The new curriculum at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai provides multiple opportunities for extensive and integrated training in the foundational sciences and clinical disciplines of medicine. There are three distinct phases:
Phase 1
This phase is 18 months long and is a one-pass curricular instruction. Integrated within the learning of foundational, normal biological and physiological concepts is instruction in pathophysiology and abnormal function due to injury and/or illness.
Phase 2
This 14-month period focuses on direct care of patients in the various core disciplines of medicine. The first 12 months of this biphasic period are devoted to the care of patients in acute and emergent/urgent settings. This is followed by a 2-month clinical rotation focused on chronic disease management and health promotion.
Phase 3
This 16-month phase offers clinical rotations that emphasize the acquisition of advanced clinical skills related to semi-independent and team-based patient care as well as preparatory sessions for PGY-1 level skills and procedures. Phase 3 is also the period of individualized differentiation through the exploration of areas of interest via internal and extramural rotations and focused sessions related to one’s chosen Areas of Concentration (AOC). The Phase culminates with the completion and dissemination of the scholarly product graduation requirement.
Periodic Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (PEAKS)
At the conclusion of each phase of the curriculum, students are provided an opportunity to demonstrate the competencies they have achieved. The Periodic Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (PEAKS) are summative assessments that gauge students’ achievement of defined competencies and of phase-level program objectives.
Next Steps
As the new curriculum structure takes shape, the phase working groups will focus on content and how it will be delivered.