Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)

First Year Overview

The first-year curriculum begins the educational program essential for the education of primary care physicians. It includes the traditional basic science courses: Gross Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Histology, Neuroscience, Microbiology, and Genetics. Also included are courses concerned with the unique aspects of osteopathic medicine taught by basic science and clinical faculty. These courses include: Functional Anatomy, Concepts and Historical Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM). A concerted effort is made to emphasize the clinical significance of basic science information and to integrate osteopathic principles. Small-group teaching methods and computer-based instruction are used to complement traditional large group lectures in order to promote active student learning. During the first year, students begin to acquire independent learning skills as a prerequisite for development as lifelong learners.

Second Year Overview

In the second-year curriculum, great emphasis is placed on wellness and disease prevention and students are prepared to be more patient-oriented. They become more keenly aware of their future responsibilities as osteopathic primary care physicians. A multidisciplinary teaching approach integrating basic sciences and clinical sciences is the focal point of this curriculum.

The second-year Clinical Medicine course incorporates and integrates the views of several teacher specialists into each subject area. For example, the content of Pathology and Pharmacology is presented concurrently to complement the information in the Clinical Medicine Module. Also, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention is taught simultaneously with these courses to provide the clinical correlates in preventive medicine and public health. Courses in the behavioral sciences, Biopsychosocial Aspects of Osteopathic Medical Practice, Human Development through the Life Stages, and Introduction to Clinical Psychiatry, as well as the Community Medicine course, expand students’ understanding of the truly holistic model of health care. A year-long course, Osteopathic Medicine Clinical Skills, provides instruction in the art of physical diagnosis, the structural exam, and the more complex osteopathic treatment techniques.

In the second-year curriculum, the multifaceted teaching methods that began in the first year function as key aspects of the process of educating primary care physicians in the year. The curriculum includes: traditional lectures; small group sessions where students give presentations and participate in discussions that focus on analysis of clinical case problems; opportunities to develop unique programs on public health topics; time to design and implement group projects that involve community-based patient education or prevention activities; and learning via computer based instruction. Students begin their clinical training in history-taking and physical examination skills through supervised contact with patients.

Third Year Overview

The third year of instruction at UMDNJ–School of Osteopathic Medicine inducts the student into the clinical training programs. Courses emphasize the practical application of concepts of osteopathic medicine. The clinical sessions, seminars, and electives are designed to provide a multifaceted introduction to the practice of medicine. It is expected that the variety of experiences will challenge the students' intellect and, at the same time, allow for the development of specific skills.

The following specialty areas offer clinical instruction in the third year: Family Medicine, General Internal Medicine, Obstetric/Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Geriatrics, Radiology, Surgery and Medicine Selective or Elective. Basic procedures are demonstrated and practiced by students in each of these areas. Students learn about the standard operating procedures of the hospital and office practice.

Fourth Year Overview

The UMDNJ–School of Osteopathic Medicine’s fourth-year instructional format includes a series of clinical experiences. The student is given patient-care responsibilities on each service through which he / she rotates. Instruction takes place at the bedside and in clinical conferences. During the year, students develop skill and competency in history taking and physical examination, creating a differential diagnosis, ordering and using laboratory tests; learning procedures in making a diagnosis and providing treatment; establishing professional relationships with patients; participating in the management of patient care during the hospital stay and in subsequent follow-up visits; recording data, understanding diagnostic findings, writing progress notes, and presenting cases.

The following specialty areas offer clinical instruction in the fourth year: family medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, and medicine specialties. Students have the opportunity for subspecialty experiences in cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, general internal medicine, geriatrics, hematology/oncology, infectious diseases, nephrology, neurology, pulmonary, intensive care, and rheumatology. A course description of each of these subspecialty experiences is included in the Handbook. A primary purpose of instruction in this year is to help the fourth-year student apply the didactic background and preliminary clinical training to more intensive clinical experiences.

Through direct and extensive patient contact, the student has many opportunities to practice the concepts of osteopathic diagnosis and therapeutics and to learn through instruction by interns, residents, and faculty. The casespecific learning experiences are a valuable aspect of the program.