Courses

BU School of Medicine (BUSM) Required Courses and Clerkships

Note: Only students in the MD program can take these courses.

For information on electives for BUSM students, please refer to the BUSM Registrar’s webpage

More courses are offered by the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences, including: Anatomy & Neurobiology • Behavioral Neuroscience • Biochemistry • Bioimaging • Biomedical Forensics • Cell & Molecular Biology • Clinical Investigation • Forensic Anthropology • Foundations Curriculum • Genetic Counseling • Genetics & Genomics • Healthcare Emergency Management • Medical Anthropology & Cross Cultural Practice • Medical Nutrition Sciences • Medical Sciences • Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine • Microbiology • Molecular Medicine • Oral Biology • Oral Health Sciences • Pathology & Laboratory Medicine • Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics • Physiology & Biophysics

• MED MS 102: Ambulatory Med.
  
• MED MS 122: Medical Gross Anatomy
  The BUSM Medical Gross Anatomy course is organized regionally and the content will follow the course of the dissection. The course will first cover Back and Limbs, then Thorax, Abdomen, and Pelvis, and finally Head and Neck.
• MED MS 123: Medical Histology
  The Medical Histology course covers the study of cell, tissue, organ, and system histology and provides the foundational vocabulary and understanding of normal microscopic structure and organizational concepts required for pathophysiology and clinical medicine. Emphasis is on functional morphology at the light and electron microscope levels. Directed self-study laboratory exercises and interactive small-group laboratory discussions using computerized virtual microscopy supplement companion lectures. The course runs concurrently with the Medical Physiology and Endocrinology courses in an integrated manner.
• MED MS 124: Integrated Problems 1A
  Integrated Problems 1A is a small group problem-based learning course in which medical students progressively learn to systematically dissect clinical cases. The skills developed in this course include: integration of concurrent course material and application to a clinical case, creation of research questions from a case presentation, research skills, and succinct presentation skills. In addition, students progressively develop clinical reasoning skills that will allow them to create differential diagnoses for clinical problems. Students gain experience working with their colleagues and a faculty member in a respectful manner.
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• MED MS 126: Human Behavior in Medicine
  This course is designed to provide knowledge of human behavior important to the treatment of patients and their families. While knowledge of disease and its treatment are integral to medical care, understanding the patient as a person who suffers from an illness with his or her own beliefs about the cause and treatment of the illness is part of being an effective physician. Physicians who have an understanding of the aging and dying process can then help patients and their families deal with medical realities. Medical staff who have an awareness of the dynamics of addictions and domestic violence can hone their intuition as to what might assist the individual and the individual's spouse, children and elderly dependents. In addition, understanding the patient's sexuality gives a more complete medical understanding of the individual.
• MED MS 127: Biochemistry & Cell Biology
  Biochemistry and Cell Biology provides a great opportunity to study the underlying cellular, biochemical and molecular reactions in the human body. These disciplines allow students to learn how the body works and how alterations in these reactions can lead to a disease state. Such knowledge is essential to becoming an outstanding physician. From a clinical point of view, Biochemistry and Cell Biology provide not only a description of how the physiological system works, but also a foundation for understanding how to improve its operation and potential development of therapeutic and enhanced patient management strategies.
• MED MS 128: Endocrinology
  The Endocrinology course is an integrated treatment of human endocrinology: biosynthesis of hormones, regulation, receptor interactions, and physiological effects. The course is presented in lecture format and in small group discussion sessions where clinical cases are used to exemplify the mechanisms of endocrine function.
• MED MS 129: Essentials of Public Health
  The Essentials of Public Health course recognizes that delivering quality healthcare requires extensive knowledge of the health system in which a physician practices. Being an efficient and effective physician will require knowledge of health services, medical economics and ethical, legal, human rights, political and regulatory constraints. Awareness of the environmental and social factors that influence health in individuals and populations is necessary for the promotion of health and the prevention of disease. Caring for patients requires sensitivity to language, culture, race and ethnicity, as well as familiarity with psychosocial and behavioral models. Knowledge of epidemiology and biostatistics is necessary for evaluating effective medical interventions as well as the population basis for the practice of community medicine. A physician will need all of these skills, plus humanity and character, to empathize and care for and about patients.
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• MED MS 131: Medical Immunology
