Discovery Curriculum
It's a lifelong journey of learning and discovery.
MCW-Central Wisconsin Academic Program
Curriculum Schedule and Course Descriptions
One of the hallmarks of an MCW education is participating in a Scholarly Pathway, allowing you to individualize your medical education. As an MCW-Central Wisconsin student, the Physician in the Community Pathway will link your medical education with the resources and needs of the Central Wisconsin area communities and our partners to promote health in the region.
This unique MCW educational experience is designed to cultivate your medical skills and interests and transform them into a quest for lifelong learning in your practice as a primary care physician, general surgeon, psychiatrist or other specialty shortage fields.
Scholarly Pathway - Physician in the Community
Clinical Sites
Beginning in the First Year summer, you will learn basic clinical competencies required for meaningful patient interaction in the Foundations of Clinical Medicine course. Additionally, your Clinical Apprenticeship runs through the Year One Fall and Year One Spring. In both Foundations of Clinical Medicine and Clinical Apprenticeship, preceptors mentor you, observe your respective levels of patient care and provide direct feedback. Beginning in the Year One Spring, you will also have dedicated learning activities through the Bench-to-Bedside course. This course will supplement direct patient care experiences and include basic science context to enhance your learning and retention. Your first clerkship rotations start the summer between your M1 and M2 years, and continue the following summer and through much of your M3 year.
Students at MCW-Central Wisconsin will require a car to travel to their assigned clinical sites, beginning ½ day per week in their M1 fall semester. For the clerkship experience between the M1 and M2 years, a fuel or housing stipend is available to help offset costs associated with housing that will be needed for that summer experience before returning to Wausau for the M2 year. For the clerkship experience in the M3 year, relocating to the clerkship site will make sense and a stipends are available to help offset fuel and overnight stays when the student needs to return to Wausau for required activities. Some clinical sites offer assistance in finding housing and some have housing available to students for a reasonable rate. MCW-Central Wisconsin works closely with our healthcare partners to help connect students with all available resources during their clerkship experiences.