Pre-clerkship Curriculum

Photo by Robert A. Lisak

The Integrated Basic & Clinical Science Curriculum includes eight Master Courses, four Longitudinal Courses, and nine Longitudinal Threads, as well as early clinical experiences, spread out over the first eighteen months of study for all medical students.

The Integrated Basic & Clinical Science Courses include:

Eight Master Courses

The master courses provide the foundational building blocks of medical and scientific knowledge. The courses range from two to 11 weeks.

Read the eight master course descriptions.

Four Longitudinal Courses

Longitudinal Courses extend across and run concurrently with Master Courses. Content in Longitudinal Courses complements material in the Master Courses. Each Longitudinal Course lasts 4 to 8 months.

Read the four longitudinal course descriptions.

Nine Longitudinal Threads

Longitudinal Threads represent key scientific and social disciplines whose content is fundamental to the Master Courses. Content from Longitudinal Threads are woven into the curriculum of the Master Courses and Clerkships.

Read the nine longitudinal thread descriptions.

Pre-Clerkship Clinical Experiences

Clinical SkillsThe Clinical Skills (CS) Course spans the first eighteen months of school for all medical students. Students begin to develop and refine their clinical skills, the essential elements of “doctoring” that physicians use during patient encounters.
Early Clinical ExperiencesYale School of Medicine MD students have many opportunities for clinical experiences in the pre-clerkship curriculum, including the Interprofessional Longitudinal Clinical Experience (ILCE) and working with a Medical Clinical Experience (MCE) tutor.