ICOM’s Programmatic Level Educational Objectives
By the time they graduate from ICOM, students should be able to:
- Integrate osteopathic philosophy and osteopathic manipulative medicine principles into the practice of medicine.
- Gain a breadth and depth of knowledge of, and be able to apply, the basic biomedical and clinical sciences for successful completion of the COMLEX-USA licensing examinations.
- Provide quality, patient-centered medical care that incorporates osteopathic philosophy and compassion for the effective prevention and treatment of health issues in a diverse patient population.
- Effectively communicate and collaborate with patients, families, the public and other healthcare professionals.
- Apply medical knowledge, research methods, and clinical practice to identify and take action in opportunities for improvement in patient care practices.
- Demonstrate an awareness of, and responsiveness to, the larger context and system of healthcare, as well as an ability to call effectively on other resources in the system to provide optimal healthcare.
- Demonstrate professionalism by upholding the Osteopathic Oath, adhering to ethical principles, and collaborating with other health professionals.
Preclinical Curriculum (Years 1 & 2)
The ICOM preclinical curriculum is designed to be highly integrated to provide both a rigorous foundation in the fundamental principles of the biomedical sciences and a robust emphasis on the clinical sciences.
During the first two years of ICOM’s curriculum, provided on ICOM’s main campus in Meridian, Idaho, foundational concepts in anatomy, biochemistry, genetics, cell biology, microbiology, immunology, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology have been integrated with clinical content to be delivered via eleven organ system-based courses.
A comprehensive curriculum is designed to introduce student doctors to osteopathic principles and practice (OPP) and provide opportunities to learn the skills required for the successful practice of osteopathic medicine and promote a healthy professional approach to lifelong learning. Throughout the first and second years, student doctors will be provided the opportunity to learn communication skills and osteopathic terminology necessary for history-taking and conducting an osteopathic physical examination. State-of-the-art patient simulators and standardized patients will enhance student doctors’ familiarity with clinical scenarios and development of clinical skills.
Additionally, all student doctors will engage in courses which provide essential training in the history, principles and practice of osteopathic medicine, physical and differential diagnosis, medical ethics, interprofessional education, professionalism, research, and the legal aspects of medicine.
Clinical Curriculum (Years 3 & 4)
Student doctors will be assigned to their third-year core regional clinical site via a lottery that takes place in the Fall of their OMS-II year. Student doctors will relocate to their assigned core site prior to the beginning of the third year. While the majority of the third year clinical rotations will take place at that site, student doctors may be required to travel to other locations if a required rotation is not available locally. Clinical experiences will occur within hospital sites for inpatient experiences, in ambulatory practices, and in other acute care facilities. The clerkships or clinical rotations are designed to provide the student doctor with an education in the general areas of family medicine, surgery, surgical subspecialties, pediatrics, women’s health, behavioral health, internal medicine, internal medicine subspecialties, and emergency medicine. All clerkships will be organized to permit the greatest degree of educational exposure in a practical, clinical environment, and to develop expertise in the area of patient diagnosis and management.
Learn About ICOM’s Clinical Experience