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MD Program Information 2020 – 2021 CATALOGUE

OCEANIA UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE INTERNATIONALY ACCREDITED

Oceania University of Medicine CATALOGUE 2020/21

MD Program Information Copyright © 2020 e-Medical Education LLC. All rights reserved. PAGE 2

WELCOME FROM THE CHAIRMAN For many individuals who seek a medical education, becoming a doctor has been a lifelong dream. Perhaps realizing such a dream has led you here to learn about Oceania University of Medicine (OUM). We welcome your inquiry. OUM’s innovative approach has helped many aspiring physicians overcome distance, personal, and professional barriers to achieve their dream. We hope you will be one of them. Founded in 2002 in the South Pacific island nation of Samoa, OUM has evolved from a local mission to better meet the health needs of underserved island communities to an international medical school with students and graduates in many countries. When first accredited in 2010 by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU), OUM became the only internationally accredited medical school in the South Pacific. The school was reaccredited in 2020 for five more years. Rigorous accreditation validates the quality education we provide to our students and identifies our curriculum and programming as comparable to traditional, more established institutions. It also provides the requisite credentials which graduates of foreign medical schools need for licensing and to practice medicine in many countries including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. As you read through this publication, you will find every piece of information needed to become a student in our MD Program. The majority of our students live in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, but the student body represents more than 40 countries of origin and an equally diverse array of professional backgrounds. Many OUM students are already practicing healthcare professionals. This enhances class discussions and provides support throughout the rigorous course of study. While the students’ backgrounds and professions are diverse, their visions are identical. The school’s flexible distance-learning curriculum is ideal for individuals who have professional and family commitments but wish to study medicine and become physicians. We welcome your interest and look forward to helping you realize your own personal dream. Sincerely, Taffy Gould Chairman and Founder



Table of Contents

Welcome from the Chairman 2

Accreditation & Official Designations 4

I. The University’s Mission & Charter 5

II. OUM’s Approach to Learning 7

III. Technical & Academic Standards for Admission 9

IV. The MD Program Curriculum 11

V. Master of Health Sciences & Non-Degree Program 24

VI. Curriculum Delivery & Technology’s Role 25

VII. Student Support: Advising, Skill-Building & More 28

VIII. Assessments & Examinations 33

IX. Pathways to Practice: Graduation & Licensing 38

X. Admissions & Enrollment Process 42

XI. Tuition, Fees, Refunds & Payment Plans 47

XII. Student Policies & Regulations 50

XIII. Samoa: OUM’s Roots 56

XIV. For More Information 58

[email protected]

www.oum.edu.ws



ACCREDITATION & OFFICIAL DESIGNATIONS Oceania University of Medicine was granted formal accreditation by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) in 2010, making OUM the only internationally accredited medical school in the South Pacific. In 2020, PAASCU’s Board of Directors re-accredited OUM for five years until 2025. PAASCU has been recognized by the US Department of Education’s National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (NCFMEA). NCFMEA identifies and vets accrediting bodies outside the United States that use standards comparable to those used to accredit medical schools in the United States. During each round in the accreditation process, an accreditation team visits the OUM campus in Apia, Samoa and meets with students, alumni, and faculty in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. The team reviews programs and procedures in eight areas: faculty, curriculum and instruction, clinical facilities, research, students, library, administration, and facilities. Founded in 1957, PAASCU is a service organization that accredits academic programs to meet standards of quality education. Since 1991, PAASCU has been a full member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education, which is composed of 200 accrediting agencies in more than 90 different countries. PAASCU and other medical school accrediting bodies around the world are required by the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates to meet World Federation of Medical Education (WFME) standards by 2024. Students graduating in 2024 and beyond will not be allowed to practice in the United States unless their medical school has been accredited by a WFME-program. PAASCU is currently undergoing that certification process. For more information, visit https://www.ecfmg.org/about/initiatives-accreditation-requirement.html. OUM is accredited in Samoa by the Samoa Qualifications Authority, which coordinates and assures the quality of post-school education and training in the nation of Samoa. Throughout the accreditation process and beyond, OUM remains listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools—a joint publication of the Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research—and is recognized by the ECFMG. Being recognized by these organizations is a prerequisite in many countries for foreign medical school graduates applying for licensure.