  The Medical Immunology course covers key immunologic concepts: how the components of the immune system are generated and function; the mechanisms that lead to beneficial immune responses, immune disorders, and immunodeficiencies; methods to identify immune reactions; and ways to manipulate the immune system to benefit the patient. These concepts and related case studies are presented through interactive lectures and small group discussion sessions.
• MED MS 132: Integrated Problems 1B
  See IP 1A Description.
• MED MS 133: Neurosciences
  Neurosciences In this course, students will study a wide variety of Neuroscience disciplines, including Neuroanatomy, Neurophysiology, Neurochemistry, Neuropsychology and Clinical Neurology. This reflects the fact that the study of the brain is an extraordinarily broad field, encompassing many issues and disciplines. The goal of this course is to cover, in an integrated fashion, basic information from all of the disciplines needed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the structure and function of the human central nervous system. Neuroanatomy laboratory exercises and neurophysiology discussions supplement lecture material.
• MED MS 134: Medical Physiology
  The Medical Physiology course is designed to give students a strong foundation in the normal function and integration of the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and gastrointestinal systems. The course uses a lecture format to explore whole organ function and underlying cellular mechanisms. A few laboratory exercises and a large number of interactive small group discussions of physiological problems and clinical cases are designed to encourage critical thinking and to reinforce conceptual material.
• MED MS 214: Introduction to Clinical Medicine II
  In ICM-2, students learn the parts of the physical examination and hone their interview skills in order to do complete history and physical examinations. Using simulators, models and standardized patients, students learn to identify heart sounds, perform breast, pelvic, and rectal examinations and to interview patients who have been programmed with substance abuse problems. Along the way, there are specialized sessions in diagnostic imaging, cancer screening, and pediatric topics. All students are required to pass the standardized patient physical examination, and all must present four complete patient work-ups in standard oral and written fashion. The course prepares students for the End of Second Year Assessment, a three station clinical OSCE, that takes place in the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center, as well as for the third year clerkships.
• MED MS 215: Integrated Problems 2A
  Integrated Problems 2A is a course in which students continue to systematically dissect clinical cases, building upon the skills developed during Integrated Problems IA and IB. In addition to the learning objectives in the first year, by the end of this semester students should be able to differentiate subjective and objective information, identify further clinical data needed to assess a clinical case, and develop assessments and plans for each case. Students are continually expected to act in a professional and respectful manner of their classmates and their facilitators.
• MED MS 218: Integrated Problems 2B
  Integrated Problems 2B continues to build on the skills and structure of Integrated Problems IA, IB, and 2A. In this semester students progress through cases more quickly and replace their independent research with research done during their group time. Students also gain the experience of developing and assessing a case that they saw in their Introduction to Clinical Medicine Course by developing a differential diagnosis and plan for that patient.
• MED MS 220: 221: 223: 224: 225: 226: Disease and Therapy (DRx)
  The Disease and Therapy (DRx) course integrates the study of disease, including pathophysiology, infectious etiologies, and pharmacologic management in an organ-based context. DRx begins with an introduction to the fundamental concepts of Microbiology, Pathology and Pharmacology in the Foundations Module and is followed by the Infectious Diseases Module in which the microbiological basis of infectious diseases and their pharmacologic treatment is addressed. Subsequent modules address diseases of the cardiovascular system, lungs, kidneys, joints and connective tissue, gastrointestinal system, endocrine and reproductive organs, skin, and nervous system, and psychiatric disorders. In the last module, oncology is taught in conjunction with hematology. Health law, policy, and management systems are incorporated throughout this curriculum.
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• MED MS 311: Surgery Clerkship (8 weeks)
  During the Surgery Clerkship, students are assigned to a four week rotation in general surgery at one of three sites: BMC-ENC, the West Roxbury VAMC, or Cape Cod Hospital. Students also do two weeks of vascular or cardiothoracic surgery, and two weeks of either anesthesiology or trauma surgery at BMC-HAC. Each of these rotations includes experience in the OR. All rotations except anesthesiology include experience as part of the surgical team caring for patients on the surgical wards, and outpatient care in surgical clinics. Students work directly with faculty in the OR, in clinic, and in regular meetings with their preceptors. All students return to BMC for didactics on Friday, and they participate in educational conferences with the residents and attendings.

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