Phase 3 – MD Curriculum
Phase 3 of the ForWard Curriculum is dedicated to specialty-specific competency development and internship preparation with opportunities for individualized electives, career advising and special projects. This phase is completed in 16 months and consists of many individualized opportunities and electives that emphasize various clinical and basic sciences as well as ForWard Curriculum threads.
Phase 3 Timeline
*The components in Phase 3 may be completed in any order. This timeline illustrates one possible student journey.
Phase 3 Components
Ambulatory and Inpatient Acting Internships
During required Inpatient and Ambulatory Acting Internship experiences, students focus on building skills that are needed to function on day one of residency including:
- Developing actionable management and treatment plans based on history, physical exam and targeted data
- Communicating with colleagues in a variety of ways such as patient handoffs, discharge summaries and clinic notes
- Formulating questions based upon clinical dilemmas, researching the appropriate literature and databases to find the answers and applying findings to the care of individual patients
- Developing efficiency in accomplishing the day-to-day tasks necessary for the coordination and management of patient care
Basic Science Selectives
Phase 3 students choose from a variety of electives that explicitly translate basic science to clinical practice and allow students to reinforce important foundational science concepts taught in Phase 1 and 2. Specialty-specific opportunities are available for students to build on the foundational science necessary for their future careers.
Electives emphasize interactive teaching methods and explore various topics that include:
Public Health Selectives
Phase 3 students choose from a variety of electives that provide opportunities to explore key concepts and develop skills of public health practice, which they can incorporate into their professional work upon graduation. These electives build upon public health concepts taught in Phase 1 and 2.
Electives emphasize interactive teaching methods and explore various topics that include:
Other Advanced Experiences
Phase 3 students choose from a variety of elective experiences in basic science, clinical specialties or public health to create a unique learning plan for themselves. Students use these advanced opportunities to refine their skills and interests before the transition to residency.