Curriculum Overview
The goal of instruction at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine is to graduate osteopathic physicians and surgeons who offer a holistic approach to practicing family-oriented medicine, with the realization that even medical specialists require a firm understanding of primary care.
Students matriculating to the Athens, Dublin or Cleveland campus are required to participate in the clinical presentation continuum curriculum. All Heritage College medical students begin their medical education with a one week Introduction to Primary Care Medicine course, and from there move into a five week Clinical Anatomy Immersion course, which is comprised of anatomy instruction integrated with osteopathic manipulative medicine. Thereafter, the curricula features learning activities that include small group case study discussions, problem-solving workshops, hands-on laboratory sessions, a limited number of lectures as well as independent study, with regular assessments varying in format, and opportunities for early clinical experiences beginning in the first year. The third and fourth year curriculum consists of clinical rotations and weekly didactic sessions, based out of one of the clinical campuses. The medical education program at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine is four years long.
Honor Code
A primary goal of the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine is to promote the development and maintenance of high standards of academic behavior and professionalism. To facilitate this, an honor code has been established as an intrinsic part of the medical education of Heritage College students. The main purposes of the honor code are to:
- foster ethical and professional standards of conduct in all academic endeavors;
- instill the habit of honesty and professional accountability; and
- ensure due process for any suspected honor code violation.
To that end, students are required to make the following pledge:
As a member of the medical profession, I will maintain the highest standards of academic and personal behavior. As a medical student I will not cheat or plagiarize or tolerate that behavior in others.
Complete text and related policies can be found at https://www.ohio.edu/medicine/admissions/accepted/survival-manual/honor-code.cfm.
Years One and Two
Clinical Presentation Continuum Curriculum
The clinical presentation continuum (CPC) curriculum is organized around clinical presentations that reflect common and/or important patient encounters in primary care medicine, with the clinical presentations grouped together around organ systems. Students are given an extensive list of specific faculty-identified learning topics that provide explicit direction to guide student study. The CPC emphasizes learning in a clinical context and strives to encourage active, engaged, and independent learning to prepare students for a career of lifelong learning. The CPC curriculum accommodates 100% of the entering class in Athens, Dublin and Cleveland.
The first two years of the CPC curriculum are divided into blocks of curricular content, two or more of which are presented during each academic term of each year. These blocks are further segmented into weekly modules identified by a theme or clinical presentation (see Curriculum Topics section). Clinical, biomedical and psychosocial content is presented in an integrated manner.
Structured classroom experiences, typically restricted to half of each day, consist of lectures, labs, problem sets, physical exam sessions and simulated patient encounters. The classroom experiences facilitate student understanding of biomedical and psychosocial principles and provide training in patient interviewing, history taking, psychosocial interactions, physical examination and osteopathic manipulative medicine. These sessions are designed to provide opportunities for students to become actively engaged in the learning process as they address the faculty-constructed learning topics identified for the module.
In the first year, four hours weekly are reserved for faculty-facilitated, case-based learning sessions. The patient cases explored in these small discussion groups (seven to nine students) illustrate the basic science and psychosocial underpinnings of medicine relevant to the clinical presentation that is the theme of the module. The small group learning environment helps students learn to work effectively as part of a collaborative learning team, taking responsibility for their own as well as others’ academic progress and professional development. In the second year, in class time with a facilitator is restricted to two hours a week, and students are expected to spend time on their own working through the cases prior to the class time. Approximately once weekly, the entire class assembles to discuss the cases of the week with a faculty panel of experts that includes representatives of the basic sciences, clinical medicine and social medicine. CPC students also spend approximately 12 half days per each academic year accompanying a physician faculty member in a clinical practice setting (community health facility, hospital, clinic or emergency department).
