Degree Requirements DO Program

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Term 1		Hours
DO 100	Cellular and Biochemical Foundations of Medicine	6
DO 101	Infection and Immunity	6
DO 139A	Osteopathic Principles and Practice I	2
DO 114A	Medical Humanities and Wellness I	0.5
DO 140A	Primary Care Skills I	1
DO 144A	Clinical Reasoning in Basic Science IA	1
INDP 100A	Inter Professional Education	0.5
	Hours	17
Term 2
DO 104	Foundations of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Medicine	3.5
DO 112	Foundations of Physiology and the Musculoskeletal System	4
DO 105	Foundations of Renal, Endocrine, and Gastrointestinal Medicine	3.5
DO 106	Foundations of Research	1
DO 139B	Osteopathic Principles and Practice II	1.5
DO 114B	Medical Humanities and Wellness II	0.5
DO 140B	Primary Care Skills II	1
DO 144B	Clinical Reasoning in Basic Science IB	1
INDP 100B	Inter Professional Education	0.5
	Hours	16.5
Term 3
DO 107	Foundations of Reproductive and Genitourinary Medicine	2
DO 108	Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat and Neuroscience	4
DO 109	Introduction to Human Disease and Therapeutics	5.5
DO 114C	Medical Humanities and Wellness III	0.5
DO 139C	Osteopathic Principles and Practice III	1.5
DO 140C	Primary Care Skills III	1
DO 144C	Clinical Reasoning in Basic Science IC	1
INDP 100C	Inter Professional Education	0.5
	Hours	16
	Total Hours	49.5

Plan of Study Grid

Second Year
Term 1		Hours
DO 146A	Comprehensive Basic Science Review and Synthesis IA	1.5
DO 215	Clinical Approach to Psychiatry	2.5
DO 218	Clinical Approach to Gastroenterology	3.5
DO 230	Clinical Approach to Neuroscience and Neurology	5
DO 239A	Osteopathic Principles and Practice IV	1.5
DO 240A	Primary Care Skills IV	1
INDP 200A	Inter Professional Education	0.5
	Hours	15.5
Term 2
DO 146B	Comprehensive Basic Science Review and Synthesis IB	1.5
DO 226	Clinical Approach to Hematology and Oncology	2
DO 228	Clinical Approach to Cardiovascular and Renal Medicine	5.5
DO 229	Clinical Approach to Pulmonary Medicine	3.5
DO 239B	Osteopathic Principles and Practice V	1
DO 240B	Primary Care Skills V	1
DO 246	Medical Ethics	1
INDP 200B	Inter Professional Education	0.5
	Hours	16
Term 3
DO 146C	Comprehensive Basic Science Review and Synthesis IC	1.5
DO 239C	Osteopathic Principles and Practice VI	1.5
DO 240C	Primary Care Skills VI	1.5
DO 248	Clinical Approach to Endocrinology and Disorders of Metabolism	3
DO 250	Clinical Approach to Reproductive Genitourinary and Obstetrical Medicine	5.5
DO 259	Clinical Approach to Musculoskeletal Medicine and Dermatology	3
DO 261	Preventive Medicine and Public Health	1
INDP 200C	Inter Professional Education	0.5
	Hours	17.5
	Total Hours	49

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Third Year (12 Months)
DO 309	CAMR-I: Cognitive Approach to Medical Reasoning	17
DO 310	Family Medicine Rotation	17
DO 312	OMM Family Medicine	17
DO 313	General Internal Medicine Rotation	17
DO 314	Internal Medicine Cardiology Rotation	17
DO 315	Obstetrics and Gynecology Rotation	17
DO 316	Pediatric Rotation	17
DO 317	Psychiatry Rotation	17
DO 319	General Surgery Rotation	17
DO 320	Surgery Subspecialty Rotation	17
DO 321	Internal Medicine Subspecialty Rotation	17
DO 322	Advanced Clinical Skills Radiology Rotation	17
Total M3 Credits = 204
Winter Break
Fourth Year (12 Months)
DO 392	Clerkship Elective (8)	136
DO 415	Emergency Medicine Rotation	17
DO 412	Osteopathic Primary Care Subspecialty I	17
DO 413	Ambulatory Primary Care Subspecialty I	17
Total M4 Credits = 187

Third and Fourth Year Clinical Clerkship Curriculum

Includes noncredit American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) course completion, required for graduation

During Ambulatory Sub I and II students will be involved in interprofessional education sessions with Physician Assistant, Clinical PsyD, Mental Health and Counseling, and Clinical PsyD students.

