Programs Prior to Medical School
Research and Community Experiences
A. Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Medicine must exhibit the requisite attitudes, skills, knowledge and professional behavior to complete the prescribed course of study, and must meet "The Essential Functions for Admission and Matriculation" cited in the catalog of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. In addition, a candidate must also possess personal qualifications and attributes deemed necessary to perform the duties of a medical professional. Specifically, all candidates are expected to exhibit unimpaired judgment and behavior consistent with the responsibilities of a medical professional. Thus, in addition to the usual academic evaluations for each course, the student evaluation will also take into consideration the following:
B. Entrance into the second year requires successful completion of the first year curriculum and compliance with the reporting requirements for the Independent Project. Entrance into the third year requires successful completion of the second year curriculum and compliance with the reporting requirements for the Independent Project. All students are required to take the USMLE Step 1 examination prior to the Introduction to the Clerkship Experience course except with permission of a Dean of Student Affairs. All students are required to pass the USMLE Step 1 exam prior to beginning any clerkship. Prior to beginning required rotations of the fourth year curriculum, students must satisfactorily complete all core clerkships of the third year and satisfy the reporting requirements for the Independent Project. Students who fail to satisfy these requirements will not be permitted to register for the next academic year..
C. Students for whom greater than 2.5 years have elapsed since the completion of the second year Patient Centered Medicine course must satisfy the following requirements prior to entry into the third year:
D. All students must pass the Summative Clinical Skills Assessment, complete the Clinical Procedures Requirement, and complete the Independent Scholarly Project.
E. Successful completion of twenty-one weeks of electives (three of which must be in an ambulatory outpatient specialty) are required for graduation. All electives in which a student enrolls must be passed. Under special circumstances and at the discretion of the Academic Standing Committee, up to four weeks of electives may be waived. In certain cases, the M.D. degree may be awarded after the University commencement, once the student successfully completes all requirements.
F. All students must successfully complete the full third and fourth year curricula and pass the United States Medical Licensing Exam Step 2 Clinical Knowledge and Step 2 Clinical Skills prior to being awarded the M.D. degree.