The Medical Foundations

The Pre-Clinical curriculum is divided into five sequential Foundation units.

Small group problem-based learning is the core pedagogy in the pre-clinical MFs. During each MF, students are divided into tutorial groups of 6-8 students, with a faculty member acting as the tutor for the group. Tutorials take place twice each week, for about 3 hours each time. In addition to tutorials, students attend some Large Group Sessions as a class. Each group also has anatomy and clinical skills sessions.

Medical Foundation 1

11 weeks, August to October of first year. All students in their assigned campuses. Focus on introduction to medicine, respiratory, and cardiology.
Medical Foundation 2

8 weeks, October to December, finishing prior to the December holiday break. All students in their assigned campuses. Focus on renal and hematology.
Medical Foundation 3

12 weeks, January to March of first year, followed by one-week winter break. All students in their assigned campuses. Focus on GI and Nutrition, Endocrinology, and Reproduction.
Medical Foundation 4

12 weeks, April to June of first year, followed by 7-week block elective and then summer break. All students in their assigned campuses. Focus on Musculoskeletal Medicine, Neuroscience, and Brain and Behaviour.
Integration Foundation

12 weeks, August to November of second year. All students will review, revisit, and refresh previous learning content and objectives from MF1 to MF4 in the context of complex, multi-system diseases and chronic illness.