Internationally Accredited



I. THE UNIVERSITY’S MISSION & CHARTER

he mission of Oceania University of Medicine is to help qualified individuals overcome distance personal, and professional barriers to become highly-trained physicians – committed to life-long learning – with the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes to care for patients; to prevent, treat and cure disease; and to create and apply

new knowledge to improve the health of underserved communities in Oceania and beyond. As set forth in the University’s Constitution and in support of the University’s mission, the specific objectives of the medical program are to:

■ Graduate general practitioners with foundation competencies in the basic and clinical sciences that prepare them for work in a hospital or community setting, while also developing the vision, sense of national and professional need, motivation, and perseverance necessary to pursue specialty training;

■ Produce graduates with skills and motivation needed to be life-long learners; ■ Produce graduates with a strong orientation toward community practice, by allowing students to study in their

own communities; ■ Produce graduates who are socially responsive and ethically responsible in their approach to the practice of

medicine; ■ Deliver a common internationally-applicable medical curriculum while providing students with experiences

which allow them to localize their learning outcomes; ■ Broaden access to medical education by allowing students to minimize the social, geographic, family, and

financial disruption normally experienced with the study of medicine; ■ Utilize current and emerging information technologies which allow students to complete their studies within

flexible settings and timeframes; ■ Give a central role to practicing community physicians, utilizing their experience, role modeling, and mentoring

capacity. OUM sees this relationship as a pioneering “new apprenticeship” model of medical education, supporting it with high-quality educational resources to assist in the personal and professional development of OUM graduates.

■ Contribute to the development of undergraduate and postgraduate health sciences training in Samoa and the Pacific region, also promoting professional development of healthcare professionals, actively pursuing alliances with regional educational institutions.

The University was founded on these principles, which have driven the development of the program into its current state and will provide guidance for its future advancement. The future of medicine will be marked by rapid change, and OUM’s medical graduates are expected to adapt and actively participate in those changes. The mission includes redefining medical education to make it relevant to societal needs. We encourage our graduates to maintain life-long, self-directed learning, and to pursue evidence-based medical practices that support advances in patient care, community service, research, and education. With the University’s mission and objectives in mind, OUM aims to graduate doctors who:

■ Are committed to rational, evidence-based, and compassionate healthcare; ■ Engage in professional relationships to acquire, evaluate, and communicate information; ■ Apply critical reasoning to medical care; ■ Apply understanding of illness to its prevention, identification, and management and to the promotion and

maintenance of health; ■ Apply understanding of the practice of medicine in a community or population; ■ Take responsibility for self-education and self-evaluation.

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The OUM Charter Oceania University of Medicine (OUM) operates under a charter executed by the Government of Independent Samoa (formerly Western Samoa), as an autonomous statutory corporation operating in partnership with the Samoan government, represented by the Prime Minister. The school’s authority derives from the Oceania University of Medicine Act, ratified by the Parliament of Samoa in January 2002. e-Medical Education, LLC, an international software and health science education company, operates OUM as part of the agreement.



II. OUM’S APPROACH TO LEARNING

he University is committed to diverse learning. Students develop a broad range of knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to practice medicine. The curriculum structure balances course subjects, integrated learning modules, and clinical experiences using the problem-based learning model (PBL), which grounds

clinical reasoning with the basic sciences and utilizes independent learning and small-group discussions to probe complex and timely medical issues.

Physicians must master a vast knowledge base to practice medicine. Through the latest information technology, OUM integrates that knowledge into the curriculum and the student incorporates these tools into daily practice. Computer-assisted learning programs will enable the student to enter a career as a lifelong learner armed with the tools to engage in this constantly evolving profession. Prime consideration is given to developing a sense of responsibility; an understanding of the patient’s need for a compassionate, knowledgeable physician; and a commitment to continuing medical education, research, self-directed learning, the improvement of skills and the acquisition of new ones. At the inception and throughout the program, students will interact with patients and physicians to learn basic interviewing skills, history-taking, physical examination, and physical diagnosis. Program Summary The faculty and administration of OUM are dedicated to providing a high-quality academic curriculum in all its programs, based largely on US and Australian medical education models. Students from all countries are welcome to apply for admission. Preclinical modules are taught utilizing distance-learning technologies that enable students to complete the preclinical study modules from their own communities. Similar to traditional medical schools, once OUM students successfully complete their preclinical modules, clinical rotations occur on site at select teaching hospitals. OUM’s distance-learning approach:

