H O M E 
 A D M I S S I O N S 
 I N T E R V I E W
 I T I N E R A R I E S
 M D   P R O G R A M 
 S T U D E N T   L I F E 
 T E S T I M O N I A L S 
 W E S T E R N 
 L O N D O N 
 W I N D S O R
 A C C O M M O D A T I O N S
 G A L L E R Y 

M D   P R O G R A M

The official story on the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry can be found here.

SWOMEN (the Southwestern Ontario Medical Education Network) is an important element of the Schulich MD Program. Rural training takes place in SWOMEN and medical students may be required to spend part of or their entire clerkship (3rd) year in Windsor. Applicants to Schulich should familiarize themselves with the SWOMEN program: http://www.swomen.ca. For information on Schulich's new Windsor site: http://www.uwindsor.ca/medicine/

Curriculum

The official curriculum overview as provided by Schulich is found here.

The Schulich MD Program at the University of Western Ontario is a very innovative 4-year program, providing students with a solid background in the basic and clinical sciences, as well as outstanding clinical, research, ethical and patient-centered skills. Throughout the entire curriculum, BCOE (Best Curriculum On Earth) focus groups meet on a monthly basis to discuss the current curriculum and suggest positive changes for the future, to ensure that students gain the best medical education available.

YEARS 1 & 2

The first 2 years of the MD program are organized in a block system, with basic and clinical knowledge woven into one simultaneous block. For example, during the musculoskeletal block a Schulich medical student will be taught both the anatomy of the knee as well as its integration with diseases such as arthritis, as well as the pathology and treatments of those diseases. Every week starts with the Case of the Week (usually a patient will speak to the class about their illness experiences), which sets the stage for the learning that week and allows students to integrate all of their learning in the framework of a real patient experience.

Course blocks in year 1 include: Course blocks in year 2 include: LONGITUDINAL COURSES THROUGHOUT YEARS 1 & 2

Community Health:
Today's physician must understand the concepts of population health and appreciate how these concepts apply to clinical medicine. This course examines epidemiological methods, determinants of health and illness, professional and ethical issues in the doctor-patient relationship, health promotion, disease prevention, occupational and environmental health, and the Canadian health care system. These themes are discussed from an individual and societal perspective.

Patient-Centered Clinical Methods (PCCM):
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 two year course.

Patient-Centered Care Integration and Application (PCCIA):
PCCIA takes place in small groups for several hours a week, where students discuss psychosocial aspects of medicine related to the current learning block in a patient-centered context, as well as discuss topics not normally covered in a traditional curriculum, such as resource allocation, socioeconomic determinants of health and current events as they relate to medicine.

YEARS 3 & 4

The third and fourth years of medicine include a 52 week integrated Clerkship (Medicine 475), Clinical Electives, and the Transition Period.

The South Western Ontario Medical Education Network includes faculty located 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 a tertiary care/urban perspective.

During the third year 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 house staff, 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 Clinical Clerkship for a minimum of four weeks.

Beginning in Year 4, Clinical Electives are arranged entirely by the student in any area of medicine, at Schulich or in other centres. After completion of the Clinical Electives, students return to Schulich in February for the Transition Period which includes a menu of advanced level learning opportunities in basic and clinical sciences. This permits students to further integrate the basic and clinical aspects of medicine in light of their clinical experience.

See a sample Week for a Year 1 Schulich MD Student.

Summer Opportunities

Schulich medical students have 11-12 weeks of summer break after both the first and second years of the program, to break out of the classroom and further pursue their interests; students can be found in many different roles such as performing breakthrough medical research in London as well as carrying out internships with the World Health Organization. Opportunities are numerous in the fields of research and clinical experiences, among others, and these are available at the local, national and international levels. An excellent Summer Opportunities Guide has been compiled, to help you in planning your summers as a Schulich medical student: http://www.uwomeds.com/meds2010/sumop