Curriculum

Curriculum

The LECOM School of Podiatric Medicine adheres to the following mission:

 “To prepare students through an innovative curriculum, scholarship opportunities, and service experiences for residency training and who are dedicated to improving the overall health and wellness of all members of society through the practice of podiatric medicine.”

To accomplish the mission, the School of Podiatric Medicine has developed a curriculum that integrates a holistic approach to patient care with the specialty of podiatric medicine. The School also recognizes the benefits of a curriculum that encourages interprofessional engagement between medical professions. The curriculum is four years in length and follows a two-plus-two format.

Year 1 and Year 2

In Year 1, podiatric medical students take a common basic science curriculum with students in the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Throughout Year 1 and Year 2, podiatric medical students take key components of the clinical systems curriculum with osteopathic medical students. Podiatric specific courses are integrated throughout the first two years, along with courses that introduce the essential areas of healthcare management, medical jurisprudence, research/biostatistics, evidence-based medicine, and sociocultural aspects of human behavior. Curricular content is delivered through lectures, labs, case studies, small group learning sessions, and independent study.

Students complete a Podiatric Medicine Summer Orientation Clinical Rotation at the end of Year 2. Half of the class is scheduled for this four-week rotation while the other half of the class is given time to prepare for Part I of the National Board Exam administered in July. After four weeks, the schedule is reversed.

Year 3 and Year 4

The clinical training experiences Year 3 and Year 4 occur at ambulatory centers, medical centers and hospitals, and community-based clinics, including those in rural areas.  In many of the patient-care centers, students interact with healthcare professionals representing multiple fields of medicine and continue to experience the importance of interprofessional practice to achieve desired patient outcomes.

Year 3

The first eight weeks of Year 3 follow the Summer Clinical Rotation schedule where half of the class is assigned to a Podiatric Medicine Rotation while the other half of the class completes the Clinical Skills Course. This is reversed for the second four-week period. Both groups take the Lower Extremity Trauma Course when offered. For the remainder of Year 3, students complete podiatric and medical specialty rotations, including a Geriatric Internal Medicine Rotation at the LECOM Senior Living Center. Clinical rotations encompass a diverse array of patient care settings from the LECOM Wellness Center, inner city LECOM Health Foot and Ankle Clinics, major medical centers in Erie including Millcreek Community Hospital, rural clinics, and community-based private practices.

One of the four-week podiatric rotations during Year 3 involves students participating in an in-depth evidence-based medicine (EBM) academic immersion experience leading to scholarly presentation under the mentorship of a podiatric faculty member.  For the final four-week rotation of Year 3, students select a podiatric hospital-based program through the national clerkship match process administered by the American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM). Students complete 36 weeks of clinical rotations during Year 3.

The clinical training experiences occur at ambulatory centers, medical centers and hospitals, and community-based clinics, including those in rural areas.  In many of the patient-care centers, students interact with healthcare professionals representing multiple fields of medicine and continue to experience the importance of interprofessional practice to achieve desired patient outcomes.

Year 4

In Year 4, students complete 44 weeks of clinical rotations. Four four-week Podiatric Medicine Rotations are selected through the AACPM national clerkship process. Students select one 12-week hospital-based Core Rotation that includes eight weeks of Podiatric Medicine and four weeks of a Medical Specialty made available by the training institution. The remaining clinical rotations include a four-week Podiatric Medicine Private Practice Rotation, a four-week Medicine Rotation in family medicine, internal medicine, or similar medical specialty, and two four-week Elective Rotations in one of many medical specialties, including, but not limited to, podiatric medicine, internal medicine, dermatology, emergency medicine, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, infectious disease, neurology, and physical therapy. Year 4 affords students flexibility in scheduling their clinical rotations and pursuing areas of interest. To meet their professional goals, students are counseled on programs to consider with many of the podiatric medicine rotations at institutions offering residency training. Students are permitted to take one month off during Year 4.

Residency Training

On completion of the program, graduates enter residency programs across the U.S. to receive advanced training. LECOM does not guarantee a residency program for students.