Doctor of Medicine
Forming physician and research leaders of the future
When you enroll at Loyola University Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine, you join a distinguished, collaborative community of physicians and scientists known for their commitment to caring for the whole person in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition. At Loyola's Health Sciences campus located just 12 miles west of Chicago, Stritch students learn the art and science of medicine in diverse clinical settings and environments, from leading hospitals to community health clinics, where they help care for – and accompany – people of all ages, ethnicities, faiths, and socio-economic backgrounds.
Our Commitment To You
We are committed to forming physicians to become exceptional clinicians and clinician-scientists, who will have the leadership, confidence, and service orientation to thrive during their residency, fellowship, and throughout their career in medicine and science.
Program Learning Outcomes
Stritch graduates are expected to demonstrate knowledge of established and emerging biomedical, clinical, epidemiological, and social-behavioral sciences, and apply this knowledge to patient care, with the ability to:
- Demonstrate a working knowledge of the normal structure and function of the human body, including the mechanisms important to maintaining homeostasis
- Describe the principal underlying causes, mechanisms, and processes involved in the etiology of major human disorders and conditions, and apply this knowledge to disease prevention, diagnosis, management, and prognosis
- Demonstrate knowledge of pharmacology principles and the clinical use of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches, applying this knowledge to select and design preventive, curative, and/or palliative interventions to manage patients' clinical conditions and diseases
- Demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles of human behavior throughout the life cycle and recognize developmental milestones accompanying infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and end-of-life
- Apply social and behavioral principles to explain the impact of economic, psychosocial, spiritual, cultural, and other factors on health, disease, care plan adherence, and healthcare disparities
- Apply epidemiological science principles to identify health problems, risk factors, treatments, resources, and disease prevention (and wellness promotion) efforts for individuals and communities
- Design and conduct basic biomedical, clinical, and translational research; understand how these findings can advance medical knowledge, practice, and eventually improve patient care
- Recognize and respond to the larger context and evolution of health care delivery models
- Understand the relative merits of care (including consideration of cost-effectiveness and risk-benefit analysis) offered in a variety of health care settings
Skills
- Provide patient-centered, compassionate care that treats the whole person and promotes health and well-being
- Apply critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills to develop a prioritized, differential diagnosis
- Collect and record information about patients and their conditions through history taking, physical examination, and interpretation of diagnostic testing, among other factors
- Use electronic health records to track and synthesize care of individuals and communities
- Advocate for the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities by promoting disease prevention and screenings
- Engage in understandable, compassionate, empathetic, and patient-centered care conversations with individuals, families, communities, and care team colleagues
- Understand the importance and responsibility of "accompanying" patients, consistent with Jesuit values
- Use health care system resources to optimize care
- Apply patient safety and quality improvement principles and practices in everything you do
Professional Values
- Practice with the highest ethical standards
- Incorporate continuous reflection, self-evaluation, and life-long learning into your practice to improve patient (and population) care
- Respect and embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion principles
- Collaborate with all health professionals to help create and nurture an environment of mutual respect, dignity, diversity, ethical integrity, and trust
- Maintain your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing; seek assistance when needed
- Participate in formal or informal training of and with peers and colleagues
- Pursue personal and professional growth opportunities
Curriculum
Guided by our Jesuit values, the Stritch curriculum focuses heavily on holistic care and addressing health disparities. Through our Patient-Centered Medicine (PCM) courses, faculty guide our students, providing support and instruction on how to navigate some of the most challenging moments in medicine, such as death, end-of-life care, and physician burnout.
Beginning in their first year, students begin developing their clinical skills and learning to adapt to the complexities of working in a health care system.
Year 1
- Molecular Cell Biology & Genetics (MCBG)
- Behavioral Medicine & Development (BD)
- Patient Centered Medicine 1 (PCM-1)
- Structure of the Human Body (SHB)
- Health Systems Science (HSS)
- Function of the Human Body (FHB)
- Host Defense (HD)
- Host Pathogens (HP)
Year 2
- Mechanisms of Human Disease I & II
- Pharmacology & Therapeutics I & II
- Patient Centered Medicine 2 (PCM-2)
Year 3
- Patient Centered Medicine 3 (PCM-3)
M3 students complete clinical clerkship rotations and electives in six specialties:
- Family Medicine
- Neurology
- Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Pediatrics
- Psychiatry
- Surgery
Year 4
M4 students complete clinical clerkship rotations and electives
- Emergency Medicine
- SubInternship ICU and SubInternship Wards, Electives, and Discretionary time
Tuition and Financial Aid
The Stritch School of Medicine and Loyola's Financial Aid Office are committed to helping students secure the financial resources to make their education at Loyola affordable.
Our Commitment To You
We are committed to forming physicians to become exceptional clinicians and clinician-scientists, who will have the leadership, confidence, and service orientation to thrive during their residency, fellowship, and throughout their career in medicine and science.
Curriculum
Guided by our Jesuit values, the Stritch curriculum focuses heavily on holistic care and addressing health disparities. Through our Patient-Centered Medicine (PCM) courses, faculty guide our students, providing support and instruction on how to navigate some of the most challenging moments in medicine, such as death, end-of-life care, and physician burnout.
Beginning in their first year, students begin developing their clinical skills and learning to adapt to the complexities of working in a health care system.