In 2015, around eight medical schools were offering three-year medical programs. Today, that number has risen to more than 30.
Accelerated medical programs are part of a movement to get more students interested in being physicians and closing the workforce gap sooner, Medscape reported Dec. 4.
Some critics have worried that accelerated programs would harm education quality or student preparation, but those fears appear to be unfounded.
Here are three things to know:
1. A preliminary 2022 evaluation compared the learning and performance of medical graduates at New York City-based New York University Grossman School of Medicine who were in the three-year and four-year programs. The evaluation found that three-year students performed as well as the four-year students in both medical school and first year of residency. A follow-up found those same three-year MD students had significantly higher performance on pre-clerkship and comprehensive clinical skills exams.
2. Students in accelerated programs are also better prepared for their residencies, Joan Cangiarella, MD, chief of pathology service at Tisch Hospital at NYU Langone Health in New York City, told Medscape. As students, they have less free time, more time management practice and are ready to address their priorities. Students are also connected with department advisers sooner, and participate in rounds and work with care teams sooner than those in the traditional model, she said.
3. A 2022 analysis by the Association of American Medical Colleges found that three-year students report being more satisfied with the quality of their education than traditional students, and their satisfaction with basic clinical coursework, clinical experience, and personal and professional development is also high.
Interested in sharing your own thoughts? Take this quick survey about your system's talent pipeline development efforts here.