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University of Utah Medicine |
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School of Medicine
The curriculum leading to the degree of Doctor of Medicine is accredited by the AAMC-AMA Liaison Committee on Medical Education. University Hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Its 49 graduate medical education programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education and its associated residency review committees. The Medical Laboratory Science curriculum is accredited by the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation. The Physician Assistant Program is approved by the American Medical Association. Interim Vice President for Health Sciences, Richard Sperry, M.D., Ph.D. Interim Dean, T. Samuel Shomaker, M.D., J.D. Associate Dean, Administration and Finance, Glenn E. Warnick Associate Dean, Admissions and Community Outreach, Victoria E. Judd, M.D. Associate Dean, Research, Jerry Kaplan, Ph.D. Associate Dean, Veterans Affairs, Grant Cannon, M.D. Associate Dean, Student Affairs and Education, Elizabeth M. Allen, M.D. Associate Dean, Continuing Medical Education and Educational Assessment, David J. Bjorkman, M.D. Associate Dean, Idaho Affairs, Devon C. Hale, M.D. Associate Dean, Dental Education, G. Lynn Powell, D.D.S. Associate Dean, Student Advising and Counseling, Claire H. Clark, Ph.D. Office: 1C101 School of Medicine, 581-7201 Departments
1This degree is offered in several departments, primarily in the basic sciences, and is conferred through The Graduate School. 22Certificate of completion is endorsed by the School of Medicine and the Utah Medical Association. Course work may be applied toward requirements for a bachelor's degree in a major offered at the University. M.D. Degree Program The University of Utah School of Medicine accepts a class of 100 students annually.  Students from the state of Utah are given preference in
the admissions process. The School of Medicine is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical
Education (LCME), the national body accrediting medical schools. Candidates for the M.D. degree must
complete the four-year curriculum consisting of 152 weeks of instruction, must pass satisfactorily all
courses required by the School of Medicine, and must pass Step 1 and Step 2 of the United States
Medical Licensing Examinations (USMLE) in order to graduate. Classes offered in the first and second
year provide the scientific foundation of medicine. In the third and fourth year, which take place in
clinical settings, students participate in the care of patients.
Major courses in the first year include anatomy,
biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, and immunology. Second-year courses include neuroscience,
physiology, pharmacology, pathology, and multi-disciplinary courses organized around the body's organ
systems. Courses that span both years I and II of the curriculum include the art of medicine,
evidence-based medicine, social medicine, and clinical experience.
During the third year, students rotate through a series
of clinical clerkships in patient care units both in the hospital and in ambulatory clinics. They
participate with other members of the health care team in the diagnosis and management of patients in
the following clerkships: pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology,
surgery, psychiatry, and neurology.
The fourth year allows students the opportunity to
broaden their educational horizons through the pursuit of individually designed elective programs.
Electives are available in a wide variety of medical specialties and subspecialties.
The medical school makes a special effort to attract
into medical education students from diverse cultural, educational, economic, and ethnic backgrounds.
Each applicant is evaluated for the contribution that person can make to the student body or the
medical profession, as well as for evidence of academic ability and motivation for medical study.
In order to take any courses in the School of Medicine,
students registered in other schools or colleges of the University must meet the requirements for
admission and be accepted for the four-year curriculum in medicine.
The University of Utah also offers a complete graduate
medical education program with residencies and fellowships in 49 specialties and subspecialties.
Premedical Course Requirements. The prerequisites for admission to the University of Utah School of Medicine include: CHEMISTRY: Two years; the general chemistry
series including quantitative and qualitative analysis (AP credit accepted if at a level 4 or 5), and
the organic series, both with a laboratory.
PHYSICS: One year with a laboratory.
ENGLISH: One year of composition and/or speech.
Course work completed must fulfill the writing requirement of the institution from which you receive
your degree.
BIOLOGY: Two college courses in biology (this may
include comparative anatomy, molecular biology, genetics, embryology, etc.). One course must be in
cellular biology or equivalent.
SOCIAL SCIENCE: A college course in social science.
HUMANITIES: A college course in humanities.
