IFCO/Pastors for PeaceThis is an overview of the curriculum and general plan of studies for the scholarship program at the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana, Cuba.
Pre-med preparatory semester(s)
- Placement exams in basic sciences (biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics) and Spanish language
- One or two semesters of preparatory classes in basic sciences and Spanish language, according to individual students’ needs and placement levels
- 12-week intensive course in Spanish language for students who need it
Years I and II: Basic medical sciences
(students are in residence on the campus of the Latin American School of Medicine)
1st and 2nd Semesters
Morphophysiology — an integrative first-year basic sciences curriculum which includes:
- Anatomy I and II
- Histology I and II
- The Human Body
- Cellular and Molecular Biology
- The Nervous System
- The Endocrine and Reproductive Systems
- Physiology I
- Embryology I
History and Medicine I and II
Physical Education I and II
Medical Information Sciences/Computing I
Practicum placements in a regional policlinic and a family doctor’s neighborhood clinic
3rd Semester
- Metabolism, Nutrition, and Excretion
- The Circulatory and Respiratory Systems
- The Urinary and Digestive Systems, Nutrition and Caloric Consumption
- Anatomy III
- Histology III
- Embryology II
- Physiology II
- Pharmacology I
- Legal Medicine and Medical Ethics
- Behavioral Sciences I
- Physical Education III
- Tissues/Nutrition/Biochemistry (two-week intensive course)
4th Semester
- Pathological Anatomy
- Biological Agents
- Medical Psychology I
- Introduction to Clinical Practice
- Behavioral Sciences II
- Physical Education IV
- Medical Information Sciences/Computing II
Years III – VI: Clinical studies
(students are in residence at one of Cuba’s 21 accredited medical schools, in Havana City or in other provinces; starting in the fifth semester, they begin to follow patients on the hospital ward where they are assigned.)
5th Semester
- Clinical Methods
- Techniques of Clinical Diagnosis/Medical Semiology: Signs and Symptoms (Clinical Laboratory and Diagnostic Imagery)
- Medical Psychology II
6th Semester
- Internal Medicine
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Medical Information Sciences/Computing II
7th Semester
Clinical practicum rotations in
- Comprehensive General Medicine: Family Practice
- General Surgery
- Gynecology and Obstetrics
8th Semester
Clinical practicum rotations in
- Pediatrics
9th Semester
Clinical practicum rotations in
- Public Health
- Comprehensive General Medicine: Traditional and Natural Medicine Techniques
- Psychiatry
- Update in Therapeutic Techniques
10th Semester
Clinical practicum rotations in
- Orthopedics and Traumatology
- Urology
- Otorhinolaryngology (ENT)
- Ophthalmology
- Dermatology
- Legal Medicine and Medical Ethics
11th and 12th Semesters
Pre-professional clinical internship, with rotations in
- Internal Medicine
- Pediatrics
- Gynecology and Obstetrics
- Surgery
- Comprehensive General Medicine
