Penn State College of Medicine Three-Year Accelerated Pathways

Penn State College of Medicine continues to redesign its medical curriculum to better align medical training with the healthcare needs of the nation and to develop a competency-based education that supports individualized learning. Penn State launched a 3-year program accelerated pathway in Family Medicine (FM-APPS) in 2014.  The program has since expanded to include Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurosurgery and Orthopedics, with plans for other specialties.

Penn State 3-year accelerated MD program: 

• Accelerate training so that students can earn a medical degree in three years, reducing the cost of education and to allow earlier entry into careers

• Integrate learning by offering longitudinal integrated clerkship (LIC) for the clinical core training, replacing traditional block clerkships for the Family Medicine Pathway

• Provide longitudinal experiences where students will follow a panel of patents over a year, creating opportunities to foster meaningful relationships with patients

• Incorporate the principles of Patient Centered Medicine Home (PCMH) into the curriculum

• Link UME-GME goals to facilitate continuity with patients, faculty and learning environment

• Participate in NRMP, but ranked to match at the Penn State Residency Programs

• Access mentors for advising and research opportunities

• Gain acceptance at time of matriculation or during the first year of medical school

By blending a 3-year program with innovative curriculum, we anticipate that graduates will be more patient-centered, empathetic physicians who will be well prepared to practice medicine in the new healthcare environment. 

For more information, see https://med.psu.edu/md/accelerated