MCAT SCORES: MCAT scores are required of all
applicants; the test must be taken within three years of application.Mathematics, statistics, and computer literacy classes are not required, but are recommended. Many of the chemistry and physics courses require mathematics as prerequisites. All premedical course work must be completed at a U.S. or Canadian accredited school. Any AP, CLEP, or correspondence credit will not be accepted for these requirements (except for general chemistry, as noted above). The faculty recognizes that orientation toward lifelong learning, independent thinking, and decision making are attributes of an excellent physician. It is to your advantage to participate in activities (e.g., independent study projects, research projects, and courses requiring active involvement) that will foster those attributes. Computer literacy, the capacity to understand and review scientific literature, and the ability to write well are additional skills the physician needs. Completion of four years of college work and a
bachelor's degree are required before entering the School of Medicine. Students who are interested in
medical school should consult the premedicine adviser at the institution they are attending for
assistance in planning the specific course work that meets our requirements. These prerequisites do not
have to be completed prior to application, but are required prior to matriculation at medical school.
University of Utah premedicine students should contact Marilyn Hoffman in the Department of Biology at
581- 5744.
Admission. Students considering the study of medicine at the University should:
Non-matriculated Students. Students who are not fully matriculated medical students or graduate students in one of the departments of the School of Medicine are not eligible to participate in the school's course offerings. Course Registration. Medical students are registered by the School of Medicine at the beginning of each semester. Medical students who wish to register for classes outside of the regular medical school curriculum may do so by making arrangements through the medical school Office of Student Affairs. M.P.H./M.Stat./M.S.P.H. DegreesFor information about the Master of Public Health, Master of Statistics in Biostatistics, and Master of Science in Public Health degree programs, see Family and Preventive Medicine in the Courses section of this catalog. Academic Degrees. Graduate Degress. Eight School of Medicine departments offer programs leading to the Ph.D. or M.S. degree. Departments awarding Ph.D. degrees and participating in the joint M.D./ Ph.D. program are Biochemistry, Human Genetics, Medical Informatics, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Oncological Sciences, Pathology, and Physiology. Departments offering programs leading to an M.S. degree are Family and Preventive Medicine (in public health), Medical Informatics, Oncological Sciences, and Pathology (in medical laboratory science or experimental pathology). The School of Medicine participates in one interdisciplinary degree-granting program: neuroscience. In addition, the school participates in two other interdisciplinary graduate programs: molecular biology and biological chemistry. All graduate academic degrees are awarded through The Graduate School. For more detailed information on these programs, refer to the Graduate Information section and individual department listings in the Courses section of this catalog, or consult the Bulletin of the University of Utah, The Graduate School. Bachelor's Degrees.Students from the University of Utah admitted to medical school may use credits earned during the first year of medical school toward a B.A. or B.S. degree with a major in medical biology. For information, see Science elsewhere in this section of the catalog. The Department of Pathology administers the
undergraduate program in medical laboratory science. The program has two components—cytotechnology and
medical technology. Students who successfully complete the cytotechnology or medical technology
specialty receive bachelor's degrees and are eligible for certification by the appropriate national
certifying agency. For information, see Medical Laboratory Science in the Courses section of this
catalog.
Physician Assistant Program. The School of Medicine has offered the Physician Assistant Program (formerly Utah MEDEX Program) since 1971. It is one of 100 such programs in the United States approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). For program information, see Family and Preventive Medicine in the Courses section of this catalog. Health Sciences Center The University of Utah Health Sciences Center facilitates coordination and communication among the health-related colleges. Included in the center are the School of Medicine; University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics; University of Utah Health Network; colleges of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Health; Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library; Student Health Service; and Regional Dental Education Program. This unit provides closer coordination of educational
and patient-care programs common to two or more health-science components. The colleges retain their
identities and continue to be administered by their respective deans. Each dean is a member of the
University's Health Sciences Council of Academic Deans and the Systems Management Council, which allows
direct input into the center's administration.
