Geffen Hall
Year after year, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (DGSOM) lands on U.S. News and World Report list of top medical schools. According to U.S. News, the rankings factor in “two types of data: expert opinions about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research and students.”
Designed to provide both basic science knowledge and hands-on clinical experiences, an innovative curriculum helps bright students grow into nationally-honored physicians.
During the first and second years of medical school, the DGSOM offers a curriculum rooted in holistic human biology and disease processes. The curriculum progresses in blocks that integrate problem- and case-based teaching methods rather than lectures.
During the third and fourth years of school, medical students complete rotations at hospitals and diverse clinical settings. The required rotations include surgery, internal and inpatient medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, ambulatory medicine and neurology/psychiatry. Students learn about radiology, an important modality in diagnosis and treatment, throughout the year.
During the fourth year, students may take elective rotations, called sub-internships, that last three to four weeks. These rotations give students even more clinical responsibility than standard rotations. Many students use elective rotations to choose a medical specialty.
The DGSOM encourages students to branch out and delve into topics of modern medicine by offering career-oriented pathways, including the Global Health Pathway, the Clinical and Translational Research Pathway and the Systems of Cure Pathway. The Global Health Pathway provides students with learning and practical opportunities to pursue clinical work internationally. The Clinical and Translational Medicine Pathway is ideal for students who want to pursue research in addition to clinical practice. The Systems of Cure Pathway was designed for students wishing to pursue leadership roles in the healthcare system.
Taken together, these innovations help DGSOM students become trailblazers in the future of health and healthcare.
