Pathways
Pathways
LECOM has designed a student-centered curriculum recognizing different learning styles: traditional Lecture-Discussion Pathway (LDP); small-group, Problem-Based Learning Pathway (PBL), the Directed-Study Pathway (DSP) and the accelerated three year Primary Care Scholars Pathway (PCSP). LECOM offers the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Degree at four campuses. The Erie, PA, campus offers four learning pathways while the Greensburg, PA, Bradenton, FL and Elmira, NY campuses enroll students in PBL only. The Primary Care Scholars Pathway (PCSP) is designed to attract more students to primary care, general internal medicine, and family medicine by condensing four years of medical education into three years. The Accelerated Physician Assistant Pathway (APAP) also Certified Physician Assistants (PA-C) to earn a DO degree in three years. APAP is available at the Greensburg campus only.
(LDP) Lecture Discussion Pathway
LDP core curriculum starts with basic sciences, emphasizing their relevance to clinical medicine. Beginning the second semester, the LDP begins a systems curriculum integrating basic and clinical sciences of human organ systems. Clinically-based lectures provide a physician’s experience with contemporary health care.
Number of curricular weeks: 176.
MORE ABOUT THE LD PATHWAY
(PBL) Problem-Based Learning Pathway
PBL emphasizes student-centered, self-directed learning. Each group of eight students meets with a faculty facilitator three times per week. Students work independently and in small groups developing learning issues and discussing new information relevant to actual patient cases. Working through clinical cases, the group obtain a medical history and physical examination results, request laboratory and imaging as needed and develop different diagnoses from which learning topics are chosen. Basic and clinical sciences are interweaved as PBL students progress through patient cases in the two years of pre-clinical curriculum.
Number of curricular weeks: 176.
MORE ABOUT THE PBL PATHWAY
(DSP) Direct Study Pathway
DSP provides significant flexibility for students during the first two years of medical school. Though the program stresses independence, it is a closely directed course of study. DSP students use lists of highly structured learning objectives compiled into modules that are divided into the core and systems curricula similar to the LDP courses.
Number of curricular weeks: 176.
MORE ABOUT THE DS PATHWAY
(PSCP) Primary Care Scholars Pathway
LECOM introduced PCSP as a response to the need for primary care physicians, particularly for family medicine. LECOM uses its experience with innovative teaching pathways to ensure that Primary Care Scholars receive the equivalent of four years of academic and clinical education within 3 years to prepare for post-graduate training. Students complete the first two years of basic science and preclinical education in under 20 months by attending class year-round and using the DSP learning strategy. They begin early clinical training and students must complete core competency-based clinical rotations that meet all the educational requirements necessary for primary care medicine.
Number of curricular weeks: 144.
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(APAP) Accelerated Physician Assistant Pathway
Certified physician assistants (PA-C) who are interested in expanding their education and practicing independently as physicians have an affordable, accelerated 3-year pathway to earn a DO degree. APAP students enroll in the PBL curriculum at the Greensburg campus. The two-year pre-clinical curriculum exacts that of all students in the PBL pathway to acceleration occurring during the clinical curriculum.
As medical practice is a team-based environment, students of all pathways participate in interprofessional education (IPE) elements across the curriculum to give them experience in working effectively with health care teams.
Number of curricular weeks: 140.
MORE ABOUT THE APAP PATHWAY