Research Facilities The School of Medicine and its adjacent buildings house numerous laboratories, many of which are internationally known. Graduate programs in genetics, molecular biology, and biochemistry were ranked by the National Research Council among the top 50 doctoral programs in the country. Research programs in biomedical engineering and
artificial organs bring together the talents of scientists in the School of Medicine and College of
Engineering, as well as scholars from other disciplines. Projects include the development and
refinement of artificial organs such as the heart, ear, and eye.
Genetic research at the University has grown
dramatically since completion of the George and Dolores Eccles Institute of Human Genetics in 1990.
The research facility was funded jointly by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the George and
Dolores Eccles Foundation. The center has 75 laboratories with core facilities that support each
research group. There are now 33 investigators and 290 research and support staff at the institute.
Research at the center is supported by federal, state, and private funding.
The Eccles Institute of Human Genetics has become a
center for interdisciplinary research, education, and training for molecular biology and human genetics.
In addition to the Department of Human Genetics, the Eccles Institute houses the following three
research programs:
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute supports six
investigators and their research projects in molecular biology and genetics in both human and animal
systems. The institute is known for its studies of genes including their function, regulation, and
expression.
The Eccles Program for Human Molecular Biology and
Genetics is a consortium of scientists and physicians with a focus on human biology and disease using
the tools of molecular biology to discover inherited cell defects that lead to disease. This program
now has 14 investigators.
The Utah Genome Center is one of seven national centers
for the Human Genome Project which is designed to fully characterize the genome of humans and selected
model organisms. The center includes six investigators and directors in addition to providing core
services for research throughout the Eccles Institute.
The School of Medicine has a clinical research center
which has been funded continuously by the National Institutes of Health for more than 30 years.
The John A. Dixon Laser Institute brings together
physicians in approximately 15 medical specialties with basic science researchers in physics,
chemistry, materials engineering, electrical engineering, and materials science. The institute's
clinical division is one of the nation's broadest, performing some 1,500 procedures annually.
The Center for Diagnostic Imaging Research in the
Department of Radiology combines the talents of physicists, computer scientists, electrical and
biomedical engineers, cardiologists, neurosurgeons, and radiologists all pursuing state-of-the-art
advances in X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging techniques. The center's main areas of research focus
on three-dimensional X-ray imaging, noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of vascular anatomy,
blood flow quantification and electronic X-ray image acquisition, and digital imaging processing.
The Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research and
Training Institute conducts multidisciplinary studies in cardiac electrophysiology, coronary blood flow,
biochemistry, pharmacology, and their applications to medicine in the following areas:
electrophysiology of the heart; neural control of the heart; coronary blood flow; and cardiovascular
biochemistry, pharmacology, and cell biology.
The federally funded Utah Cancer Center involves more
than 100 funded investigators from 20 departments at the University of Utah, working in the following
areas of research: cellular and immunobiology, clinical investigation, epidemiology, experimental
oncology, genetics, molecular biology, and radiobiology.
The University's commitment to the fight against cancer
has been dramatically enhanced by the third largest cash gift ever to a U.S. university: a $100 million
contribution from the Jon M. Huntsman family. The gift funds the development of a world-class cancer
center. Ultimately, the Huntsman Cancer Institute is expected to employ hundreds of individuals from
all areas of the health sciences doing research and clinical work.
The five-story Biomedical Polymers Research Building,
which opened in 1994, adds 100,000 square feet of research space. It is shared by the medical school
and the colleges of Engineering and Pharmacy.
Other prominent facilities include the Center for Human
Toxicology; Center for Infectious Diseases, Diagnostic Microbiology and Immunology; and the Utah
Resource for Genetic and Epidemiologic Research.
Each School of Medicine department and division
maintains its own laboratories. These facilities are generally supported by grants from government
agencies, philanthropic organizations, and commercial concerns. Recently, the Markey Foundation donated
$2 million to support and enhance the interdisciplinary research between investigators in biological
and genetic science and clinical medicine.
This wide variety of research brings many tangible and
intangible benefits to the school and its students. These benefits include an enlarged faculty for
classroom teaching in all aspects of medicine, worldwide contacts for the faculty that enhance and
broaden the educational program, opportunities for student participation in research either during
summer fellowships or the post-sophomore research years, and significant contributions to the
advancement of scientific knowledge.
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