course introduces the anatomy, physiology and biochemistry of the gastrointestinal tract and its role in nutrition. The student will learn the common diseases that involve the esophagus, stomach, intestines, pancreas and liver as well as the pathophysiology, epidemiology and treatment of these diseases. The nutrition component includes the absorption of essential nutrients, nutritional assessment, normal nutrition and the use of nutrition as therapy. The study of gastrointestinal malignancies will be covered in the associated patient centered small group sessions. (weight 1.0)

MED5202 - Endocrine and Metabolism

This course introduces common diagnoses of the Endocrine system. The physiology of the hypothalamic–pituitary–end organ axis is discussed, including growth and puberty, thyroid, and adrenal function. Each axis is discussed more specifically with respect to its physiology, anatomy, and common pathologic conditions. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and common issues related to bone and calcium abnormalities are also reviewed. A patient-centered approach is used with case descriptions and many small group sessions to complement the lectures. (weight 1.0)

MED5205 - Reproduction

This course covers the relevant anatomy, physiology and pathology of female reproductive system. It integrates the basic science understanding of reproduction with core content in women’s reproductive health and clinical obstetrics & gynaecology. Formal lectures, small group patient centre learning, and group projects will enable the student to learn normal gynaecologic and pregnancy care, and common problems in women's reproductive health and pregnancy. (weight 1.0)

MED5210S - Key Topics in Family Medicine

Students are introduced to the most common complaints that patients present to their family physicians. Key components of the history and physical examination skills that are core to family medicine and that aid in determining the most appropriate management style will be identified. The course will build on how the Patient-Centred Clinical Method is incorporated into clinical practice through case vignettes. (weight 0.25)

MED5218 - Musculoskeletal System

This course examines the structure, normal function and pathologic dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system to develop the skills necessary to perform a general musculoskeletal screening examination. This course covers musculoskeletal and joint anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and pathology with clinical correlates, musculoskeletal radiology, biophysics, musculoskeletal injuries, development and remodeling of bone, metabolic bone disease, bone tumors, fractures, and muscle and connective tissue diseases. A rheumatology component includes arthritis, autoimmune disorders, genetic influences on joint disease, septic arthritis and the basic science of joint inflammation. The diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases will be taught from both a medical and surgical perspective. Small group interactions will promote student participation in clinical case presentations. Patient-centered learning will enable the student to explore the common experiences of illness related to fundamental aspects of musculoskeletal function and dysfunction in a contextual and focused manner. (weight 1.0)

MED5208 - Emergency Care

This course introduces the care of the patient with shock and multiple traumas. Objectives include an approach to initial assessment and resuscitation of patients presenting with respiratory distress, hypotension, trauma, disorders of temperature regulation (hyperthermia and hypothermia) or cardiac arrest. (weight 0.25)

MED5206 - Neurosciences, Eye & Ear

This course introduces and integrates the basic and clinical science aspects of the nervous system, the eye and the ear. This course uses small and large group sessions in addition to lectures to provide the essentials of neuroanatomy, physiology, pathology and pharmacology in a clinical context. At the end of Neurosciences, Eye, and Ear, the student will be able to discuss the presentation of common illnesses involving the nervous system, eye and ear. Patient-centered learning enables the student to appreciate extrinsic and intrinsic factors that impact on an individual's ability to participate fully in family, social or occupation. (weight 1.0)

MED5207 - Psychiatry & the Behavioural Sciences

Psychiatry and the Behavioural Sciences is an integrated course that synthesizes basic science and basic psychopathology including diagnostic criteria and treatments. The emphasis of this course will be on the most commonly encountered psychiatric disorders. The approach follows that of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV TR). The phenomenology of mental disorders, etiology and epidemiology will be presented utilizing a patient-centred focus. (weight 1.0)

MED5250 - Professional Identity

A year-long integrative professional identity course focusing on professional identity formation, establishment of core values and self-awareness. This course will include leadership, health care systems, medical ethics, professional identity, patient safety, personal finance and wellness. Students will have access to role models and mentors, experiential learning, explicit and tacit knowledge acquisition for the development of professional identify formation.

