What Makes Us Unique
Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (Noorda-COM) curriculum diverges significantly from traditional medical education. Noorda-COM’s blended curricular model pioneers the integration of technology and directed personal guidance, putting students at the center of the medical education experience.
No scheduled classes and no large classroom lectures
Curriculum
The heart of our curriculum is faculty pre-recorded, short video segments (3 to 7 minutes) covering defined learning objectives. Students engage with core content in small groups (4-12 people) in on-campus learning pods collaboratively accomplishing required content. Groups are able to schedule their own learning times, leading to a great degree of flexibility for the student.
At the end of each video segment, to assess and reinforce learning, a medical boards-style question is asked on the material presented with supplemental, prescribed supporting documentation as additional references. The next video segment plays once the group correctly answers the question. Faculty are available via “on-call” chat should the group have questions. This format allows for integrated, interprofessional team teaching from a variety of experts, and even patients, on a single topic.
Students are provided with their individualized discipline specific and cumulative performance metrics. This constant flow of data in real time identifies areas for student improvement maximizing the opportunity to succeed. At the end of every other week, faculty lead live, learning objective specific reviews are delivered based on data collected from that cycle. These sessions are a forum for faculty to provide an interactive and tailored “additional” support for topics that students found challenging during the preceding period. Advanced content is selectively available to students who desire a deeper dive on areas of personal interest.
The first year of the curriculum strengthens the knowledge and comprehension of the biomedical sciences preparing the learner to apply those foundational sciences in the analysis and application of the system-based second year. Longitudinal courses in Entrustable Professional Activities and Community Medicine are central to early engagement of clinical activities and research.
Hands on skills are a crucial competency for successful physicians. The instruction of this content is accomplished utilizing Noorda’s 23,000 sq. ft. clinical simulation facilities through pre-recorded demonstrations and faculty led open lab periods spread across the two-week cycle.
A typical two-week cycle would look like the following
In a traditional educational model, students sit in a large lecture hall for 24 hours a week with additional labs. At Noorda-COM, students still have 30 “hours” of content in a 2-week cycle with each “hour” being accomplished with 4-5 short videos.
On a typical day, 4-6 “hours” of lecture would be accomplished by 16 to 30 videos with corresponding questions designed to focus the students’ attention on key content. Students also sign up for hands on labs that are offered across the cycle.
This format is accomplished for 8 days of the two-week cycle. Students complete the material in a variety of different ways. At the end of the 2 weeks, an in-person review session is accomplished with the faculty who presented content for that cycle.
Noorda-COM Programmatic Level Educational Objectives for Osteopathic Medical Student Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, and Year 4.
See MoreNoorda-COM awards semester credit based on an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student...
See MoreProfessional and ethical competence is required for graduation. Students must
demonstrate the ethical and professional qualities deemed necessary for success...