■ offers flexibility with the pace and location of instruction; ■ utilizes an internationally-accepted medical education model: problem-based learning; ■ increases access to a medical education for students in rural/remote locations; and ■ utilizes Physician Mentors for greater clinical exposure and Academic Advisers to customize the student’s

learning experience. OUM’s MD program is divided into two main phases: preclinical and clinical. All preclinical coursework (first 3 years) is completed via distance learning, beginning with a 12-week non-credit Introduction to Medical School prep course to measure readiness for medical school. Students must meet a threshold of 70% on the Introduction to Medical School post-exam to continue to the medical curriculum. Students then may choose from two basic science approaches, the e-Foundation 300-Series Track or the Basic Science Track. While both tracks cover the same nine disciplines, the Basic Science Track offers more intensive study (54 weeks vs. 30 weeks) for students intending to practice in the United States. (They are required to pass the United States Medical Licensing Exam, including USMLE Step 1 which is heavily focused on basic science content, before they are permitted to begin clinical rotations at US teaching hospitals) Basic science study for both tracks is followed by nine six-week system-based modules, and modules focused on emerging medical issues and research methodology. Throughout the preclinical phase, a clinical skills course focuses the student on the development of skills to examine and treat patients. This preclinical phase is followed by 72 weeks of core and elective clinical modules (clerkships) for learning hands-on patient care in approved clinical settings. Preclinical students will be assigned an Academic Adviser who will help ensure that they are keeping up with and

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retaining the course material through regular personal advising sessions. In addition, before the first system-based module begins, immediately following the basic sciences, each student is required to identify and have approved a local physician to act as his/her mentor. Students are expected to meet with their mentors for one hour each week to discuss issues arising from problem-based learning cases, as well as to observe and to participate in selected patient-doctor interactions and in the local healthcare system. The curriculum is presented using Moodle, a licensed software and course content platform with cases, exhibits, and assessments developed by American and Australian medical scholars. Highly-qualified online faculty guide students through the learning process, utilizing small student groups in regular tutorial sessions, focusing on intensive problem-based learning (PBL), independent learning, and formative assessment. The PBL cases integrate basic science material with clinical content from the very beginning of the program. OUM’s distance-learning curriculum utilizes Zoom virtual classroom software, which allows for student-teacher interaction online in a live real-time teaching environment. Zoom’s virtual classrooms provide an important, invaluable mode of interaction, namely real-time lectures and classroom discussion, as well as the opportunity to record lectures for future reference. Zoom provides an app for mobile devices (iOS and Android) to participate in live sessions and to replay recordings. Students must be knowledgeable in basic computer application programs and, eventually, OUM’s teaching applications Moodle and Zoom. Since the OUM curriculum uses a distance-learning, computer-based format, student success may be determined, to a certain extent, upon his/her understanding and comfort level using these technologies. The 72 weeks of clinical clerkships encompass on-site activities organized by the host hospital, in some instances working side by side with students from other medical schools. The clinical training includes directed learning activities and virtual lectures with corresponding tests following each core clerkship. Students also are required to complete a minimum of one four-week clinical rotation at OUM’s home in the South Pacific, in the independent nation of Samoa. OUM’s academic calendar allows new students to enroll in January or July. For continuing students, six terms are offered each year, with short breaks in between and a longer break provided from late December through early January. This intensive year-round program gives full-time students who successfully complete all six annual terms the opportunity to complete the medical curriculum in as few as five years. Students are not required to take all six annual terms but must complete at least 24 weeks per year to maintain good academic standing. Part-time students—needing flexibility for work, family, and other activities—may take five to six years to complete the degree program.



III. TECHNICAL & ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR ADMISSION

ceania University of Medicine welcomes students from all backgrounds. Students are selected without regard to age, gender, race, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation. While OUM reserves the right to vary requirements based upon standards in a student’s country of origin, a basic set of requirements and

procedures is applied to all admissions candidates. Technical Standards In addition to the academic discipline necessary for a rigorous curriculum, OUM students must possess minimum physical, cognitive, and behavioral requirements in order to successfully complete the curriculum. Medical students must be able to consistently, quickly and accurately integrate all information received by their senses, and have the intellectual ability to learn, integrate, analyze, and synthesize data. Specifically, OUM students must have:

■ sufficient senses of perception – the functional use of vision and hearing; ■ sufficient somatic senses – the senses of touch, pain and temperature; ■ sufficient proprioceptive senses – position, pressure, movement, stereognosis and vibratory; and ■ sufficient motor function to carry out both academic and clinical activities.

