Xavier University School of Medicine has adopted a modern, innovative and dynamic curriculum aimed at providing highly qualified physicians to US health care system and worldwide. The curriculum of XUSOM is prepared in alignment with its Mission, Vision and Educational Objectives.
The students learn Medicine via a well-organized system- based –curriculum, which closely correlates to the way the medicine is being practiced in the hospital. Innovative feature of XUSOM lies in its Curricular integration with well-organized Vertical (Collaboration between Basic and Clinical Sciences) and Horizontal integration (Collaboration between different disciplines of Basic Sciences). Vertically integrated Curriculum ensures that the students learn Basic Science from a clinical perspective from the first day of their medical school.
The total duration of the MD program is 4 years of which student spends first 2 years in the Aruba campus to learn the basic sciences and then proceeds to US for his clinical clerkships. During the Basic science program students are exposed to 9 organ systems. Each organ system is Integration of all the basic science subjects around the concepts of ICMPD (Integrated Clinical Medicine and Physical Diagnosis) and Objective structures Clinical Examination (OSCE) program. The curriculum ensures that, the students learn and theory and relevant clinical examination always in parallel to make learning complete and appropriate.
The students are also dealt with ethics of clinical practice, career counseling, Medical Humanities and professionalism for their holistic development. Teaching learning sessions like Clinical Case presentation, Team Based Learning and Problem Based learning help them to be an independent learner and imbibe the art of lifelong learning in them.
4 Year Med Program
Fundamental concepts: This 15 week’s course involves the study of foundation sciences in medicine, which enables the student to prime himself to understand the concepts and functioning of various organ systems in the body. The students learn topics relating to basic concepts of each medical subject beginning from physiology to pathology. These preliminary topics include the cellular functions, homeostasis and the consequences of derangements, feedback mechanisms, and terminologies in human body. The students will be familiarized on basic concepts of Homeostasis and its maintenance, Infection, Immunology, Cancer biology and treatment, Nutrition and metabolism, Embryology, in this course. From a clinical examination perspective, students are taught the basics of History taking and General examination with recording of vitals towards the end of the organ system.
Patient, Doctor, and Society I: This is the first course in a five-part series which includes Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Critical Appraisal of Scientific Literature (CASL), medical professionalism & humanities, Early Clinical Exposure, and classroom activities. Students visit local general practitioners for their early clinical exposure during this semester. In the local clinics they observe the interaction between the patient and the doctor and get firsthand information on patient communication.
Healthcare Quality Improvement I: This is the first course in a five-part series which includes the online Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) module and medical ethics.
Musculoskeletal system: Students get to learn about the various organs of locomotion and internal. The internal movements are involuntary movements involving the muscles. The locomotion involves skeletal muscles, bones. Students learn basics on organization of locomotor structures, molecular mechanism of such movements and the possible key areas for the disorders and related pharmacotherapy for the same. All these core subjects are integrated and discussed under ICMPD. Relevant clinical examination of integumentary system would be discussed and the same would be evaluated through OSCE program.
Endocrine and Reproductive System: Student learns the basic concepts of hormones, their source, functions and normal values. Students get to learn the principles of human growth, control of food intake, physiological management of stress, maintenance of mineral metabolism. They also get to understand the concepts of human reproduction, fertilization, contraception. This module Introduces students to the normal functioning, diseases, and therapeutics of the endocrine and reproductive system. The presentation of Endocrine and reproductive system disorders along with clinical features with reasoning would be dealt in ICMPD. Thyroid and Breast clinical examination along with appropriate history taking would be discussed and evaluated through OSCE program.
Patient, Doctor, and Society II: Using the foundation from the first part of this course, students move on to more advanced components. The students again learn Critical Analysis of Scientific Literature, participate in discussions involving Medical Humanities and professionalism. They also learn concepts of Biostatistics and Epidemiology in this course.
Healthcare Quality Improvement II: More advanced issues in medical ethics will be discussed, using the foundation from the first part of this course.
Renal and Metabolic System: The Renal and metabolic system introduces the students to the basic understanding of the normal structure and functions of the kidneys along with the principles involving the renal handling of salt and water. Students also get to learn about the various principles and latest methods of managing renal disorders along with relevant metabolic and electrolyte abnormalities associated with the renal system. Students will summarize and discuss the relevant clinical findings and presentation of renal diseases under ICMPD.
