The LEARN curriculum at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University provides the opportunity for extensive and integrated training in the basic medical sciences and clinical disciplines of medicine. There are three distinct phases in LEARN:
Phase I: Foundational Phase (18 months)
Phase I begins with Transition to Medical School (TMS), an eight-day course designed to facilitate students’ transition from lay person to a medical professional in training. TMS is followed by Biomedical Building Blocks (B3), a 24-week sequence of four foundational basic science courses – The Body, Molecular Foundations of Medicine, Pathogens and Host Defense, and Basic Mechanisms of Disease. B3 is followed by a 36-week sequence of five Integrated Pathophysiology systems-based courses: Cardiovascular-Pulmonary-Renal, Mind-Brain-Behavior, Endocrine-Reproductive, Gastrointestinal-Nutrition, and Musculoskeletal. Three longitudinal courses span Phase I: Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM), Themes in Medical Education, and Medicine in Contemporary Society. Students must also Pass the final ICM summative OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination).
Phase II: Primary Clinical Phase (12 months)
Phase II begins with a two-week Transition to Clinical Care course followed by the Primary Clinical Clerkships. Clerkships are aligned in four 12-week blocks: Medicine and Primary Care; Pediatrics and Ob-Gyn; Surgery, Anesthesia and Emergency Medicine; and Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology. Blocks 1-3 are each capped by a wellness week, during which students may take time to relax and recharge with family and friends, or participate in self-directed activities. Following the fourth clerkship block, students begin their dedicated Step exam prep period. During the fourth clerkship block, students take the summative Clinical Performance Exam, which they must pass.
Phase III: Advanced Clinical Phase (16 months)
Phase III provides students with a flexible and extended 4th year experience. Over the course of 16 months, students complete a total of 40 weeks of credit, which includes, a 4-week sub-internship from among 11 specialties, 26 weeks of electives, a 4-week Selective, a 2-week General Transition to Residency, a 2-week Specialty Transition to Residency, and a 2-week Advanced Clinical Experience. Phase III also provides ample time for students to prepare for and take the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 examinations, explore specialties of interest, participate in research, and apply to and interview with residency programs.
USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 Examinations
After completing Phase II and before beginning Phase III courses, students have 12 weeks of dedicated time (mid-January to early April) to prepare for and take the USMLE Step 1 exam. Many students will also take Step 2 during this time. Students who prefer to not take Step 1 and Step 2 back-to-back generally take four weeks in the summer of Phase III to prepare for and take the Step 2 exam. The deadline for completing Step 2 is August 1 of Phase III.
Click here for additional information about the LEARN Curriculum.
