Special programmatic emphases, strengths, mission/goal(s) of the school:
Mission Statement: The University of Central Florida College of Medicine educates and inspires individuals to be exemplary physicians and scientists, leaders in medicine, scholars in discovery, and adopters of innovative technology to improve the health and well-being of all. Our patient-centered mission is achieved by outstanding medical care and services, groundbreaking research, and leading edge medical and biomedical education in an environment enriched by diversity.
Special characteristics of the medical school’s educational program:
Overall, the four-year medical curriculum at UCF is designed to fully integrate basic science and clinical medicine, provide students with an appreciation of cultural diversity and the need for sensitivity in treating patients, foster professionalism in all interactions, and ignite a passion for life-long learning. The first two years of the curriculum are structured into modules, with the first year focusing on a fundamental understanding of how the various basic science disciplines relate to the normal human body. The second year takes an organ system-based approach and applies the basic knowledge of the first year to the study of clinical disease, pathological processes, and treatment. The curriculum also covers psychosocial issues, cultural differences, communication skills, and physical diagnosis skills as they relate to the different topics in medicine. Included in the first two years is the Focused Inquiry and Research Experience (FIRE) module. The central purpose of this module is to allow each student to independently pursue an area of passion that brought him or her to medical school. Students receive training, tools, and mentorship enabling them to successfully conduct a rigorous, independent, and scholarly research project.
Pre-clerkship Modules:
There are three modules that integrate the basic science topics in an interdisciplinary approach throughout the first-year curriculum. The first module, Cellular Function and Medical Genetics, integrates the disciplines of biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, nutrition, and cell biology. The second module, Structure and Function, is a multidisciplinary approach to anatomy, physiology, histology, embryology, and neuroscience. The final module, Health and Disease, integrates microbiology, pharmacology, and immunology.
Modules that begin at the end of the first year and span the entire second year take an organ system-based approach and apply the basic knowledge to the study of clinical disease, pathological processes, and treatment. These modules include Hematology and Oncology, Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Systems, Endocrine and Reproductive Systems, Gastrointestinal and Renal Systems, Skin and Musculoskeletal Systems, and Brain and Behavior.
The Practice of Medicine (P) modules run throughout the entire first- and second-year curriculum and are designed to prepare students for the clinical aspects of medicine, including communication, physical examination, and documentation skills.
The Focused Inquiry and Research Experience (FIRE) modules span the first and second years of study and require that each student prepare a proposal, complete an independent research project, and present their findings in a mini-conference at the end of the second year.
The Psychosocial Issues in Healthcare (C) module, which wraps up the first year studies, provides students with an understanding of the role of psychosocial factors in illness and its treatment. This module fosters the teamwork and collaborative spirit necessary for development into a successful physician.
Third and Fourth Year Curriculum:
The third and fourth years of the curriculum are devoted to clinical experience through clerkships, selectives, and electives. The third year is composed of six core clerkships, which include Internal and Family Medicine (12 weeks), General Surgery and Surgical Selectives (8 weeks), Pediatrics (6 weeks), Obstetrics and Gynecology (6 weeks), Psychiatry (4 weeks), Neurology (4 weeks), and Elective (4 weeks). The fourth year includes a required Acting Internship, a selective in either Emergency Medicine or Critical Care, and six, four-week electives.
Integrated throughout all four years of the M.D. program, Longitudinal Curricular Themes (LCT’s) emphasize critical aspects of medicine and medical care that are not addressed in the basic core curriculum. The LCT’s include Ethics and Humanities, Gender-Based Medicine, Medical Informatics, Lifestyle Medicine, Geriatrics and Principles of Palliative Care, Culture, Health and Society, Patient Safety, and Interprofessional Education.
Average length of enrollment (initial matriculation to graduation) at the medical school:
Four years
Description of evaluation system used at the medical school:
Pre-clerkship modules in the first two years are evaluated on an A, B, C, and F basis, and required clerkships in the third years are evaluated on an Honors/Pass/Fail basis.
Practice of Medicine modules and Focused Inquiry and Research Experience modules are evaluated on an Honors, Pass, Fail basis.
Fourth Year Rotations are evaluated on a Pass or Fail basis.
The UCF College of Medicine does not calculate a GPA or use a quantitative class rank.
Professionalism assessment occurs across all four years of curriculum. Violations of our professionalism standards result in the assignment of a “red card.” Examples of red card offenses include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Cheating/plagiarism on examinations, including low-stakes assessment
- Breaches in patient confidentiality
- Compromising patient safety (e.g., working beyond limits of competence without supervision, failing to report safety concerns, performing inappropriate patient exams)
- Dishonesty in interactions with patients, staff, or faculty, e.g., misrepresenting status as a trainee or level of competency
- Failure to fulfill core patient care responsibilities, such as unexcused absence for on-call duty
- Using resources/equipment of college or affiliates for personal financial gain
- Violence or other hostile behavior that causes others to be fearful (e.g., sexual harassment, bullying)
- Putting patients and colleagues at risk by being impaired (e.g., through drug or alcohol use or ignoring personal health problems)
- Unauthorized absence from the medical educational program
Medical school requirements for successful completion of USMLE Step 1, 2 (check all that apply):
USMLE Step 1: USMLE Step 2:
* Required for promotion * Required for graduation
Medical school requirements for successful completion of Objective/Observed Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE) at medical school. OSCEs are used for (check all that apply):
* Completion of course
* Completion of clerkship
* Completion of third year
Utilization of the course, clerkship, or elective director’s narrative comments in composition of the MSPE. The narrative comments contained in the attached MSPE can best be described as (check one):
* Edited for length or grammar, but not for content
Utilization by the medical school of the AAMC “Guidelines for Medical Schools Regarding Academic Transcripts.” This medical school is:
* Completely in compliance with Guidelines’ recommendations
Description of the process by which the MSPE is composed at the medical school (including number of school personnel involved in composition of the MSPE).
All MSPE’s are prepared by the Associate Dean for Students, Assistant Deans for Students and selected members of their staff. Individual meetings are held with each student at the end of the third year during which time the student’s entire academic record is reviewed and the student provides information regarding his/her leadership, extracurricular, and research experiences. The MSPE is then prepared from the student’s official evaluations, editing the narrative clerkship evaluations only for grammar, and the student is given the opportunity to review the MSPE for accuracy prior to its transmission.
Students are permitted to review the MSPE prior to its transmission:
* Yes