School of Medicine

Boston University established the School of Medicine in 1873 by merging with the New England Female Medical College, which had been founded in 1848 as the first medical college for women in the world. The School of Medicine became a constituent member of the Boston University Medical Center in 1962 and is located in Boston’s historic South End adjacent to Boston Medical Center, a major teaching hospital, and BioSqaure, the University’s 16-acre biotechnology park.

The School of Medicine offers multiple pathways leading to the MD degree, including a four-year program. A seven-year program, begun in 1960, leads to the BA and MD degrees; students also have the option of completing this program in six years. The Modular Medical Integrated Curriculum (MMEDIC), a non-accelerated, eight-year program leading to the BA and MD degrees, began in 1977. A similar program, Early Medical School Selection Program, has been developed to increase the minority physician population. In addition, the School of Medicine provides an alternative curriculum which allows students the option of completing the first year of medical school in two academic years. The School of Medicine and the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences offer combined programs leading to an MD/PhD degree. Programs leading to both the MD/MPH and MD/DSc degrees are offered through the School of Medicine and the School of Public Health. A combined MD/MBA degree was added in 2002.

Prospective candidates are attracted by the dual advantages of comparatively small classes that afford opportunity for considerable personal contact with members of the faculty, and the benefits of study in a great medical center where there are diverse settings for clinical instruction as well as externships in affiliated and neighboring hospitals and neighborhood health centers.

The principal instructional building sits at the hub of a vast academic health center that also includes Boston Medical Center (a major clinical affiliate), BU School of Dental Medicine, BU School of Public Health, and a research enterprise that includes nearly six hundred individual grants and contracts.

Many students—about 20 percent of the senior class—participate in a variety of international health elective experiences that have expanded greatly as part of the University’s Global Health Initiative. In addition, another 20 percent take electives in research.

Curriculum

The BUSM curriculum offers students the opportunity to study medicine in a flexible, supportive environment that stimulates a spirit of critical inquiry and provides a sound base of knowledge in the biological, social, and behavioral sciences. While curriculum review, integration, and modification is an ongoing process, the last major restructuring of the academic program took place in the 1990s, with expansion of early clinical experience, reduction of the number of lecture hours, and the addition of small group, problem-based seminars. In this latter course, Integrated Problems, students meet in small groups, employing case-based discussion to develop and integrate their knowledge in the biological and social sciences. The Introduction to Clinical Medicine Course provides a mentored early clinical experience, creating an opportunity for students to begin developing the communication and examination skills that are fundamental to effective clinical practice. In addition, these two programs provide a bridge between the basic science instruction of the first two years and the clinical clerkships of the third and fourth years. Another major curriculum reform began in 2008 and focused on enhancement of early clinical experience, the horizontal and vertical integration of the preclinical sciences, further transfer of lecture time to small group and case-based teaching venues, decompression of the teaching schedule for the first two years, and expansion of clinical elective time in the third and fourth years.

The emphasis during the first year is on normal structure and function (anatomy and physiology). In the second year, the focus shifts to abnormalities or defects in structure and function (pathology and pathophysiology). The third year is the core clerkship year. Students complete their initial clinical rotations, participating in active ambulatory and inpatient practices on major teaching services, in the disciplines of medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, family medicine, neurology, radiology, and psychiatry. In the fourth year, students complete advanced clinical rotations in ambulatory care, geriatrics and home care, as well as a sub-internship in the specialty of their choice. In addition, there are a minimum of 24 weeks of elective time during the third and fourth years combined, with opportunities to pursue clinical and basic science research, as well as independent study programs. Many students choose to spend some of this time at other institutions, either in the U.S. or abroad, in a very active program in International Health.

There are many opportunities for students to participate in clinical or basic science research throughout the four years. BUSM is a major research institution and students may return to research interests they have pursued in the past, or try research for the first time. Stipends are available for those rising second-year students who wish to undertake a summer research fellowship.

Students may choose the Alternative Curriculum, spreading the requirements of a single curricular year over two academic years, paying half-tuition for each of those years. This can allow a student to decompress the program or to pursue research opportunities. In addition, combined degree programs are available for individuals who wish to pursue a course of study leading to the MD/PhD, MD/MPH, MD/MA, or MD/MBA. A student may apply to enter these combined degree programs at any time, before or after matriculation.

Accreditation

Boston University is accredited by pertinent agencies in the educational fields which it serves.

The University as a whole is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is a member of the following: American Association of University Women, American Council on Education, Association of American Colleges, Association of Urban Universities, Council of Graduate Schools in the United States, EDUCOM Interuniversity Communications Council, Institute of International Education, and National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church.

Boston University School of Medicine is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education of the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association.

Residency programs at the School of Medicine are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education of the American Medical Association.

The School of Medicine’s continuing medical education programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.