MED5246 - Patient Centred Clinical Methods (Year 2)

This course examines the process of the doctor-patient interaction. Using a patient-centred approach instruction is given in interviewing and physical examination. Clinical reasoning and decision making is explored through the Problem-Orientated Clinical Record. Professionalism and ethics are emphasized as they relate to the clinical setting. Integration of knowledge, application of skills and development of appropriate attitudes are evaluated in this course. (weight 1.5)

MED5140 - Professional Portfolio (Years 1 & 2)

An Introduction to the concept of a professional portfolio. Through practical application of curriculum competencies students will develop the skills required to assemble and utilize a professional portfolio. The portfolio will be further developed during years three and four. This course spans years one and two of the medical curriculum. (weight 1.0)

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Students participate in early patient contact that emphasizes a patient-centred approach to medicine, beginning in Clinical Methods in Year 1. At the end of first year, all medical students participate in Rural & Regional Discovery Week to gain clinical experience and exposure to rural and regional medicine in a southwestern Ontario community hospital or clinic.  This experience enhances the understanding of the communities where patients live.

The weekly timetable is often structured around a case which is introduced at the beginning of each week. The case provides the stimulus for instruction, and is designed to highlight a number of objectives of the MD program. Throughout the week, the student is exposed to a variety of teaching methods including: small group tutorials, problem-based learning, lectures and large group discussions, self-instructional materials, and laboratories.  Time is also provided in the curriculum for students to explore career opportunities.

Year Three

The third year of medicine includes a 52-week integrated Clerkship (Medicine 5475)

MED5475 - Integrated Clerkship

  • The Clinical Clerkship Program at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry is an integrated 52-week course in the third year of the four-year MD program which is distributed across various sites in Southwestern Ontario.  During Clerkship, the student becomes an active member of clinical care teams in the following medical disciplines: family medicine, medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery. Under the supervision of faculty and more senior housestaff, clerks are given graded responsibility in the diagnosis, investigation, and management of patients in hospital, clinic and outpatient settings.  All students in third year are required to complete a community/rural Clinical Clerkship rotation for a minimum of four weeks.

    The Clinical Clerkship Program in London is being delivered at the Medical Sciences Building and the Dental Sciences Building at Western University, at the London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care and at other regional education sites through the Distributed Medical Education.

    The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry expanded its clinical clerkship program to the University of Windsor in 2002.  In September 2008, the complete undergraduate medical education program was launched in Windsor with the entry of 24 first-year students to the class of Meds 2012.  The Windsor Campus welcomed 30 new first-year students in September 2009, 38 first-year students in September 2010 and 38 in September 2011.

    The Clinical Clerkship Program in Windsor is being delivered at the Medical Education Building on the campus of the University of Windsor, at Windsor Regional Hospital, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital and at other regional education sites through the Distributed Medical Education. 

    Distributed Medical Education includes faculty located in over 45 communities in the region from Tobermory to Leamington.  Students learn clinical skills in various geographic sites.  The objective is to ensure that Western students at all levels gain an understanding and experience of the practice of Medicine from both a rural/regional and tertiary care/urban perspective.

    For more information, including Polices, Guidelines and Curricular Information for the Clinical Clerkship Program at each of our sites, please choose the correct program link:

  • Clinical Clerkship Program in London
  • Clinical Clerkship Program in Windsor

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Year Four

The fourth year of medicine includes Clinical Science Electives (Medicine 5401) and Integration and Transition (Medicine 5402).

MED5401 - Clinical Science Electives

  • Beginning in Year 4, Clinical Science Electives are arranged entirely by the student in any area of medicine, at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry or in other centres. After completion of the Clinical Electives, students return to campus in January for Integration and Transition which permits students to further integrate the basic and clinical aspects of synthesized with their clinical experience. For more information on 'What You Need to Know' about Year 4 Clinical Science Electives (including Applying for Electives, Academic/Clinical Policies & Procedures, Assessment and General Information), please click on the link below.

  • Clinical Science Electives - What You Need to Know
  • Online Summative Assessment Form

MED5402 - Integration and Transition

Integration & Transition advances student competency beyond Clerkship and is foundational for entering supervised practice. The course supports a learning environment of professional practice to advance Year Four students as mature learners who must be able to function in a learning environment that is grounded in independent learning; small group; collaborative and with some large group interactive non-didactic sessions based on clinical presentations not diseases. The course supports students meeting the Entrustable Professional Acts of the Medical Council of Canada. Integration & Transition provides students with an approach to common societal problems by integrating advances in Basic Sciences, appropriate use of investigation, evidence based critical appraisal, use of therapeutics including medication, education, counseling and prevention and collaboration with other Health Care Professionals into demonstrating competency in supervised practice. The course provides professional and life skills for entering residency. The course allows for a clinical patient care experience with an independent self or team-based project to answer a question or issue of a chronic disease of interest to the learner.

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