The MD program is designed for students to complete in 4 or 4.5 years depending on matriculation, with 2 years spent studying the Basic Sciences phase (Year 1 and Year 2) and 2 years spent completing the Clinical Studies phase (Year 3 and Year 4). Students may take additional time to remediate courses, prepare for Step exams (bridge time), or take Leave of Absence for a variety of reasons. However, students may not take more than 6 years from the date of matriculation to complete the MD program.
Students intending to start the Clinical Science phase in the US will typically use time available between the Basic Sciences phase and Clinical Science phase (“GAP” time) to prepare for and take the Step 1 exam. Students who complete the Basic Science phase in 2 years have up to 1 year to start the Clinical Phase and those who have taken 2.5 years have up to 6 months; however most students progress to clinicals within 3-5 months to ensure their timelines fit with ideal clerkship start dates, Step 2 schedules, and the NRMP timing and are discouraged from taking an excessive amount of time between the phases unless content remediation for the Step 1 warrants additional preparation time. In rare cases, students may have been granted an exception as a result of failing a course of <4 credits or by the CAPPS to take additional time to complete the Basic Sciences.
Those students who have taken the maximum 3 years or more to complete the Basic Sciences phase must start their clinical studies in the US or the UK upon completion of Basic Sciences requirements.
It is a requirement that students complete the Basic Sciences Phase of the MD program within three years of matriculation, and the full MD program within six years. While Step 1 is not a mandatory part of the curriculum, certain states such as New York and New Jersey, require students to pass this exam before they can begin clinical rotations. This poses a challenge for students who have not finished the Basic Sciences Phase within two or two and a half years from matriculation, as they are left with little time for Step 1 preparation.
As of May 2023, students who have already taken three years to complete the Basic Sciences Phase will be scheduled to start Year 3 of the clinical phase in states where Step 1 is not a requirement. This will allow students to finish core rotations within the allocated time and provide them with a period of time to prepare for and take both Step 1 and Step 2 before commencing year 4 of the MD curriculum (a model being followed by numerous US medical schools). Alternatively, students may choose to wait until they have completed all MD program requirements before taking Step 1 and Step 2. This policy aims to improve outcomes for students who have time constraints due to delays completing the Basic Science Phase.
During its interim and end of phase reviews, the APRC will identify students to whom this applies. The Office of Clinical Education Operations will subsequently provide these students with the necessary details to progress to clinical rotations.
Regardless of when the clinical phase begins (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 the clinical phase, any student with less than 2 years remaining timeline, who has not yet started the clerkship phase, or any student who delays progress during the clinical phase such that a 6 year completion is impossible, will be reviewed by the APRC and may be recommended for dismissal. Any student recommended for dismissal may appeal to the CAPPS.