Students who matriculate in the January and April terms generally complete the MD program in 4.5 years, assuming no timeline extension.
- Basic Sciences: Students complete the Basic Sciences courses in December of the second year after matriculation.
- Start of the clerkship year: Students starting Clinical Studies in the US take USMLE Step 1 in March after passing the CBSE, and begin their first clinical term in May or June. Students who do not pass the CBSE after completing Term 5 will typically have an extended timeline before beginning Clinical Studies, as described in the Promotion to Clinical Phase—CBSE and Pathways for Clinical Training section of this Manual. Students starting clinical training in the UK are not required to take USMLE Step 1 and may begin Clinical Studies in January or April.
- End of Year 4: Students may graduate in December of the second year after beginning Clinical Studies; however, most graduate in May, approximately two years after starting Clinical Studies.
Terms 6–10 are an intensive educational period. Students who begin Clinical Studies in May have approximately 100 weeks to complete the 80-week curriculum and graduate in June. During this period, students interested in US residency also take USMLE Step 2 after completing the core clerkships and apply for residencies.