Candidates for a medical degree must have the following five additional skills and abilities: Observation – The candidate must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences, including but not limited to physiologic and pharmacologic demonstrations in animals, microbiologic cultures, and microscopic studies of microorganisms and tissues in normal and pathologic states. A candidate must be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and somatic sensation. It is enhanced by the functional use of the sense of smell. Communication – A candidate should be able to speak, to hear, and to observe patients in a sensitive manner. A medical student should be able to elicit information, describe changes in the patient's mood, activity and posture, and perceive nonverbal communications. The student also must be able to communicate effectively in oral and written form with all members of the healthcare team. Motor – Students should have sufficient motor function to obtain information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion and other diagnostic maneuvers; to do basic laboratory tests; to carry out diagnostic procedures; to read electrocardiograms and radiographs; and to conduct anatomical dissections during both basic science and clinical study. A student should be able to execute the motor movements reasonably required to provide general and emergency care to patients. Examples of emergency treatment reasonably required of physicians are cardiopulmonary resuscitation, administration of intravenous medication, application of pressure to stop bleeding, opening of obstructed airways, suturing of simple wounds, and performance of simple obstetrical maneuvers. Such actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision. Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities – These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of physicians, requires all these intellectual abilities. In addition, the student must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.

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Behavioral and Social Attributes – A student must possess the emotional health required to fully use his or her intellectual abilities; to exercise good judgment; to promptly complete the responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients; and to develop mature, sensitive, and appropriate relationships with patients. Students must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress. They must be flexible and able to adapt to changing environments and capable of functioning in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. Academic Prerequisites Applications are accepted from students with all undergraduate majors. Students who select an undergraduate major primarily to enhance their chances of acceptance to medical school may not be making a decision in their own best interest. While a science major may be helpful, it is not a prerequisite at OUM. Students should not major in science simply because they believe this will increase their chances of acceptance. For most physicians, the undergraduate years are the last available opportunity for an in-depth pursuit of non-science subjects of interest, and all those who hope to practice medicine should bear this in mind. OUM will strongly consider the overall quality and scope of all successfully completed undergraduate work. All MD candidates must have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher at an appropriately accredited tertiary educational institution. Generally, for medical school success, applicants are expected to have a credit-level degree or GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent. OUM’s curriculum features the basic sciences needed for success in medical school; therefore, standardized admission tests such as MCAT and GAMSAT may not be required for admission. OUM selects students it believes will successfully complete the rigorous and demanding OUM medical degree. The admission decision is based on academic success, test scores, healthcare experience where applicable, letters of recommendation, and the interview. Applications are welcome from transfer candidates in good standing at an accredited medical school whose accrediting agency has been certified by the World Federation of Medical Education. Depending upon their standing, successful transfer applicants may be asked to complete examinations such as the OUM’s Interval Performance Exams, In-House Exam, or USMLE. Prospective students are encouraged to speak with an OUM admissions counselor early in the admissions process. The counselor will answer questions regarding the medical school’s unique curriculum and the timeline for completing medical school and postgraduate training, and may connect prospective students with current members of the student body. Upon the first phone call or e-mail to the Office of Admissions, prospective students are assigned to an admissions counselor who will walk them through the application process and remain their adviser throughout the admissions process. To speak with an OUM admissions counselor, call 1-877-463-6686 toll free in the US and Canada or e-mail [email protected]. For Australia, New Zealand and other countries, e-mail [email protected] or call 1300 665 343 (toll free in Australia only) or 0800 99 01 01 (toll free in New Zealand only).



IV. THE MD PROGRAM CURRICULUM

UM’s overall academic goal is to produce well-rounded graduates with a foundation of knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and skills to foster success in postgraduate training, as well as to maintain professional competence throughout their careers. Students are expected to master the curriculum objectives listed in the

