MD Accelerated Programs
Family Medicine 3+3 Pathway
Family Medicine 3+3
Penn State Family Medicine Accelerated Pathway (FM-APPS) is a 3+3 pathway where students complete medical school in three years, followed by a three-year , in State College, or Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center in Reading.
Pathway Overview
Family Medicine 3+3 Accelerated MD Pathway students from the class of 2024 at an emerging leadership seminar.
To address the increased need for family medicine physicians, Penn State College of Medicine, partnering with the Department of Family and Community Medicine, has developed a three-year accelerated pathway with the following goals:
Accelerate training, allowing students to earn a medical degree in three years.
Advance national healthcare initiatives by supporting student interest in family medicine.
We aim to train patient-centered, empathetic physicians who are well prepared to practice in the changing healthcare environment. Through curricular innovation and exceptional mentoring, we have developed a learning environment tailored to a career in family medicine, hence addressing the shortage of primary care physicians. Students have the opportunity to save one year of tuition and enter practice one year earlier.
Prominent organizations including the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Macy Foundation and the American Association of Medical Colleges have called for better alignment between medical training and the healthcare needs of our nation. Studies have established that the health of the population is improved when the nation's medical workforce consists of at least 50 percent primary care physicians.
Penn State College of Medicine is a member of the Consortium of Accelerated Medical Pathway Programs, initially funded by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. With collaboration, members of the consortium have conducted numerous studies and disseminated the findings that validated the positive impact of the 3-year accelerated programs. See references.
Application Process
Students may apply for entry into the FM-APPS pathway at two points – after acceptance into the at Penn State College of Medicine and before matriculation, or in the fall of their first year of medical school.
Once accepted, students may submit a secondary application to the specific pathway of interest to them.
Qualified students in good academic standing will be invited for interviews. A second call for applications, depending on the availability of positions, will occur in the fall of the first year of medical school.
The ideal candidate is a self-directed learner with a strong academic background who possesses good organizational skills, the ability to multitask, and a strong interest in family medicine as a career.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis concurrent with the Penn State College of Medicine application process.
Once a commitment has been made to attend Penn State College of Medicine, a secondary application to FM-APPS will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The final selection will be made by the FM-APPS selection committee.
If you are a prospective Penn State College of Medicine medical student with an interest in the family medicine accelerated pathway, email FMAPPS@pennstatehealth.psu.edu.
Curriculum
The Family Medicine Accelerated Pathway at Penn State (FM-APPS) curriculum isn’t just accelerated, it’s designed to maximize efficiency through learning that is built on prior knowledge and skills.
As an FM-APPS student, you’ll be expected to meet all educational objectives and graduation requirements of the . The methods for assessment are the same as those for traditional medical students. However, because it is an accelerated pathway, electives and vacations are reduced.
How the Curriculum is Different
The FM-APPS curriculum differs from the "regular" four-year curriculum in the following areas:
Phase I
Beginning in the spring of the first year, students start acceleration by enrolling in the medical home, a career confirmation longitudinal elective. During the summer, you will complete six weeks of elective, two weeks of immersion in family medicine, and one week of vacation. Students will begin to work on the Medical Student Research project. In the fall of the second year, you will participate in the Family Medicine Clerkship in a longitudinal format.
Phase II
Having completed part of the Family Medicine Clerkship durring Phase I, the accelerated students will be able to complete one of the acting internship courses earlier.
Integration is highlighted across three years of medical school and into residency training. Curriculum features include the following guiding principles:
Continuity of relationships with patients
Continuity with faculty preceptors
Continuity of setting
A longitudinal developmental pedagogy
Frequently Asked Questions
In addition to completing medical school in three years instead of four and the opportunity to save a year on tuition, housing and fees, there are many advantages to this accelerated pathway:
Learning in an innovative curriculum aimed to be time-efficient while also providing longitudinal experiences and active participation.
A continuum of undergraduate medical school and graduate residency training.
Direct progression into the in Hershey, the in State College or the in Reading.
Access to mentors in the Department of Family and Community Medicine.
Students matriculate with the incoming medical school class in the summer. The 3+3 programming begins in the fall of the first year of medical school, with an early introduction of clinical rotations.
In order to complete the graduation requirements in a compressed time frame, students in the 3+3 program do not get a full summer break after the first year. Students are enrolled in a combination of rotations during this time and continue to work on their medical student research project.
Students will be expected to take and pass USMLE Step 1 and Step 2, a Penn State College of Medicine requirement before graduation. Students will have preparation time to successfully complete these requirements.
Students will participate in commencement from medical school in May of their third year. Participating 3+3 students will begin three years of residency training in June, at what would be the start of their fourth year in a traditional MD pathway.
Yes. The Penn State Health Family Medicine Residency can accept students through the match only. Therefore, you must enter the NRMP matching process.
Upon meeting the academic and professional standards for graduation from medical school, students are ranked to match into a Penn State Health residency program through the National Resident Matching Program. Should students choose to rank Penn State, they would match into a Family Medicine residency position at Penn State Health.
Your three-year family medicine residency training at Penn State will not differ in curriculum from that of a non-FM-APPS student. However, you will have established a panel of patients in a continuity clinic that will continue to grow during your six years of training. You will have gotten to know faculty and staff in the practice site, easing your transition to residency.
You would revert back to the traditional four-year program and enter the match as usual. Any scholarship granted will convert to a loan. Credits for partial courses may not carry over to the four-year program. For this reason, it’s important that you are certain about pursuing a career in family medicine before you apply to the pathway.
If you have academic difficulties or fail to progress as expected, you would revert to the traditional four-year program and enter the match as usual. Any scholarship granted will convert to a loan.
If you complete the FM-APPS pathway as designed, you will receive a scholarship equal to one year of tuition. Thus, you’ll pay the equivalent of three years’ tuition, saving on a full year tuition. If you revert out of the FM-APPS pathway for any reason, any scholarship funds provided as a part of the pathway would convert to a loan.
Pathway Leadership and Faculty
Director: Megan Mendez-Miller, DO
Director of FM-APPS
Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine
Additional Faculty
Contact Us
Megan Mendez-Miller, DO, director
Phone: 717-531-8187
Email: FMAPPS@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
Ashley Eckenrode, Program Coordinator
Phone: 717-531-8187
Email: FMAPPS@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
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