Each 17 credit rotation requires 240 contact hours

Other than in electives, fourth year rotations contain a component of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

The Basic Sciences and Pre-Clinical Years

Clinical Years  

Students at the Philadelphia campus will be assigned to clinical clerkships throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. Students at PCOM Georgia and South Georgia are assigned to clinical clerkships throughout Georgia and the Southeast. 

This unique training network comprises affiliated hospitals, numerous outpatient units, and scores of physicians’ offices. These clinical settings become teaching arms of the College; in effect, our partners are our campus. The program is designed to afford progressive student responsibility in all phases of patient care under the direction of experienced physicians and health care providers. This includes history taking, physical examinations, daily patient rounds, lectures, conferences, case presentations, and online blended learning for all core rotations. 

Students rotate through services in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, Surgery, Cardiology, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Emergency Medicine, Underserved Primary Care. On elective clerkships, students may choose to pursue special interests at other medical institutions anywhere across the nation.  

Dual Degrees  

DUAL DEGREE PROGRAMS
 

DO/MBA Program (Philadelphia Campus)

In conjunction with Saint Joseph’s University, a master of business administration degree in health and medical services may be earned by DO program students who concurrently complete a five year course of study for the DO and MBA degrees. Created in 1989 as the nation’s first DO/MBA degree, the curriculum requires approximately 39-45 hours of MBA coursework. The MBA program is completed during a one-year leave from medical study, following the third year of medical school. This program responds to the increasing need for business acumen in medical practice. It also prepares physicians for a wide range of emerging careers in medical administration.

Students who are interested in business administration but do not wish to enroll in the full MBA program may complete a 5-course Graduate Business Certificate during the fourth year of medical school. The Saint Joseph’s University MBA is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business(AACSB). Approval for admissions into the dual degree DO/MBA or graduate Business Certificate Program must be received by PCOM’s Director of Dual Degree Programs & Biomedical Science Specialty Concentrations in the School of Health Sciences and SJU admissions team.

DO/MPH Program (Philadelphia Campus)

Students may choose to enroll in a DO/MPH program in affiliation with Jefferson School of Population Health, which provides a 36-credit program that includes core public health disciplines in behavioral and social sciences, biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health services and health policy. The Jefferson DO/MPH program is a five year program. The MPH is completed during a one-year leave from medical study following the third year of medical school. Approval for admissions into the dual degree DO/MPH program must be reviewed by PCOM’s Director of Dual Degree Programs & Biomedical Science Specialty Concentrations in the School of Health Sciences and Thomas Jefferson University admissions team.

Students may also enter a special joint degree program in affiliation with Temple University, leading to a master of public health degree. The DO/MPH program is a five year program.  The MPH program is completed during a one year leave from medical study following the third year of medical school. Approval for admissions into the dual degree DO/MPH program at Temple University must be reviewed by PCOM’s Director of Dual Degree Programs & Biomedical Science Specialty Concentrations in the School of Health Sciences and Temple University admissions team.

DO/MS in Forensic Medicine (Philadelphia and PCOM Georgia)

Students who have successfully completed their first year of medical study at PCOM may enter a special dual degree program provided by PCOM’s Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine. Students complete forensic medicine graduate work through Philadelphia campus weekend courses and online instruction during an extended sophomore medical year; the DO and MS program is five years in length. The program provides a core foundation in the theory, principles, ethics, professional practice and legal aspects of forensic medicine. Students acquire skills in the technical aspects of death scene investigation, identifying, preserving and protecting custody of forensic evidence, differentiating accidental and intentional injuries in both living and dead persons, and determining potential forensic value of written and photographic records. The program also provides skills in the interpretation of research in forensics and skills in utilizing information technology to access information in the forensic sciences.