tables below by the end of their full course of study. Prior to the beginning of course work, students are required to attend an orientation, held online for students in Australia, New Zealand or other countries and at a central location in the United States for North American students. The orientation presents strategies for medical school success, an introduction to required IT modalities, and a “meet and greet” forum for students, faculty, administrators, and Academic Advisers. INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL SCHOOL After orientation, students commence a 12-week Introduction to Medical School prep course to help students assess their readiness for medical school. Students will be required to complete the new non-credit prep course before commencing the basic sciences. Although the course does not appear on transcripts, students will be required to take pre- and post- exams and meet a threshold of a 70% score on the post-exam to continue onto the medical school curriculum. The pre- and post-exams measure medical school readiness and should help students identify strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. Some of the subjects include Biology, Chemistry, Critical Thinking, Study Skills, Medical Textbook Reading/Retention, Vocabulary of the Basic Sciences, Biochemistry, Physiology, and Genetics. Upon completion of the Introduction to Medical School course, students begin the MD curriculum through one of two entry points: the e-Foundation 300-Series Track or the Basic Science Track. As the basic sciences are the foundation of medical studies, both tracks cover the same nine disciplines, one offering slightly more intensive study. The Basic Science Track is recommended for students who intend to practice in the United States and must pass the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1 – which is heavily focused on basic science content – before they are able to begin clinical rotations. Students in this track spend 54 weeks on basic science study; those in the e-Foundation 300-Series spend 30 weeks. Once basic science study is complete, the remainder of the MD program – the system-based modules and clinical curriculum – remains the same for all students. PRECLINICAL CURRICULUM The first module taken in the medical program begins OUM’s preclinical phase of study. Entering students are oriented to OUM’s self-directed learning system (Moodle) during the 300-Series and Basic Science Tracks, both of which focus on providing students with a solid background and understanding of the basic sciences. As students in a graduate-entry program, many with extensive healthcare experience and/or advanced degrees, students in these initial tracks are expected to be competent in study techniques and Internet technology prior to enrolling. The content in both tracks allows students to appreciate the clinical significance of basic science principles, utilize online technical resources, and effectively articulate the scientific basis of disease. This ensures that all students progress in the preclinical curriculum with comparable levels of basic science knowledge and mastery, which will be built upon during the system-based modules. The Day-One Clinical Skills Course spans the entire preclinical curriculum and is taken concurrently with other preclinical study, both basic science and system-based modules. Preclinical students also enroll in the Research Methodology course and must complete their research prospectus before commencing clinical rotations. e-FOUNDATION 300-SERIES TRACK The 300-Series is a 30-week track (three ten-week segments) in which students attend live instructor-led interactive sessions four days each week. Delivered via the Zoom virtual classroom platform, sessions are held Monday through

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Thursday from 8:00-10:00 pm Eastern Time (US), which is Tuesday through Friday, late morning to midday, for students in Australia/New Zealand. All sessions are also recorded for students with a scheduling conflict at the time of the live lectures or for those wishing to listen to lectures a second time.

Each ten-week segment is made up of several subjects listed below, presented in blocks ranging from two to four weeks in length:

Biochemistry Molecular Biology & Medical Genetics Physiology Anatomy, Neuroanatomy & Embryology Microanatomy & Cell Biology

Pharmacology Microbiology Immunology Pathology



To monitor content mastery, there is a quiz at the end of the first week for each basic science discipline and an exam at the end of each block. Students scoring less than 60 percent in any e-Foundation 300-series subject will be required to complete the corresponding six-week 100-Series e-Foundation Science block prior to enrollment in the system-based modules. For example, a student scoring less than 60 percent on the 300-Series Biochemistry block will have to pass the six-week 100-level Biochemistry block before progressing further in the preclinical curriculum. BASIC SCIENCE TRACK Established for students intending to practice medicine in the United States, the Basic Science Track offers a more intensive study of the basic sciences in preparation for the USMLE Step 1. In contrast to the 300-series 30-week schedule, students in the Basic Science Track will spend an intense 54 weeks on basic science study. Students attend live instructor-led interactive sessions four days each week, delivered via the Zoom virtual classroom platform. Sessions are held Monday through Thursday from 8:00-10:00 pm Eastern Time (US) and Tuesday through Friday, late morning to midday, for students in Australia/New Zealand. All sessions are also recorded for students with a scheduling conflict at the time of the live lectures or for those wishing to listen to lectures a second time.

Basic Science Track students complete nine six-week 100-Series e-Foundation Science blocks. These blocks are intensive expansions of the basic science disciplines taught during the 300-Series track. They cover:

Biochemistry. Classic and molecular biochemistry, including structure, function, and biosynthesis of macromolecules, metabolic interrelations and control mechanisms, and biochemical genetics. Application of recent advances in knowledge of molecular bases for cellular function to disease states (diagnosis, prevention, and treatment).



