Mission

The educational mission of UCSF School of Medicine is to prepare medical students from diverse backgrounds for excellence and leadership in patient care, research, education and public service.

Overview

UCSF medical students commence with the 18-month Essential Core, a series of 7 interdisciplinary block courses complemented by the longitudinal Foundations of Patient Care course. In the spring of year 2, students embark on the Clinical Studies, which consists of the third-year required clerkships and fourth-year rotations. Throughout, the curriculum emphasizes student-directed learning, connections across disciplines, and competency-based advancement.

From the first day, students also have rich opportunities to explore areas beyond the core curriculum and to engage in in-depth training and inquiry in areas such as basic or clinical research, community and global health, and medical education, through the innovative Pathways to Discovery Program.

We invite you to take an interactive tour of the curriculum via our Timeline.