About the Program

Mercer's curriculum has been organized to support the mission of training physicians to meet the health care needs of rural and other areas of Georgia. The curriculum insures a superior medical education by developing independent, lifelong learning skills and by continual practice in the application of medical knowledge to patient problems.

Mercer has utilized a small group, student centered, problem-based learning approach to educate students in the basic science disciplines since its opening in 1982. During the first two years, students learn through a problem-based method in which they not only study the basic sciences requisite to medical practice but begin to organize their knowledge in the manner of the physician - that is around clinical problems.

PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING (PBL): DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
Small Group Tutorials
Small group tutorials serve as the center of Mercer's PBL learning.The fundamentals of all the basic science disciplines are learned in the context of patient problems ("paper cases") . A major advantage of this approach is that the clinical relevance of the basic science information is continually reinforced. This facilitates not only the initial learning of the information but also, enhances the retention because of the contextual frame work of the process.

There is significant  student-to-student and student-to-faculty interaction. This active approach to learning assists our students in becoming independent learners prepared for the 21st century world in which medical knowledge will continue to rapidly change.

Student-Centered Learning
Students generate learning issues for each clinical problem. . Faculty (tutors) facilitate the small group discussions but students are expected to determine appropriate areas of emphasis and lead the discussion. Self-directed learning is is a vital component of the BMP program; but, discipline faculty identify appropriate learning objectives which help guide student study. Faculty encourage student inquiry and maintain an open-door policyas information and resource providers. 

Fully Integrated Basic Sciences Curriculum
While many medical schools teach the sciences basic to medicine in distinctly separate units, such as anatomy, microbiology and physiology, Mercer was the first medical school to completely integrate all the basic sciences into one problem-based learning continuum.

Reciprocal Student-Faculty Evaluation 
Mercer student progress is evaluated by both internal and external measures. Evaluation in the first two years is satisfactory/unsatisfactory and based on the specific objectives of each program.Students are provided with both formative and summative evaluations throughout the BMP program. , In addition, students provide detailed evaluations on tutors and educational programs which serve to guide program improvements. 

Distinctive Clinical Experiences enhance the BMP program
Mercer students begin clinical experiences within the first few weeks of medical school. Interviewing techniques and physical examination skills, learned through encounters with simulated patients, are strengthened through clinical experiences in the offices of primary care physicians throughout the first two years of training. Also, students are matched within Georgia communities which they visit throughout medical school to learn about personal care, disease prevention, and health promotion. These clinical and community oriented educational programs reinforce and bring to life the paper cases which are used to learn the basic sciences within the BMP program.

BIOMEDICAL PROBLEMS (BMP) PROGRAM AT MERCER: ESSENTIAL FEATURES
MUSM PBL Process
During the first two years, students meet three times each week in small groups of seven/eight plus a faculty tutor to discuss the basic mechanisms and interactions involved in clinical cases, the Biomedical Problems. Students initially analyze each case for learning issues pertinent to a complete explanation of the case. During this process, they define and refine areas for further study. Each member of the group is responsible for accomplishing the group objectives and coming to the next meeting prepared to take part in a comprehensive discussion with particular attention to integration of multidisciplinary information into a complete analysis of the case. This process is repeated for each case.

Students are expected to study independently and then bring information back to the PBL group to discuss the basic science disciplines relevant to the case; i.e., the Anatomy, Biochemistry, Nutrition, Genetics, Behavioral Sciences, Microbiology, Neuroscience, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physiology. To ensure that students are aware of what the faculty consider to be adequate information coverage, each phase has a Study Guide in which each discipline provides a set of learning objectives along with recommended references. Students are not limited to faculty recommended references and are encouraged to utilize a a variety of non-referenced resources(textbooks, computerized resources, Internet materials) to help address case issues.

Curriculum Phases
The BMP curriculum consists of 13 blocks or phases of 4, 5, 6, or 7 weeks duration. The early phases are designed to introduce the students to the PBL learning process.  These phases cover material of a general nature which will serve as a foundation for the basic science material encountered in the subequentphases which focus on the major organ systems of the body :

YEAR I: Cellular and Molecular; Developmental Biology, Genetics and Oncology; Host Defense; Hematology; Neurology; Brain & Behavior; Musculoskeletal 

YEAR II: Cardiology; Pulmonology; Gastrointestinal; Renal; Endocrinology; Infectious Disease.

Students receive three evaluation each phase. The tutor evaluates each student group member on knowledge, professionalism and process skills, (issue generation, case discussion, evidence of independent learning). A USMLE formatted multiple choice exam is utilized to evaluate competency in the phase appropriate basic science disciplines. A Student Oral Case Analysis (SOCA) is used to evaluate case analysis, integrative and communication skills.. At the end of the two years, each student must have passed the requisite number of phase evaluations and also have a passing average in all basic science disciplines.

Autopsy Program
During the second year of the Biomedical Problems Program, students must attend twoautopsies and hand in a satisfactory report on each.