Program Overview
Introduction to the MD Program
The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine MD program at Washington State University is designed to equip future physicians with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment. The program curriculum anticipates the challenges of 21st-century healthcare and trains students to meet them as leaders in patient care and advocates for their communities.
Highlights of the Curriculum
The MD program curriculum is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in medicine, including clinical experience and interprofessional education. The curriculum is divided into four years, with the first two years spent at the Spokane campus and the final two years spent at regional medical campuses.
Clinical Experience and Interprofessional Education
Clinical experiences and interprofessional learning opportunities are integrated into the curriculum from the start. Students complete clinical campus weeks, where they familiarize themselves with the community and its healthcare resources, build relationships with preceptors and staff, and gain early exposure to clinical settings. Students also participate in interprofessional education opportunities, where they learn from other healthcare professionals and develop clinical skills with patients.
Course Catalog
The course catalog includes:
- Course Catalog and Requirements for Graduation
- Foundations of Medical Science Course Requirements (Years 1–2)
- Clerkship and Clinical Rotation Course Requirements and Electives (Years 3–4)
- Leadership in Medicine and Healthcare Course Requirements (Years 1–4)
- Scholarship and Discovery Course Requirements (Years 1–4)
Additional Information
Additional information includes:
- Medical Education Program Objectives, Competencies, and Milestones
- Student Assessment Plan
- Explore Campus Locations
Training in Leadership and Business Administration
The curriculum integrates leadership courses into all four years of the program, culminating in a capstone project applying knowledge from coursework and clinical experiences. Leadership skills, business acumen, and an understanding of healthcare system economics are essential to success as a physician.
Leadership Curriculum
The leadership curriculum equips future physicians to:
- Advocate for patients and underserved communities in challenging healthcare environments
- Understand the economics of the U.S. healthcare system and insurance system
- Navigate and mobilize multidisciplinary teams to foster a strong organizational culture and achieve high-quality outcomes for patients
- Develop a professional identity and achieve timely career advancements
- Use resources efficiently and develop a strategic plan for sustainably supporting long-term operations and growth
Independent Research and Interdisciplinary Scholarship Activities
Students engage in self-directed research and scholarship activities, gaining a practical understanding of medical research and learning critical and creative thinking skills necessary for making evidence-based clinical decisions.
Scholarship Activities
Evidence-based practice is the foundation of modern medicine. Students complete a scholarship project during the Foundations of Scholarship and Discovery courses, which is an opportunity to delve deeply into a topic or multiple topics that interest them.
Research Elective and Extracurricular Research
Students have additional opportunities to pursue research beyond the required scholarship and discovery project. These include enrolling in the research elective in Year 4 and participating in extracurricular research at any time during the program.
Opportunities to Present and Publish Research
The college encourages students to share findings from their scholarship and discovery projects or other research activities with like-minded scholars and to further their professional development by presenting their work at regional, statewide, or national conferences and publishing in academic journals.
Research Funding
There are a variety of funding sources for research, both at WSU and from external sources. The college identifies opportunities for extramural grant funding for student research and publicizes information such as grant criteria and application deadlines.
Embracing Innovation in Technology
Technological advances are continually transforming medical education and practice. The curriculum gives students hands-on experience with the latest technologies so they can employ them confidently as practicing physicians.
Leveraging Digital Resources in the Classroom
The College of Medicine's dedication to accessibility and equity is represented in its all-digital curriculum, which means that all learning resources are provided in a digital format. The college's iPad initiative equips all incoming medical students with a 10.9-inch iPad, Apple Pencil, and keyboard case and trackpad to provide equitable access to digital medical education content.