Curriculum Summary

The goal of the MD Degree Program curriculum at Saint Louis University School of Medicine is to prepare students for the future practice of medicine. The curriculum is the result of several years of study by committees composed of faculty and students. However, the curriculum designed to attain the MD degree is only one phase of a continuum of learning in the practice of medicine. It is expected that students will pursue graduate study to further advance their skills before being able to practice without supervision.

The curriculum offers a coordination and integration of the basic and clinical sciences. Additionally, it follows established principles of adult learning, and so it is a hybrid of lectures, small group activities, early clinical activities, self-directed learning, and problem-solving exercises.

The first two years of the four-year curriculum (Phase 1 and Phase 2) are primarily devoted to the study of the fundamental sciences basic to medicine and early clinical exposure to patients, while the last two years concentrate on the acquisition of clinical skills. Year 3 and Year 4 are combined into one continuous period, Phase 3.

The total weeks of instructions in the four-year curriculum is 158 weeks. Please visit the curriculum schematics to view the curriculum in greater detail.