The University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine

Accelerated MD Pathway

Beginning in the Fall of 2023, The OU School of Community Medicine will offer an accelerated MD pathway program which will allow up to six selected students per MS1 class to complete the MD degree in three years instead of the usual four*.  This program provides the opportunity for students to enter a directed pathway which leads from accelerated acquisition of the MD degree into a primary care residency training program at SCM.  Once students complete the academic and professional standards for graduation from medical school, they will be positioned to match into an SCM primary care residency program (up to two students each for pediatrics, family medicine, and internal medicine) through the National Residency Matching Program®.  These “3+3” accelerated MD pathway programs are designed to emphasize continuity between medical school and residency training, provide for enhanced mentoring with faculty, and allow graduates earlier career entry in their chosen fields.  In addition to these advantages, students benefit from reduced medical education costs and optimize their opportunities for continuity in patient care and for career and practice advising.

Accelerated MD pathways nationwide are supported by the Consortium of Accelerated Medical Pathway Programs (CAMPP).  The Association of American Medical Colleges Graduation Questionnaire analysis demonstrates that graduates from accelerated MD programs report feeling as satisfied with their medical education and as prepared for residency as their four-year MD graduate counterparts. 

The School of Community Medicine 3+3 Accelerated MD Pathways integrate undergraduate medical education in 3 years with a planned pathway into a 3 year primary care residency training program at SCM through the NRMP Match.  The pathways will produce physicians well-prepared to:

  • Meet the complex medical needs of patients and their families in Oklahoma and beyond

  • Navigate the complex healthcare systems of today

  • Skillfully address social determinants of health

  • Choose if desired to successfully practice in Oklahoma’s rural, tribal, and medically-underserved areas  

Participating Departments

  • Family Medicine

  • Internal Medicine

  • Pediatrics

https://www.ou.edu/tulsa/community_medicine/Futurestudents/Accelerated-MD-Pathways