Curriculum
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSOM) has a well-developed curricular infrastructure that combines a lecture- and problem-based curriculum with early and in-depth clinical experiences and an integrated organ systems approach to the preclinical sciences. The clinical years are characterized by an integrated clerkship structure and an emphasis on student flexibility.
Three Rivers Curriculum (Class of 2027)
This new curriculum consists of an integrated case-based 15-month period focused initially on basic science fundamentals, then transitioning to a series of organ systems-based periods.
Coordinated with these structural changes in the preclerkship curriculum is the development of innovative programs including the Primary Care Accelerated Track (PCAT) and the Community Alliance Program (CAP) as well as broader implementation of established programs like the Longitudinal Alliance Program (LAP). Key content threads will run through the entire curriculum, including Social Medicine, Leadership, Interprofessional Education, and Clinical Reasoning.
Legacy Curriculum (Class of 2024, 2025, 2026)
The legacy UPSOM curriculum was implemented in 2004 and features active, participatory learning, a problem-based approach, an early introduction to the patient and the community, and the integration of a rigorous foundation in basic and clinical biomedical sciences with the social and behavioral aspects of medicine.
Longitudinal Research Project (LRP)
Longitudinal Research Projects expose students to the mechanics of scientific investigation; teach them how to develop a hypothesis and how to collect, analyze, and interpret data to support it; encourage them to pursue research opportunities; and help them understand the structure of thought underlying the practice of medicine.
Certificate Programs
The Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) and Community Service Certificate are the two primary certificates offered through OMED.