Nervous System: This system is considered as one of the most vital and challenging organ system during the Basic science study. In this course, the students are exposed to the basic concepts and principles of neurons, organization of central nervous system. Under Neuroscience the students will learn how the different parts of nervous system gets integrated in coordinating various activities like locomotion, sensory perceptions, maintenance of balance and equilibrium. They understand the circuits and pathways involved in the controlling the various autonomic internal systemic activities related to respiration, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal system. They are taught the complex concepts through state of art teaching, animation as well as videos where necessary. Finally ICMPD integrates all the core subjects and gives a clinical touch to the brain and nerve related disorders with the reasoning for the same. Students learn to take a detailed history and perform an extensive neurological examination from the ICMPD subject experts. The student’s clinical skills are assessed under OSCE.
Patient, Doctor, and Society III: After a review of the skills developed in Patient, Doctor, and Society I & II, students will begin to delve deeper into the aforementioned components. The students will critically review the scientific literature and have a movie screening activities as part of this course.
Healthcare Quality Improvement III: This course will provide a comprehensive study of the legal and ethical issues involved in the practice of medicine, after a review of the skills developed in Healthcare Quality Improvement I & II.
Gastrointestinal System: The student learning in Gastro intestinal system is related to understanding mechanisms involved in digestion and absorption of food, thus ensuring to cater to the nutritional needs of the body. Contribution of various glands of gastro intestinal tract in digestion by secreting the appropriate digestive enzymes and consequences of its disease process is described in detail to all the students. The students learn presentation, pathogenesis, work up and treatment of all the Gastro intestinal diseases under ICMPD. Gastrointestinal clinical examination and history taking is discussed in ICMPD and these skills are assessed by OSCE.
Respiratory System: Respiration is a process which occurs throughout life and we see respiratory regulations happening constantly in various health and disease states. In this course the students will be enlightened on the normal respiratory functions, mechanisms of gas exchange and how these processes get disrupted in diseased state. They also learn body adaption to high altitude, high pressure and environmental changes. In ICMPD students will learn the presentation, workup and appropriate treatment. In addition the students will have focused study on the ventilator assisted breathing, its impact on the gas exchange process. Respiratory system clinical examination will be assessed by OSCE.
Patient, Doctor, and Society IV: After a quick review of the first three parts of this course, students will be moving into the more advanced components including movie screening with discussion post movie. The students will also review and analyse a scientific literature during this course.
Healthcare Quality Improvement IV: Students will explore the advanced legal and ethical issues that arise in the practice of medicine, after a quick review of the first three parts of this course.
Cardiovascular System: Student learns the basic concepts to understand the structure of the heart, electrical and mechanical events in the heart. Students also learns about the normal values of vitals like pulse, blood pressure. Students learn about the cause -consequences of altered normal functioning of heart, the measurement of such alterations and also the management. The Students learn about the functioning of the cardiovascular system in health and disease and therapeutics and use of drugs to treat and manage disorders of this important system.
Hematopoietic System: Student learns the basic concepts of blood and constituents of blood, blood transfusion, diseases related to the blood. Students gets to learn about the immunity and immune disorders, and principles of management of the same. Introduces students to all aspects surrounding the functioning of the hematopoietic system (blood forming) in health and disease and therapeutics and use of drugs to treat and manage disorders of this important system.
Patient, Doctor, and Society V: After reviewing all the skills learned up to this point, students will focus on advanced appraisal of scientific literature. The students will also visit the Hospital and get experience of working with multiple different medical professionals including nurses. This course will also help them to apply their history taking skills on the live patients and review the basics of clinical examination.
Healthcare Quality Improvement V: Students will move on to the most advanced, medically relevant, ethical questions, after reviewing all the skills learned up to this point.
Xavier University offers students this unique semester to not only prepare them for the USMLE Step 1 Exam, but also for a smooth transition into clinical medicine in the United States. Students gain valuable knowledge during this time and a clear comprehension of the healthcare system and post-graduate medical training in the United States. During this semester students will cover:
- Comprehensive Integration of Clinical Judgment
- Foundations of Medicine
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Getting into Residency
- USMLE Step 1 Review Course
USMLE Review Course
Xavier University School of Medicine and Kaplan have partnered to offer students with United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) review programs and resources. Kaplan’s USMLE review programs are tailored to meet the needs of MD6 students and help prepare them for USMLE success. Kaplan’s live online review classes for Step 1 provide real-time, online virtual learning. Students receive over 275 hours of live online lectures, an additional 30 hours of live online integrated cases, access to Kaplan’s interactive series of eBooks and question bank, NBME exam assessments, as well as diagnostic and simulated exams. This course is completed on campus in Aruba.