Molecular Biology. The study of the structure and function of the genetic material, including DNA structure, DNA replication and recombination, regulation of gene expression, and protein synthesis. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems are examined, including contemporary recombinant DNA technology and applications of molecular cloning procedures. Physiology. Functional features of the major organ systems in the human body. Emphasis on homeostasis and the interactions of organ systems in health and disease. Pharmacology. Various classes of drugs are covered, particularly those used in specific or symptomatic treatment of disease states. Drugs of abuse are also covered. Emphasis is on the mechanisms of drug action at the organ and system level and on their use in medicine. Medical Genetics. An introduction to human genetics. Topics include human gene organization and expression, chromosome structure, karyotyping, chromosomal aberrations, sex determination and sex chromosome abnormalities, patterns of single gene inheritance, linkage analysis, human gene mapping, inborn errors in metabolism, human population genetics, polymorphic cell surface antigens, multifactorial inheritance genetics of cancer, prenatal diagnosis, and uses of recombinant DNA in medical genetics. Microanatomy/Cell Biology. Microanatomy is designed to provide students with knowledge of the major features of the structural organization of cells, tissues, and organs, and how that organization is related to function. Cell biology involves an analysis of the basic structure and function of human cells, with an emphasis on the regulation of cellular processes. The basic features of membranes, cellular compartmentalization, protein trafficking, vesicular transport, cytoskeleton, adhesion, signal transduction, and cell cycle are covered. Anatomy. A systems approach to the analysis of human structure. Molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and organ system levels of structure and organization are integrated throughout. Neuroanatomy. How neuroscience uses tools of many disciplines, from imaging to behavior, to develop and test hypotheses about functions of specific parts of the brain. Basic organization of nerve cells and the human nervous system, methods of visualizing nerve cells, neural connections, and neural activity patterns are covered. Embryology. Embryologic development from ovulation through birth is covered and is organized by organ systems. Topics are integrated with human anatomy to facilitate understanding of anatomic relationships, selected birth defects, and anatomic variants. Microbiology. Comparative metabolism of small molecules and cell structure and relationship to microbial classification are covered, including macromolecule synthesis and regulation, cell division, growth, and effects of antibiotics. Immunology. A study of humoral and cellular immunology. Topics include lymphoid systems, cells, antigens, antibodies, antibody formation, cellular immunity, and tumor and transplantation immunology. Diseases and each topic’s altered immune states are discussed in detail.

Pathology. An overview of the molecular mechanisms of human diseases, including neurologic, hematologic, neoplastic, and infectious diseases.

Basic Science Track students are required to take Interval Performance Examinations (IPE) after every three 100-Series blocks to ensure they are on track for learning the material necessary to pass USMLE



Step 1. The 50-question exam encompasses subjects covered to date in the 100-Series blocks and includes content from both the lectures and the reading assignments in addition to the entire assigned textbook on the subject. Students not earning a passing score on the IPE are required to appear before the Student Progress Committee to explain their study strategies and exam preparation. Students planning to take USMLE Step 1 will also sit for two IPEs during the system-based modules, followed by the In-House Exam on which they must score 80 percent or higher to be approved to take Step 1. Note: 100-Series e-Foundation blocks are available to all students, by their own choice and/or at the recommendation of a student’s Academic Adviser. Students are welcome to utilize the 100-Series blocks as additional preparation for USMLE Step 1. If a student completes the 300-Series track and decides to prepare for USMLE Step 1, s/he should plan to complete all nine 100-Series blocks. CONCURRENT DAY-ONE CLINICAL SKILLS COURSE Students will participate in clinical skills activities beginning with their first medical school module, whether in the 300-Series or Basic Science Tracks. The “Day-One Clinical Skills Course” is taken concurrently with other preclinical modules and features both online and onsite components. The Clinical Skills Course will be divided into two parts: Basic Clinical Skills covers didactic lectures, readings and quizzes as part of the preclinical curriculums; Advanced Clinical Skills – the in-person on-site component, usually two to three days in length. The Advanced Clinical Skills is the first module in the clinical phase and a prerequisite to any clinical rotation. The course’s online component is the foundation for the live onsite training and students must pass the online phase of study prior to enrolling in the live component. Students must pass both the online and live training. Failure of either component will require the entire Clinical Skills Course to be repeated. The passing score for the Day-One Clinical Skills Course is 75 percent. In the US, the live component will be held at one of OUM’s contracted teaching hospitals, likely in Chicago or McAllen, Texas. Students may choose a three-day on-site Clinical Skills Course for clinically experienced students or a two-week on-site course. The two-week course may be combined with a clinical rotation, if approved by OUM faculty. In Australia, the live component will be provided via weekend workshops (Friday through Sunday) offered two to three times per year, utilizing a curriculum approved by the Dean of Australia and organized by a physician facilitator. A minimum of six students is needed to schedule one of the face-to-face courses and registrations are limited to a maximum of ten. Students will practice history taking and physical examinations, evaluated by the workshop facilitator and at least one OUM faculty member who provides each student with written performance-based feedback and a pass/fail grade. SYSTEM-BASED PRECLINICAL STUDY The Role of Problem-Based Learning OUM recognizes that problem-based learning (PBL) is the cornerstone of modern medical school teaching and has adopted this style in developing its curriculum content. During the MD program, students are exposed to 270 clinical entities through PBL cases, lectures, and group discussions covering a diverse range of pathologies. Each PBL case begins with a virtual patient presentation/scenario and follows patient progression through the following stages: ● Patient presentation ● History & physical examination ● Differential diagnosis ● Laboratory tests & diagnostic imaging

