The TCOM curriculum is a four-year program leading to the degree of doctor of osteopathic medicine. Emphasis is placed on the identification and treatment of illnesses, promotion of health and wellness in patients, and treatment of each patient in the context of the wide variety of factors that influence health.
TCOM’s curriculum is designed to help students integrate the basic and clinical sciences, further develop their ability to diagnose illness, and increase their understanding of the environment within which medicine is practiced. Instruction in the first two years is presented according to organ systems of the body. TCOM uses instruction based on clinical cases. Instructors employ an audience response system to quiz students on their understanding of diagnosis and pathophysiology in clinical cases. The instructional program contains computer-assisted instruction, small-group teaching, state-of-the-art robotic simulators, specialized workshops and simulated clinical experiences.
Evaluation of student performance is based on objective, structured clinical examinations, competency-based assessments, observational techniques and standard written tests.
Beginning with the first semester, students are placed in one of our primary care clinics to help them become familiar with the many facets of community health care and the health problems that will play a role in their lives as health care providers. These assignments provide a gradual transition from classroom to clinical settings.
At the conclusion of the didactic phase of medical education (years 1 and 2), students will continue the clinical phase (years 3 and 4) of their medical education. Year 3 focuses on core rotations, in the following areas: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, Psychiatry, and Primary Care. Fourth year core rotations include Emergency Medicine, Geriatrics, and Internal Medicine subspecialties. The fourth year also provides for elective rotations selected by the student to enable a full appreciation for the broad scope of clinical training opportunities available after graduation. Core rotations will be served at one of several clinical affiliates that are located either in Fort Worth or other sites around the State of Texas.