FAQ: Three Year Medical Schools

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
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With the high cost of medical education, more and more medical schools are offering accelerated programs that are designed to let students interested in certain [mostly less competitive] specialties graduate in 3 years instead of the usual 4.

Accelerated programs follow basically the same schedule as 4 year programs for the first 3 years (1-2 years of coursework, Step 1, 1 year of the mandatory required rotations, Step 2), but allows students opt out of the 4th year elective rotations and directly enter residency, often at one of the med school’s affiliated hospitals without needing to go thru the NRMP Match.

Separate application to the accelerated program is required after acceptance to the med school. Some programs have specific additional requirements for acceptance into the program. Please check the web sites of specific schools for details.

For More Information–
The Consortium of Accelerated Medical Pathway Programs

List of schools with accelerated pathway programs:

Primary Care Pathway Programs:
These schools guarantee a primary residency slot the med school’s home or an affiliated hospital for students who enter the pathway program

  • Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (FM)
  • University of California- Davis (FM, Primary care IM)
  • Wright State University (FM, Rural FM, Pediatrics)
  • Mercer University (FM, IM, Pediatrics)
  • University of Arkansas (FM, IM, Pediatrics)
  • University of Pittsburgh (FM, IM, Pediatrics)
  • University of Colorado (FM, IM, IM-ID, Pediatrics)
  • The Ohio State University (FM, Pediatrics, Geriatric Medicine)
  • University of Louisville (FM, IM, Pediatrics)
  • Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (FM, IM, Pediatrics)
  • University of Oklahoma- Tulsa University (FM, IM, Pediatrics)
  • University of Arizona (FM, IM, Pediatrics)
  • University of Massachusetts (FM, IM, Pediatrics)
  • Northeastern Ohio University (FM)
  • Eastern Tennessee State (FM, IM, Pediatrics)
  • Medical College of Wisconsin @ Green Bay and Central Wisconsin campuses only (Primary care)

Programs With Links to Multiple Disciplines at the Med School’s Affiliated Hospitals:

  • NYU Grossman (all specialties included)
  • Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (IM, Pediatrics, Neurology, Psychiatry, Anesthesia, Emergency Medicine, others?)
  • The Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University (all specialties)
  • Medical College of Georgia (EM, IM, FM, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, General Surgery)
  • Medical University of South Carolina (EM, IM, FM, OB/GYN, Neurology, Pathology)
  • Penn State University (FM, IM, EM, Psychiatry, Pediatrics)
  • Rutgers New Jersey ( IM, Med-Peds, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Psychiatry)
  • Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson (FM) @New Brunswick & Somerset campuses only (Pediatrics)
  • University of North Carolina (FM, IM, Med-Peds, Peds, Psych, General Surgery)
  • University of Miami (Anesthesia, EM, FM, IM, Med-Peds, Neurology, Neurosurgery, OB/GYN, Orthopedics, Pathology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Surgery, Urology)
  • University of Tennesee (FM, IM, Med-Peds, Neurology, Peds, Pediatric Neurology, Psychiatry)
  • Wayne State University (Anesthesiology, Dermatology, IM, FM, Otolaryngology, Preventive Medicine)
  • West Virginia University (EM, IM, Med-Peds, Pediatrics, OBGYN, Anesthesiology, Neurology, OB/GYN, Pathology, Psychiatry)
  • SUNY Upstate (EM, FM, IM, General Surgery, Neurology, Pathology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Radiation-Oncology, Urology)
  • NYU-Long Island (21 specialties)

Programs Linked To a School’s Specialty Program

  • Duke University (Orthopedics)
  • Medical College of South Carolina (Orthopedics)
  • Penn State University (Neurosurgery)
  • Eastern Virginia Medical School (Emergency Medicine)

A number of the primary care track programs offer scholarships for students in the programs so long as they commit to working in primary care in an area of need within the state.

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