- OSCE Exam
Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) examination
The student’s history taking and clinical examination skills are assessed through OSCE examination. OSCE aims to hone the clinical skills of the student that was learnt from MD1 to MD5 semester, assimilate new methods and sharpen the student’s history taking skills, including all the aspects of chief complaint/presenting problem, history of present illness, past medical history, family and social history, review of systems, and mental status exam. OSCE also aims to assess the student’s clinical examination skills that the students should possess for smooth transition from basic sciences to clinical science. It is mandatory for students to pass OSCE component separately for them to pass MD6.
CARE Enrichment Experience
CARE (CATCH-UP; ASSIST; REACH-OUT; EMBRACE) is a mandatory component of the XUSOM curriculum to provide the medical students with both the opportunity and the responsibility to look beyond the limits of catering to only their patients’ needs and extend themselves into the horizons of preventing disease and promoting health in the community. CARE is aimed at providing medical students with skills in assessing health needs and resources, planning and organizing, intercultural competence, qualitative and quantitative data collection. The aim is to foster meaningful community service-based reflective learning among medical students to help them become community-responsible physicians and be better equipped to address societal determinants of disease. This component provides medical students with service-learning curricula that will inculcate in them the thoughtfulness to engage with community and societal health needs beyond academic requirements. It is mandatory for every student to complete 32 hours of CARE during their 2 years of basic science training.
- Introduction to US Clinical Research (8 Weeks)
- Introduction to US Clinicals (4 Weeks)
- Internal Medicine (12 weeks)
The 12 weeks of the internal medicine rotation aims at imbibing the students with core clinical skills in diagnosing and treating a wide variety of medical problems. The students are guided on developing logical approach to the diagnosis and treatment of patients’ complaints. The core competencies that the students learn in Internal Medicine are:
- Art of eliciting and assessment of Patient information.
- Performing an accurate and relevant physical examination.
- Integration of History, Physical Examination and Diagnostics in formulating the differential diagnosis and problem list. The students are also exposed on how to construct a diagnostic work up and a plan of management for these cases.
In addition, the student learns effective communication with patients and with medical, nursing, and other ancillary staff.
The students are rotated among different sub-specialties of Medicine as per the table shown below.
Week Sub-specialty
- Approach to History taking and Physical Examination, Dermatology
- Cardiology
- Otorhinolaryngology rotations
- Endocrinology
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Gastrointestinal Medicine
- Urology
- Infectious diseases
- Neurology
- Ophthalmology
- Toxicology
- Hematology
Students are expected to present cases every week to the preceptors, who will further give feedback on how to improve their clinical skills.
The surgical clerkship is an integrated, clinical experience designed to introduce the student to the basic concepts of surgical practice. This clerkship encompasses both in- patient and outpatient clinic experience based on a student-resident-attending physician teaching team. The duration of this clerkship is 12 weeks.
The emphasis during the rotation is NOT on surgical technique but on the understanding of the pathophysiology of disease, the use of surgical intervention, and the management of pre- and post-operative problems. Through work in this clerkship, the student becomes familiar with proper consultative practices and understands the basic routines and sub-routines of surgical management. The students are expected to assist in the operating room to gain an understanding of basic surgical techniques, surgical discipline in relation to asepsis, and care of the unconscious patient.
Students learn procedures involving manual skills such as catheterization, venipuncture, placing and removing sutures. Instructional methods include series of lectures, group discussions, observation, Grand Rounds, clinical/hospital interaction, assignments, and case studies under the direction of the doctors and/or senior residents at the hospital, clinic, or private office. Students will further demonstrate knowledge of the core through completion of case studies and assignments as determined by the doctors and/or senior residents.
Family Medicine is an essential component of the primary care infrastructure of the US health care system. This primary care specialty provides first contact, ongoing, and preventive care to all patients regardless of age, gender, culture, care setting, or type of problem. Family Medicine clinical experiences allow students to understand how context influences the diagnostic process and management decisions. Students learn the fundamentals of an approach to the evaluation and management of frequently occurring, complex, concurrent, and ill-defined problems across a wide variety of acute and chronic presentations.