● Provisional diagnosis ● Short-term management ● Long-term management



Together with the patient information presented, each case includes basic science and clinical learning objectives. Preclinical PBL case studies link basic sciences with the development of clinical reasoning through virtual patient scenarios. PBL cases provided during the clinical phase of study will focus on patient management and other patient care issues and concepts. All PBL cases reference current core medical and basic science textbooks, journal articles, and verified websites. System-Based Modules ● Modules 3 through 14 (e-F300 Track) ● Modules 10 through 21 (Basic Science Track)

Each of the nine system-based modules (SBMs) is six weeks long, providing material which combines the basic and clinical sciences in a PBL case format. Each week, cases and supporting materials are accessed online through Moodle and are fully examined as the basis for classroom discussion. Two days each week, faculty lectures in Zoom focus on a detailed case presentation, covering key concepts and engaging in directed independent study. While the interactive lectures complement the case, the required reading covers the organ system in its entirety. On the other two days of the week, faculty members will lead discussions of two mini-cases each day, with students contributing content from discussion points derived from the readings. Thirty cases are covered during each six-week module, with a review period and the final exam taken during the seventh week. Students taking USMLE Step 1 will be required to sit and pass three 25-question Interval Performance Examinations after the third and sixth SBM modules to ensure that they are on track learning the necessary material. The system-based modules include:

Cardiovascular. The cardiovascular cases include chest pain, arterial hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmia, infective endocarditis, and congenital heart disease. Endocrinology. The endocrinology cases include thyroid disease, parathyroid disease, pituitary disease, adrenal disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Gastrointestinal. The gastrointestinal cases include esophageal disorders, gastric and duodenal disorders, intestinal disorders, hepatic disorders, cirrhosis, and pancreatic and biliary disorders.

Hemic-Immune. The hemic-immune system cases include immunodeficiency disorders, systemic lupus erythematosus, leukemia, lymphoma, anemia, and hemostasis. Musculoskeletal. The musculoskeletal cases include rheumatoid arthritis, muscular dystrophy, osteogenesis imperfecta, gout, osteoporosis, and osteosarcoma. Neurology & Neuroscience. The neurology and neuroscience cases include multiple sclerosis, bacterial meningitis, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke. Renal. The renal module focuses on glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, acute and chronic renal failure, fluids and electrolytes, acid-base balance, and nephrolithiasis via written case vignettes with a strong emphasis on the underlying basic science principles. Reproduction. The reproduction cases include sexual development, amenorrhea, prolactinoma, cervical cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Respiratory. The respiratory cases include asthma, tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV, lung cancer, and COPD.



The basic sciences integrated into PBL cases and covered throughout the preclinical curriculum are:

Anatomy Biochemistry Behavioral Science Cell Biology Embryology Genetics & Cell Biology

Histology Immunology Microbiology Pathology Pharmacology Physiology

As students progress through each preclinical module, they develop and improve their clinical reasoning skills as they apply their expanding knowledge to virtual medical scenarios depicting unique, as well as common, human conditions and ailments. These skills are essential to success during the core clinical clerkships and electives. To further prepare for those clerkships, students complete two additional modules which round out their preclinical experience:

Trends & Topics in Medicine. Trends & Topics in Medicine includes case studies in behavioral medicine, legal medicine, medical ethics, integrative medicine, nutrition, and preventive medicine, offering the student a well-rounded exposure to current issues facing the medical profession.

