Case-based curriculum

The core medical curriculum is called the Contextually Integrated Case-Based Curriculum (CICBC), and is an entirely Problem-Based Learning (PBL) format. This contextualizes and fully integrates the foundational basic, clinical and social sciences to promote ways of learning that will support ongoing knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by effective physicians and medical leaders for the 21st century. Rather than a traditional discipline-oriented (or even multi-disciplinary) set of courses, CICBC emphasizes collaborative student-directed learning around illustrative patient cases, under the supervision of faculty tutors who guide and monitor the process.

JMP core course content is contained within 77 PBL cases that run in blocks of 7 weeks, with one case per week. Working in small groups of 8 alongside faculty tutors, JMP students use these simulated cases (in conjunction with clinical skills experiences) to master the knowledge and skills required for their matriculation to UCSF at the end of their third year. All students are engaged in small group preparation and regular active participation.

The initial summer anatomy course combines more traditional lecture-based instruction with introduction of case-based learning, as well as laboratory work. Clinical Skills are taught by community-based physicians under the direction of the Program’s clinical coordinators, who are also faculty physicians. The Program uses the extensive facilities of Bay Area community hospitals and clinics.

The research curriculum, taught by the Master’s faculty, offers small-group-based training in research skills. Upon satisfactory completion of the three-year UC Berkeley phase of the program and awarding of the M.S. degree, and after passing Step 1 of the USMLE, students transition to the UCSF School of Medicine for the final two clerkship years (Clinical Studies).

Clinical Studies offers students a range of experiences and opportunities in the fields of medicine. The Clinical Studies curriculum consists of the third-year (JMP fourth year) required clerkships and the fourth-year (JMP fifth year) rotations, as well as the Pathways to Discovery. All of these place emphasis on connections across disciplines, thematic learning objectives, and student-directed discussion following clinical experiences.

For detailed information on the clerkship years, please visit UCSF's overview of Clinical Studies and Pathways to Discovery.