Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Medicine
The degree Doctor of Medicine is awarded by the President of the College, with approval from the faculty, to those students who satisfactorily complete the medical academic course of study, demonstrate the intellectual and personal skills to function as a physician and manifest an ability to adhere to a high moral and ethical standard of behavior fitting for the noble profession of medicine.
A student must satisfactorily complete each of the required courses in the pre-clinical curriculum by earning a passing grade and receiving all applicable credits in the first year and second year. To begin the clinical curriculum a student must have a passing grade in all pre-clinical courses and must pass the Basic Science Comprehensive Examination. During the clinical curriculum a student must satisfactorily complete each of the core clinical clerkships by earning a passing grade and receiving 120 credits for work performed. In addition, a student is required to pass CABS, LACE, Apex (22.5 credits) prior to graduation. Students are required to earn 40 elective credits, of which 32 credits must be in clinical electives and at least 24 elective credits must be taken on site at Baylor College of Medicine affiliated institutions.
Detailed graduation requirements are available here.
Note: Students are required to select and pass one (1) elective from the list of required Sub-Internships in the Elective Catalogue. This elective must be completed between January of the third and December of the fourth year.
At the beginning of the clinical curriculum each student will be given a clinical passport to the Core Clinical Clerkships and Electives. The Passport specifies certain clinical skills which must be performed by the student and observed by a faculty member or senior resident. After satisfactory performance of each clinical skill the passport must be dated and signed by the respective faculty member or senior resident. The Clinical Passport is to be submitted to or given to the Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs prior to the start of the final year of study. The Clinical Passport must be completed in its entirety by January of a student’s final year of medical school.
Every medical student must PASS the BCM Clinical Practice Examination given at the end of the third year. This exam stems from ongoing efforts to implement a competency-oriented curriculum. The goal of this curriculum will be to ensure that all students obtain proficiency on core competency graduation goals.
Additionally, every medical student must complete the United States Medical Licensure Examination Step I and Step II (CK and CS) prior to graduation. NOTE: You must be officially enrolled at BCM, which includes the payment of appropriate tutition and fees , in order to be eligible to sit for these exams.
Students are expected to complete the total course of study within four years.
Students requiring more than five years may continue only with permission of the Committee on Student Promotions and Academic Achievement.