Curriculum
Learn more about our innovative curriculum and local clerkship opportunities.
CHSU-COM’s two-pass, systems-based clinical integration curricular model is based on the premise that a student needs to know and understand normal biomedical and clinical sciences before abnormal or pathological conditions can be addressed.
Nutrition, clinical relevance, ethics, health policy, evidence-based medicine, and application of foundational knowledge, skills, and attitudes are added to achieve better retention and retrieval. The curriculum includes systems-based courses, longitudinal courses, and inter-professional education courses. To help serve the needs of the Central Valley, Medical Spanish courses help CHSU-COM students learn the language and also gain a better understanding of some of the cultural aspects that can play a role in a Spanish speaking patient’s health.
The teaching format utilizes Team-Based Learning (TBL), simulation, and other active learning modalities. Assessments are multimodal and include written, laboratory practical examinations, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCES), and other innovative methodologies.
For the last two years of the curriculum, CHSU has partnership agreements to assure all the core third and fourth year rotations along with selective clinical education clerkships are completed in the California Central Valley, with a focus on clinical experiences serving diverse populations and provide opportunities for education in community health centers, hospitals and ambulatory settings.
Unique Aspects of Curriculum
Hands-on Learning of OMT
Learn Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment techniques (OMT) and palpatory skills used in osteopathic diagnosis and treatment.
Nutrition & Culinary Medicine
Learn the basics of nutrition and culinary medicine through team-based learning and hands-on cooking classes.
Simulation Center
Participate in scheduled simulations with manikins and human standardized patients at our state-of-the-art Simulation Center.
HoloLens Virtual Anatomy
Study anatomy using the Microsoft HoloLens instead of traditional cadaver and dissection labs for learning.
year 1
DIDACTICS
In the first pass of CHSU-COM’s two-pass, systems-based clinical integration curricular model the curriculum is focused on normal anatomy, physiology and biochemistry and what happens in the absence of normal. Nutrition, culinary medicine, and medical Spanish courses are incorporated throughout the year.
CLINICAL EDUCATION
Students participate in Physician’s Role Experiences (PREs) through the Physician’s Role in the Health System (PRHS) courses, which provide students the opportunity to participate with various healthcare organization’s public health projects. Students attend their assigned facility, one half day a month. Students are divided into rotating groups with some groups on campus and other groups at their assigned sites.
Related Links
Nutrition and Culinary Medicine
Osteopathic Skills Lab
PRHS Course
year 2
DIDACTICS
In the second pass of CHSU-COM’s two-pass, systems-based clinical integration curricular model the curriculum is focused on abnormal, pathophysiology, disease processes with pharmacotherapeutics and treatments. Nutrition, culinary medicine, and medical Spanish courses are incorporated throughout the year.
CLINICAL EDUCATION
Students continue to participate in Physician’s Role Experiences (PREs) through the Physician’s Role in the Health System (PRHS) courses, which provide students the opportunity to participate with various healthcare organization’s public health projects. Students attend their assigned facility, one half day a month. Students are divided into rotating groups with some groups on campus and other groups at their assigned sites.
Related Links
Nutrition and Culinary Medicine
Osteopathic Skills Lab
Research and Scholarly Activity
year 3
DIDACTICS
Education Days are held on campus for third-year students on core rotations twice a month; attendance is required. Education Days are scheduled on a set half day twice a month and students are excused from their assigned clerkship.
CLINICAL EDUCATION
Students are enrolled in clinical activities called Clerkships throughout the entire academic years of the third and fourth years. The clinical education curriculum ensures that students complete the entirety of their clinical education prior to graduation.
Third year core clinical clerkships are based at regional hospitals, clinics, and health care facilities with health care providers in the community. Students rotate through clerkships in family medicine, internal medicine (general and specialty), surgery (general and specialty), women’s health, pediatrics, behavioral medicine and an elective.
Related Links
year 4
CLINICAL EDUCATION
In the fourth year, students continue with their clerkship rotations in the Central Valley and other locations throughout the state. Required clerkships include emergency medicine, underserved, primary care, and specialty medicine.
Students have additional opportunities to schedule their own audition rotations, where they showcase their abilities and prepare for the residency match. These audition rotations are in the specialty of their own choosing and can be anywhere in the US that CHSU has an affiliation agreement established.
Many of these audition rotations are scheduled through the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) Program, which enables medical students to pursue short-term learning opportunities in locations away from their home institutions.
By the end of their fourth year, the entirety of their clinical education is completed in order to graduate.
Related Links
AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities TM
Clerkship Map
Clerkship Manual
graduate medical eduation
matching for residency
CHSU-COM Graduates have the opportunity to match for residencies in local hospitals, hospital systems, clinics and health care facilities in many different specialties.
Related Links
Residency Matching
Central Valley Residency Programs
Growth of GME in the Central Valley
CHSU-COM Outcomes
CHSU-COM students are required to take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-USA) exam series, designed to assess osteopathic medical knowledge, knowledge fluency, clinical skills, and other competencies essential for practice as an osteopathic generalist physician. CHSU-COM results will be posted when available.
After completion of the DO degree, CHSU-COM students will pursue Graduate Medical Education (GME). GME match results will also be posted when available after their inaugural class of osteopathic medical students participate in the residency matches during the 2023-24 academic year (AY).