The Family Medicine Clerkship is designed to provide medical students with the knowledge and skill to competently manage medical patients, as well as knowledge about how family dynamics and behavioral medicine principles apply to caring for the health and well-being of the family unit.
During the clinical rotation in the obstetrics/ gynecology students gain the knowledge and experience in managing the normal and abnormal changes that occur during pregnancy and lactation, delivery, and the puerperium. They also understand the principals involved in diagnosing and treating gynecologic disorders.
Students understands the process and important concepts like art of history-taking, and skills of clinical examination of patients. These includes basic skill acquisition training like performing pelvic examinations, passing a speculum, obtaining cervical smear. Students must attend the pre and post-natal care, family planning, infertility and such specialty clinics. They attend patients in the labor delivery room, get to monitor them and record partograms.
This didactic and clinical experience will be in an academic atmosphere which includes residents, house officers, and attending faculty. This curriculum is intended to provide objectives for the medical student who may enter any discipline and is divided into units and sections with specific objectives.
This course will be taught through a series of lectures, group discussions, observation, Grand Rounds, clinical/hospital interaction, assignments, and case studies under the direction of the doctors and/or senior residents at the hospital, clinic, or private office. Students will further demonstrate knowledge of the core through completion of case studies and assignments as determined by the doctors and/or senior residents. Students will be expected to observe minor and major surgical procedures and learn basic surgical techniques.
The 6 weeks core rotation primarily focuses on aspects related to collection of proper history (either from child or their care takers), a through pediatric clinical examination, Diagnosis, work up and treatment of pediatric diseases. The adequacy as well as accuracy of the students is checked by the resident physicians and preceptors. Fundamentals of pediatric management are learned from the resident staff. Attendance at lectures, seminars, and conferences expands the student’s view of the sick and well children.
In the well child outpatient services, the student learns the milestones of growth and development, infant feeding, child nutrition, preventative pediatrics including immunization, and the common minor ailments of childhood. In the pediatric specialty clinics, the student observes the management and progression of a wide variety of serious and chronic illnesses.
Emergency department and urgent care experience permits the student to be the first to evaluate infants and children with previously undiagnosed acute illness, such as asthma exacerbation, otitis, pneumonia and similar problems.
The initial management of the newborn is learned in the delivery room. In the nurseries, the student practices the examination of the newborn and learns about the initiation of feeding, neonatal physiological changes, and minor difficulties. In the newborn intensive care unit, the student is an observer of the management of the premature and term infant with a serious or potentially serious aliment.
This course will be taught through a series of lectures, group discussions, observation, Grand Rounds, clinical/hospital interaction, assignments, and case studies under the direction of the doctors and/or senior residents at the hospital, clinic, or private office. Students will further demonstrate knowledge of the core through completion of case studies and assignments as determined by the doctors and/or senior residents.
The clerkship in Psychiatry familiarizes the student with the psychological aspects of human behavior in health and disease, and the diagnosis and management of psychiatric interviews and on performing mental status examinations. The student observes interviews and conducts psychiatric examinations under supervision.
During the clinical rotations, students spend a period of time on an inpatient psychiatric service where they apply the training received under supervision of house staff and clinical faculty. In most instances students also receive experience with outpatient psychiatry, child psychiatry, and substance rehabilitation programs.
This course will be taught through a series of lectures, group discussions, observation, Grand Rounds, clinical/hospital interaction, assignments, and case studies under the direction of the doctors and/or senior residents at the hospital, clinic, or private office. Students will further demonstrate knowledge of the core through completion of case studies and assignments as determined by the doctors and/or senior residents.
- Cardiology
- Family Medicine
- Dermatology
- Emergency Medicine
- Anesthesiology
- Intensive Care Medicine
- Neurology
- Pathology
- Plastic Surgery
- Radiology
- Urology
- Vascular Surgery
These rotations are generally pursued in the field appropriate to career interest and they provide a greater amount of showcasing and networking experiences.
A student will generally select an elective sub-internship, where they will perform the role of an intern or first-year medical graduate, under the supervision of senior staff and attending physicians.
