Curriculum

The Pre-Clerkship Years: 1 and 2 (emphasis on basic science)

The first two years emphasize the study of the basic medical sciences, along with opportunities to apply basic science knowledge to patient care.  Students begin with a Foundations block and continue sequentially with 7 organ-system blocks throughout the 2 years, ending with multisystem application.  Longitudinal courses taken during the 2 years include Christian Physician Formation (which addresses theological, ethical, and interpersonal relationships relative to health care delivery) as well as Clinical Skills Development (focused on developing history taking, physical exam skills, and .  A novel problem basic curriculum called “Patient inquiry” helps students integrate basic science concepts with clinical scenarios and fosters teamwork as well as self-directed learning.  Students are required to pass the USMLE Step 1 examination in order to be promoted to the junior year.

The Clerkship Years: 3 and 4 (emphasis on clinical science)

Clinical training is provided in the following areas of medical practice: surgery, medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics-gynecology, family medicine, neurology, emergency medicine, intensive care, preventive medicine, and psychiatry.  The clinical instruction during these last two years takes place primarily at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Jerry L. Pettis Memorial VA Medical Center, Riverside County Regional Medical Center, and White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles.  A small cohort of students also move either to Orlando, FL to complete their clinical years at Advent Health, Orlando or to Kettering, OH to complete their clinical years at Kettering Memorial Medical Center.  Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Hospital, and Glendale Adventist Medical Center are also affiliated with the School of Medicine and are utilized for undergraduate clinical training.

Electives

Elective time is available for additional educational experience in the clinical and research areas, as well as international medical care and service.  Loma Linda University School of Medicine students benefit from a wide variety of medical facilities available in the area.