Accelerated Medical School Programs: Should you finish medical school in 3 years?
Updated 11/16/21
One more medical school is looking to join the ranks of schools offering a 3 year medical school program. The Medical College of Georgia is planning to expand their medical school class by 50 students and shorten school to three years in order to meet the demand for physicians in rural areas. The three year program would link to a three year primary care residency in the state. They are also approaching state leaders with the idea of paying tuition for students who agree to spend 6 years in underserved areas of the state, which is almost every county outside of the metro areas.
The idea of three year programs is not new. The idea to shorten medical education in order to expedite the growth of the physician workforce is an old idea from World War II. The current driving force for shortening medical school includes putting doctors where they are needed (primary care, rural), more efficiently and eliminating debt associated with medical training.
Should you be sprinting or walking to that finish line?
There are pros and cons to an accelerated medical program. As with many changes happening to medical school curricula in an effort to encourage students into primary care there are many critics to this approach. Many believe it will not solve the problem and could be dangerous (read the comments) and that other measures should be taken such as integrating necessary curricula into premed coursework, or increasing pay for primary care physicians. A review article in Academic Medicine discusses the merits and challenges of several three year programs. You may also want to listen to this audio interview on the pros and cons from the New England Journal of Medicine.
Here is a summary:
Pros:
25% less tuition; reduced debt
Same core curriculum as 4 year program
Start practice one year earlier; earlier physician income
Linkage with primary care residency programs or other specialties (don’t need to apply)
Enhanced student mentoring and support
Cons:
Less time off, courses through summer break
Less time for test prep
Early commitment to a specialty without sufficient electives
Some disadvantage for residencies who may not value 3 year program
Since 2015 there has been a Consortium of Accelerated Pathway Programs, which includes 12 U.S. Medical schools and 1 Canadian medical school. Each school’s accelerated program varies in focus, ranging from an emphasis on primary care or students transitioning students who already have PhD degrees or PA degrees.
These programs are required to meet the same LCME requirement of at least 130 weeks of instruction and an experience that provides breadth and depth to prepare students for practice as a physician.
Interestingly, there is a discussion about whether education should be measured in hours of education or training and there has been a shift to the measurement of competencies. This approach would focus more on the variability in learning styles, learning readiness, and differing financial demands in customizing a medical education.
Here is a listing of currently available and developing programs:
NYU. Largest accelerated pathway. Choose among 20 residency programs at NYU.
McMaster University Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine
Mercer University School of Medicine Primary Care Accelerated Track (PC-ACT) Program. Targeted at students with an interest in family medicine or general internal medicine.
Penn State College of Medicine Family Medicine Accelerated Pathway (FM-APPS) is a 3+3 pathway where students complete medical school in three years and then complete a three-year family residency at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine
Ohio State University College of Medicine Primary Care Track (OSU-PCT); transitions to OSU Family Medicine Residency Program
Cooper Medical school of Rowan University; focus on Primary Care Internal Medicine or Pediatrics.
Medical University of South Carolina
Stony Brook University School of Medicine
Columbia University Medical School Fast Track Program
Seton Hall - Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
University of Louisville School of Medicine
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Duke University School of Medicine
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
There are also 3 year DO Programs:
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Primary Care Scholars Pathway; LECOM also has an accelerated Physician Assistant Pathway open to medical students who previously worked as physician assistants.
