Pre-clinical Years
The first two years of medical school are typically devoted to advanced study of basic medical sciences, such as anatomy, microbiology, and pathology. Traditionally, students take four or five courses in each discipline simultaneously. However, some schools focus on a single subject for a shorter block of time—say, three or four weeks—then move on to another. Alternately, some schools take an interdisciplinary approach to pre-clinical coursework, in which each class focuses on a single organ, examining all the anatomy, pharmacology, pathology, and behavior relevant to that system.

In the past few decades, many medical programs shifted some or all of their coursework to a Problem Based Learning (PBL) format. In PBL, students are presented with a tough clinical problem (usually based on an actual case), which they must solve through critical thinking, teamwork, and independent research. The majority of learning takes place outside the classroom, in a clinical or lab environment. Though professors guide the process, they do not lecture. As a result, class time is dramatically reduced, sometimes to as little as an hour per day. To be successful, students must be both self-directed and capable of working as part of a team.

Clinical Years
In the third and fourth years of medical school, you will make your first serious foray into clinical work. As many students go on to do their residency in a hospital affiliated with their school, where you make clinical rotations can ultimately be more important than the medical school you attend.

While some rotations, such as Internal Medicine, are required at all programs, some have more unique clerkship requirements and elective offerings. In addition, the length of time you spend in a rotation depends on the hospital's focus or strength. At some schools, the surgery rotation is three weeks long; at others, it is three months.

Beyond requirements, the character of the hospital will color your experience. If the setting is urban, for example, you can expect increased experience with trauma, emergency medicine, or infectious disease, as well as exposure to a diverse patient population. In addition, consider the hospital's size, specialties, facilities, technology, and mortality rate. Where can you train to become the physician you want to be?

Primary Care vs. Research Orientation
Programs with an emphasis in primary care tend to include more patient contact, coursework in patient handling, and longer clinical rotations in general fields. Many are actively involved in the surrounding communities, offering volunteer opportunities in the clinical care of indigent populations. While you may have a more meaningful experience in this type of program, you can train to be a primary care doctor at any medical school. However, if you want to pursue a career in academic medicine or biomedical research, you should look into programs that have a history of leadership in the field or that have a strong program in a certain research field. You will not have the same opportunities, facilities, mentors, or funding at a school whose focus is to train primary care physicians.

Special Programs & Curriculum
Participating in a special course or program can greatly enhance your medical education and give you an edge when applying for residencies. Many medical schools offer special programs such as overseas study, summer research opportunities, minority mentorship, volunteer programs, or coursework in public health or health care management.

Joint Degree Programs/Other Coursework
If you want to complement your M.D. with advanced coursework in another discipline, some schools—especially those affiliated with a larger university—allow students to register for classes in other departments. Many also offer joint degree programs, some of which can be completed during the same time frame as a standard M.D. The most common joint degrees are the M.D./M.P.H. (Masters in Public Health), M.D./J.D., M.D./M.B.A., and the M.S./M.D. and M.D./PhD., usually offered in medically related disciplines such as Engineering or Biochemistry.

For students with a strong interest in medical research, 39 medical schools offer the M.S.T.P. (Medical Science Training Program) degree, competitive PhD. programs funded by National Institutes of Health.