MD Program: Accelerated Pathways

In the 3+ Diagnostic Radiology Accelerated Pathway sees students completing their medical school education in three years, followed by three years of diagnostic radiology residency training within Penn State Health. Students have the opportunity to save one year of tuition and enter practice one year earlier.

Students accepted into this pathway will receive mentoring and support throughout their medical education with the goal that graduates will be prepared to assume the responsibilities of residency in Diagnostic Radiology.

In the 3+3 Emergency Medicine Accelerated Pathway, students complete medical school education in three years followed by three years of emergency medicine residency training within Penn State Health. Students have the opportunity to save one year of tuition and enter practice one year earlier.

Graduates will be skilled emergency physicians who will be well trained to practice in a field noted for its flexible schedule, diagnostic challenges and variety of cases encountered.

In the 3+3 Family Medicine Accelerated Pathway, students complete medical school in three years followed by three years of family medicine residency within Penn State Health. Students will have the opportunity to save one year of tuition and enter practice one year earlier.

By blending a three-year pathway with the longitudinally integrated clerkship format, graduates are poised to become patient-centered, empathetic physicians who are well prepared to practice family medicine.

In the 3+3 Internal Medicine Accelerated Pathway, students complete medical school in three years followed by three years of internal medicine residency training within Penn State Health. Students have the opportunity to save one year of tuition and enter practice one year earlier.

Graduates will emerge as skilled internists, ready to integrate seamlessly into the ever-changing field of primary care delivery. Opportunities also exist for additional fellowship training in the Department of Medicine following residency.

In the 3+4 Neurology Accelerated Pathway, students complete medical school in three years, followed by four years of neurology residency training at Penn State Health. Students will have the opportunity to save one year of tuition and enter practice one year earlier.

During their training, students learn from more than 30 dedicated neurology faculty who are nationally and internationally recognized for quality patient care, clinical teaching and research. The training curriculum is built around active patient-care experiences. These experiences are the intellectual backbone of neurology.

In the 3+7 Neurosurgery Accelerated Pathway, students complete medical school in three years followed by seven years of neurosurgery residency training at Penn State Health. Students will have the opportunity to save one year of tuition and enter practice one year earlier.

During this innovative training, graduates learn from 23 dedicated Neurosurgery faculty, each of whom is either board-certified or internationally recognized in their subspecialty within neurosurgery. Penn State Neurosurgery is a leader in neurosurgical research, presently ranked among the top 12 programs in the United States for federal grant money.

In the 3+5 Orthopaedic Accelerated Pathway, students complete medical school in three years followed by five years of orthopaedics residency training at Penn State Health. Students have the opportunity to save one year of tuition and enter practice one year earlier.

With curricular innovation, early mentoring, and extensive exposure to the clinical and didactic experiences of orthopaedics, we will prepare graduates to be well-rounded physicians who also have the competencies necessary to enter this highly competitive surgical specialty.

The Penn State College of Medicine 3+ Psychiatry Accelerated Pathway (Psy-APPS) is a three-year accelerated MD specialty pathway with direct progression to the Psychiatry Residency program at Penn State Health. Students will complete the medical degree in three years followed by four years of residency training in psychiatry.

Students accepted into this pathway will receive mentoring and support throughout their medical education with the goal that graduates of the Psy-APPS program will be prepared to assume the responsibilities of residency in psychiatry.

In the Clinician Educator Pathway, students complete all requirements for both the MD and the Master of Education (MEd) degree in four years.

Students have the opportunity to work with leaders in educational research and theory in health systems science.

In the Clinician Scientist Pathway, students incorporate an extended period of research within the four years of medical school, facilitating their development as strong physician-scientists.

Students have the opportunity to work with nationally recognized investigators to advance the understanding of health sciences across a continuum of research types - basic science, clinical, translational and health services.