Program Timeline
The MD program is designed to be completed in 4 or 4.5 years, depending on the matriculation term, with 2 years spent in the Basic Sciences phase (Year 1 and Year 2) and 2 years spent in the Clinical Studies phase (Year 3 and Year 4). Students may require additional time for course remediation, standardized examination preparation, or an approved leave of absence. Regardless of individual circumstances, students must complete the Basic Sciences curriculum within 3 years of matriculation and the full MD curriculum within 6 years.
Transition to Clinical Studies
Students beginning Clinical Studies in the US typically use the interval between Basic Sciences and Clinical Studies to prepare for and take the CBSE and USMLE Step 1.
Students who complete the Basic Sciences in 2 years may take up to 1 year before beginning Clinical Studies, while those who complete the Basic Sciences in 2.5 years may take up to 6 months. However, students are encouraged to begin Clinical Studies within 3–5 months to maintain optimal clerkship scheduling, USMLE Step 2 timing, and ERAS/NRMP application timelines. Additional time between phases is discouraged unless required for content remediation of NBME Clinical Subject Examinations or for Step 1 preparation.
Students who complete the Basic Sciences in the maximum 3 years must begin Clinical Studies in the US or the UK within 6 months of completing the Basic Sciences.
In rare instances in which an extension to the Basic Sciences timeline may be granted by the Committee on Academic Progress and Professional Standards (CAPPS), students must progress from the Basic Sciences phase directly to the Clinical Studies phase at the next available clerkship start date.
CBSE and USMLE Step 1 Requirements for Clinical Placement
While USMLE Step 1 is not a mandatory component of the curriculum, certain states such as New York, New Jersey, and Florida require students to pass the examination before beginning clinical rotations. This presents a challenge for students who do not complete the Basic Sciences phase within 2 or 2.5 years of matriculation, as they have limited time remaining for CBSE and USMLE Step 1 preparation.
As of May 2023, students who have taken 3 years to complete the Basic Sciences phase are permitted one attempt to pass the CBSE. Upon passing the CBSE, students are certified to take USMLE Step 1. After passing USMLE Step 1, they are placed in clinical rotations.
Students who do not pass the CBSE are scheduled to begin Year 3 of the Clinical Studies phase in states where USMLE Step 1 is not required. This enables students to complete their core rotations within the allocated timeframe while providing additional time to prepare for and take both USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 before beginning Year 4 of the MD curriculum, an approach followed by numerous US medical schools. This policy is intended to improve outcomes for students whose available time has been reduced by delays in completing the Basic Sciences phase.
During its interim and end-of-phase reviews, the Academic Promotion Review Committee (APRC) identifies students to whom this policy applies. The Office of Clinical Education Operations subsequently provides these students with the information necessary to progress to clinical rotations.
Completion of the MD Program
Regardless of when Clinical Studies begin (the first clerkship), students must remain on track to complete the MD program within 6 years of matriculation.
Due to the expectations and timeline for completing Clinical Studies, students with less than 2 years remaining on their timeline who have not yet started Clinical Studies, or students whose progress during Clinical Studies makes completion within 6 years impossible, will be reviewed by the APRC and may be recommended for dismissal by the relevant Dean. Any student recommended for dismissal may appeal to the CAPPS.