Download Student Information 2012-2013 - Drexel University ...

Innovative Approaches
to Medical Education
years One through Four
With our dedication to academic and clinical
excellence and our historic commitment to diversity,
Drexel has earned national recognition as an
innovator in medical education.
Students acquire a firm foundation in the biomedical
sciences and clinical medicine. Within the rigorous
academic program, students have a choice of two
curricular tracks based on different learning styles—
the Interdisciplinary Foundations of Medicine
(IFM) and the Program for Integrated Learning
(PIL). Both options focus on professional medical
education, preparing students to pursue careers as
either generalists or specialists. Both stress problem
solving, lifelong learning skills, and the coordinated
teaching of basic science with clinical medicine.
Our supportive educational environment emphasizes
collaboration and gives students a comfort level
that lets them learn and thrive. Faculty members
are concerned first and foremost with teaching and
helping students. We are committed to preparing
“physician healers” — doctors who practice the art
as well as the science and skill of medicine.
LEARNiNg tO thiNk
LikE A PhysiCiAN
Our medical students are trained to consider each
patient’s needs in a comprehensive, integrated manner,
taking into account many more factors than the
presenting physiological condition.
To learn how to think like a physician, first-year
students are introduced to clinical experience within
their first few weeks. Students practice their clinical
skills in our Barbara E. Chick, MD ‘59, Clinical
Education Assessment Center (CEAC) and in our
Independence Blue Cross Medical Simulation Center.
Students work with standardized patients and hightech
simulated patients to learn the skills necessary
to be able to think like a physician. Through active
participation in and out of the classroom and in
community service experiences, medical students
learn to be problem solvers and to understand that
medical practice is a process of lifelong learning.
clinical experiences. Treating everyone with integrity,
honesty, and respect is a cornerstone to becoming a
“physician healer.”
OUR iNNOvAtivE APPROACh
Year 1 and 2 – Choosing a Track
Recognizing that students have different learning
styles, Drexel offers two distinct tracks during the
first two years – IFM (Interdisciplinary Foundations
of Medicine) and PIL (Program for Integrated
Learning).
Year 3
In the third year, students take required clinical
clerkship rotations in medicine, surgery, pediatrics,
family medicine, psychiatry, and obstetrics and
gynecology. Academic, clinical, and professional
skills are emphasized and integrated in both
inpatient and ambulatory clinical settings.
Year 4
In the fourth year, the Pathway program lets students
gain career experience in a general professional or
a discipline specific Pathway of their choice.
Professionalism is stressed and is expected in
the classroom, in the clinical setting, and in
interactions with classmates, faculty, and all those
encountered by our students. Professionalism
includes participating in class; contributing to
the learning of others; academic honesty; and
appropriate behavior, dress, and deportment in
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