Curricular Timeline & Scheduling
Pathways students transition from the Preclerkship phase of the MD program to the Principal Clinical Experience (PCE) in the fall of their second year. HST students transition from the Preclerkship phase to the PCE in the spring of their second year. The PCE is comprised of clerkship rotations lasting 4-12 weeks and supplemented by a longitudinal multidisciplinary curriculum that incorporates mentoring, assessment, and ambulatory care experiences. All students are required to complete the 12-week Medicine and Surgery clerkships, the 6-week Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology clerkships, the 4-week Neurology, Psychiatry, and Radiology clerkships, and the longitudinal Primary Care clerkship during the 12-month PCE. The Office of the Registrar schedules all PCE clerkship rotations for students (see PCE calendars below). During the post-PCE phase of their education, all Harvard medical students have the opportunity to schedule advanced clinical electives and are required to complete a subinternship in medicine or pediatrics, pass the comprehensive OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Exam), and complete the Capstone Course in January, February, March or April of the graduating year. Pathways students are also required to complete two Advanced Integrated Science Courses (AISC), at least one of which must be completed in Year III, and Essentials of the Professions II in either Year III or Year IV (see post-PCE calendars below).
Please note that the calendars are undergoing continuous review and improvement and are subject to change.