Preclinical Clerkships
Core Rotations
Elective Rotations
5.5 Year Pre-Med to MD Program
Introduction to Chemical Properties of Matter
The course aims to prepare tomorrow’s doctors by setting the foundation of chemistry concepts and emphasizing how to utilize the information, and how to incorporate into medical training. This course introduces basic chemistry concepts such as types of chemical reactions, thermodynamics, orbitals, chemical bonds, and chemical calculations.
Energy and the Universe
This course will expose students to college level mathematics followed by some exciting areas of Physics such as Kinematics, Dynamics, Thermodynamics, Optics, Vibration, Waves, Electromagnetism Quantum Mechanics, and Fluid Mechanics.
Medical Communications
The purpose of the medical communications course is to provide the student with an understanding of the role of communication skills and the ability to apply this knowledge to diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Medical Communications is the study of communicating within the medical community while obtaining better usage and style within the English language. This course will explore the biopsychosocial needs of patients, families, and the multidisciplinary team.
Organ Structure and Function I
This course consists of fundamental concepts, musculoskeletal, and the renal systems. Each system will cover the fundamentals of normal structure and function with an introduction to clinical concepts and abnormal structure and function. Instructional methods will include lecture, small-group sessions, problem-based learning (PBL), laboratory work, self-study and clinical experience with real and simulated patients.
Basic Principles of Chemical Reactivity
This is the second half of a two-semester sequence designed for the non-chemistry major to gain a basic understanding of general chemistry. It is the continuation of Introduction to Chemical Property of Matter. Basic Principles of Chemical Reactivity introduces additional fundamental chemistry concepts such as kinetics, acids and bases, and nuclear reactions. This course also introduces the student to some Organic Chemistry concepts such as nomenclature and structures.
Organ Structure and Function II
This course consists of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and the respiratory systems. Each system will cover the fundamentals of normal structure and function with an introduction to clinical concepts and abnormal structure and function. Instructional methods will include lecture, small-group sessions, PBL, laboratory work, self-study and clinical experience with real and simulated patients.
Inheritance and Evolution
This course will continue with classical and molecular genetics processes learned in Cells and Cellular Processes, and explore how genes relate to disease. The relationship between genes, transcripts, and proteins, and how it affects an individual’s health will be explored. A critical component will be understanding the inheritance mechanisms of genes through utilization of human pedigrees. In addition, the course will look at micro and macro evolution.
Ethics and Behavioral Sciences I
This course, along with Ethics and Behavioral Sciences 2, is a broad survey of the history and theory underlying behavioral science and psychology, and medical ethics. This course is a preparatory course designed to prepare the student for the study of Medical Psychology and Ethics in the medical curriculum. Specific topics covered will include an overview of those ethical principles which will govern all medical practice, with specific application to ethics in the practice of psychiatric and behavioral medicine. Additionally, this course will cover the history of psychology and psychological research, lifespan development, sensation, learning, consciousness and cognition, all as they relate to human behavior in the medical setting. The course will conclude with an overview of the primary psychiatric pathologies that students will be studying in the medical curriculum, as well as those which will most often be encountered during clinical training in preparation for Step 1 of the USMLE .
Organ Structure and Function III
This course consists of nervous, endocrine and reproduction, and the immune systems. Each system will cover the fundamentals of normal structure and function with an introduction to clinical concepts and abnormal structure and function. Instructional methods will include lecture, small-group sessions, PBL, laboratory work, self-study and clinical experience with real and simulated patients.
Biostatistics
This course provides an introduction to the basic concepts of statistics and how they are used in medicine and the biological sciences.
Ethics and Behavioral Sciences II
This course is a continuation of Ethics and Behavioral Sciences 1. It is a broad survey of the history and theory underlying behavioral science and psychology, and medical ethics. This course is a preparatory course designed to prepare the student for the study of Medical Psychology and Ethics in the medical curriculum. Specific topics covered will include an overview of those ethical principles which will govern all medical practice, with specific application to ethics in the practice of psychiatric and behavioral medicine. Additionally, this course will cover the history of psychology and psychological research, lifespan development, sensation, learning, consciousness and cognition, all as they relate to human behavior in the medical setting. The course will conclude with an overview of the primary psychiatric pathologies that students will be studying in the medical curriculum, as well as those which will most often be encountered during clinical training in preparation for Step 1 of the USMLE .