Patient-Centered Continuum Curriculum
The patient-centered continuum (PCC) curriculum is based on active learning and problem-based learning principles and organizes medical topics into a continuous, integrated student learning process. Student-directed learning and the development of clinical reasoning skills are integral parts of the program. The bulk of student learning takes place in small groups, and students personally accept a significant amount of responsibility for achieving curricular goals. The PCC provides students with frequent clinical experiences early in the program, the presentation of biomedical science material in the context of clinical case studies, the integration and reinforcement of biomedical sciences during clinical training, and a logical progression of knowledge through the medical school and residency years. The PCC typically accepts up to 24 students each year on the Athens campus, however the Heritage College Curriculum Advisory Committee has suspended acceptance of applications and admissions to the PCC starting with the Class of 2020.
The first two years of the PCC curriculum incorporate active and problem-based learning principles into a variety of instructional methodologies, including small group discussions, clinical case studies, computer-assisted instruction, simulated patient encounters, independent learning, and distance learning technologies.
Students meet for three, two-hour sessions per week in small groups (six to eight students) with biomedical and clinical faculty content experts serving as facilitators of patient case discussions. Each case study encourages student-directed exploration of the basic science, psychosocial and clinical issues underlying the patient’s condition. The small group learning environment helps students learn to work effectively as part of a collaborative learning team, taking responsibility for their own academic progress and professional development and recognizing the role they play in interacting with others. Resource hours are scheduled as needed with content experts in the basic, social and clinical sciences in order to support student-directed learning activities.
The course in clinical sciences provides training in patient interviewing, history taking, psychosocial interaction and physical examination, as well as osteopathic manipulative medicine. As part of the Fundamentals in Clinical Osteopathic Medicine courses, PCC students spend 24 half-days year one and 15 half-days year two accompanying a physician faculty member in a clinical practice setting (community health facility, hospital, clinic or emergency department).
Years Three and Four
Students are assigned to a clinical campus during the Heritage College Clinical Campus Assignment Process early in the second year of the program. In summer term of the third year, students move to one of the clinical campuses located throughout the state of Ohio for clinical education.
Students spend the two years of clinical education at teaching hospitals affiliated with Heritage College, as well as at clinics and private practitioners’ offices located throughout the state, nation and world. Students meet curricular requirements in the combination of hospital-based and ambulatory rotations, which feature primary care medicine and ambulatory medical care, to provide a broad, well-rounded clinical experience. In addition to participation in required rotations, students have the opportunity to schedule elective rotations in medical disciplines to pursue their personal interests and/or meet unique clinical training needs. Rotations are designed to provide students with active, hands-on learning experiences in medical situations. Under the supervision of clinical faculty, students become involved in the case management of patients as they refine their problem-solving, diagnostic and therapeutic skills. Rotation schedules are constructed with assistance from academic administrative personnel to ensure that curricular requirements are met. Each rotation is a separate learning experience and a separate course in the university system and each student’s evaluation is based on an individual assessment by clinical faculty during that rotation. Concurrent with these experiences, various didactic activities are incorporated into the curriculum to augment student learning, utilizing such instructional modalities as modules, lectures, professional development seminars, clinical case conferences, tumor board meetings, case-based discussions, interactive computer assignments and the use of self-instructional audio-visual materials. Required training sessions in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) and clinical skills laboratories round out the clinical learning experience.
Dual Degree Programs
Students may apply for dual degrees by combining studies for the osteopathic medical degree with graduate programs offered by Ohio University. Available programs include the D.O./PhD, D.O./M.B.A. and D.O./M.S. in Biomedical Engineering. For further details, contact Sonsoles de Lacalle, Director of Advanced Studies, at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at 740.593.9791 or visit the website at https://www.ohio.edu/medicine/education/dual-degree/index.cfm.
Academic Regulations
Academic essentials, professionalism, student government, educational costs and building usage information are published on the Heritage College Office of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs web pages, which explain the policies and procedures of the college. Please direct special attention to the Committee on Student Progress, Policies and Procedures. This online manual contains detailed information about what is expected of students and what resources the college and the university provide to help each student meet those expectations. The Ohio University Heritage College Student Survival Manual can be accessed at https://www.ohio.edu/medicine/admissions/accepted/survival-manual/index.cfm. A paper copy will be provided upon request.
Academic Calendar
Ohio University and the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine operate on the semester system. The Ohio University Heritage College year one and two academic calendars and documentation of important dates for Ohio University Heritage College students can be found at: https://www.ohio.edu/medicine/education/osteopathic-medicine/pre-clinical-years/academic-schedule/.
Graduation Requirements
Heritage College faculty will recommend the degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine be granted to students who:
- are in good standing as determined by the Committee on Student Progress,
- have successfully completed all required coursework in either the clinical presentation continuum or the patient-centered continuum curriculum for years one and two,
- have successfully completed all the assigned and elective clinical rotations listed in the Year 3 and 4 Student Manual,
- have successfully completed the Year 3 Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE),
- have passed the COMLEX Level 1 CE, 2 CE, and 2 PE of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners,
- have been enrolled for at least 10 semesters,
- have satisfied all financial and legal obligations to their assigned clinical campuses, the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and Ohio University.
Curriculum Topics/Themes
Years One and Two: Clinical Presentation Continuum Curriculum
Introduction to Primary Care Medicine
Clinical Anatomy Immersion
Clinical Presentation Blocks:
Musculoskeletal System
Blood
Infection and Immunity
Cardiovascular
Respiratory System
Gastrointestinal
Urogenital Tract
Neurology
Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat
Psychiatry
Endocrinology and Metabolism
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Pediatric Medicine
Addiction, Pain and Palliative Care
Geriatric Medicine
Years One and Two: Patient-Centered Continuum Curriculum
Introduction to Primary Care Medicine
Clinical Anatomy Immersion
Biomedical Sciences:
Biochemistry
Biostatistics
Cardiovascular Medicine
Epidemiology
Evidence-Based Medicine
Immunology
Endocrinology and Metabolism
Microanatomy
Microbiology
Neurology
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Pathology
Pharmacology
Physiology
Years One and Two: Combined Clinical Studies
Patient Interviewing
Physical Diagnosis
Medical Informatics
Medical Decision-Making
Problem-Solving
Differential Diagnosis
Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
Community and Clinical Education
Advance Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
Application of Pharmacologic Therapy
Clinical Case Presentation
Interpretation of Diagnostic Testing
Years Three and Four: Combined Studies
Introduction to Family Medicine
Internal Medicine
Internal Medicine Specialties
General Surgery
Surgical Specialties
Psychiatric Medicine
Women’s Health
Emergency Medicine
Pediatric Medicine
Palliative Care
Health Care Management
History & Physical Exam
Clinical Electives
Medical Ethics
Medicine and Law
Evidence-Based Medicine
Intravenous Cannulation
Medical Records Documentation
Nasogastric Tube Placement
OMM Diagnosis and Techniques
Surgical Preparation (scrubbing, gowning, gloving) and Suturing
Radiographic Interpretation
Skin Biopsy
Orthopedic Skills: Splinting and Casting
Foley Catheter Placement
Endotracheal Intubation
Application of Pharmacologic Therapy
Clinical Case Presentation
Interpretation of Diagnostic Testing
Rural and Urban Scholars Pathways Program
Designed to be a complement to the curriculum, and available to Athens, Dublin and Cleveland students, the Rural and Urban Scholars Pathways program, administered through the Office of Rural and Underserved Programs, offers an integrated curriculum and plan for professional development in preparation for practice in an underserved setting. Key aspects of the program are:
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Participate in Clinical Jazz, a longitudinal small group experience in leadership development and peer coaching with a focus on competencies for practice in an underserved setting, experiential place-based learning, and mentorship
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Meet once per semester for an individualized education planning session with an assigned coach
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Attend professional development workshops focused on (1) skill-building for a broad scope of practice, (2) problem solving with invited guests, and (3) other active exploration of issues relevant to rural and urban underserved practice
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Engage in immersion experience between first and second years in a setting of relative austerity (possibly a global health experience)
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Spend at least six months or the equivalent of curricular time in a rural or urban underserved setting
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Complete a scholarly project relevant to the health of rural and urban underserved communities
An application is required for participation. Contact the Administrative Director, Rural and Underserved Programs, mollicd1@ohio.edu for more information.
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