Research Methodology. Students learn the language and methods of research as they prepare for their required research project, working directly with a research adviser. Research Methodology includes recorded lectures and other exercises on research design, performing a literature search, development of the research question and hypothesis, statistical analysis, and research manuscript writing and publication. A student must select his/her topic and have the prospectus approved by the Director of Research before commencing clinical clerkships. (See Research Requirement below).

Journal Club Students are required to participate in Journal Club (JC) upon enrolling in the system-based preclinical modules, though all preclinical/clinical students and faculty are invited to attend JC sessions. Students in the system-based modules and beyond are required to attend at least 75 percent of the sessions. All students must present at least one article at Journal Club while enrolled as a student at OUM. At least one faculty member is present at each session to facilitate and guide discussion central to the student presentation and the article’s subject matter. Research Requirement Because scholarly publications are career-enhancing, students are encouraged to attempt to publish their research manuscript in Medical Student International, the student research journal created by OUM faculty, or in a peer-reviewed journal. Students will be assigned to a research adviser to help oversee their research project and manuscript preparation. The Research Methodology course provides recorded lectures and other activities to help the student develop the research project as well as 20 hours of faculty time to work with the student on the project. Students will not be permitted to commence clinical clerkships until the research prospectus has been approved by the Director of Research The final grade for the research requirement is based upon the quality of the manuscript, quizzes and other assessments. TIME COMMITMENT: PRECLINICAL PHASE Each preclinical module requires mastery of an extensive amount of information during a relatively short time period. Students generally enroll in only one module/block at a time because they are designed as a full-time study workload requiring a minimum of 40 hours per week for completion. Only students demonstrating consistent superior performance and a mastery of the material will be approved to take a second concurrent preclinical module in a term.



In a recent survey, OUM students report spending an average of 43.7 hours per week on their studies, which may be broken down as follows: ● 8 hours for live lectures, case discussions, and online interaction with the academic instructor and fellow

students; ● 2 hours for recorded didactic lectures; ● 1 hour for individual interaction with an Academic Adviser; ● 1 hour of interaction with their Physician Mentors (during system-based module enrollment); ● 2 hours for Journal Club, Research Club, Case of the Week, or any other OUM optional (but essential) learning

activities; and ● 30-plus hours for reading assigned text material and other resources related to cases, completing course

assignments, and other self-directed learning. The faculty recommends devoting more than 40 hours per week to reading.

Given the intense workload, full-time students should expect to complete the program in as few as four-and-a-half years. There is some flexibility built in for students who may need extra time for work, family, and other life events; these students can expect to complete the program in a minimum of five years. UNITED STATES MEDICAL LICENSING EXAMINATION (USMLE) STEP 1 The preclinical modules are benchmarked to cover much of the content required by the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1. After completion of the final system-based module, MD students who intend to complete clinical rotations at US teaching hospitals, and all students seeking to practice medicine in the United States, must pass the USMLE Step 1 to be eligible to proceed into the clinical phase of study. Students are required to begin clinical rotations within six months of passing their USMLE Step 1, or within six months of completing their final preclinical module, if Step 1 is not required. NOTE: Students who will not be rotating at US teaching hospitals are not required to pass the USMLE to begin clerkships and may commence clerkships after completing the preclinical curriculum once proper contracting is in place with his/her teaching facility. Preparing for the USMLE Step 1: OUM’s In-House Exam and more After completing the SBMs, OUM students who plan to practice in the USA must pass the University’s In-House Exam (IHE) to receive the University’s approval to sit for the USMLE Step 1. Students are strongly encouraged to research and abide by the timeframe during which they are required to complete all three steps of the USMLE, according to University regulations and the individual state in which licensing is desired. The University estimates the IHE/USMLE Step 1 study period to be approximately three months and has many resources to help students prepare for the exams. The Structured Study Protocol and Basic Science Immersion offer students the structure and support they need. See details of these programs, beginning on page 30. CLINICAL CURRICULUM Upon completing preclinical training and passing their preliminary exams, OUM students become eligible to enter 72 weeks of clinical clerkships/rotations. Core clinical clerkships cover 56 weeks, followed by 16 additional weeks of advanced medical/surgical and general elective rotations. Students must complete Advanced Clinical Skills, the live, onsite component of the Clinical Skills Course, before commencing clinical rotations. At least one four-week clinical rotation must be completed at OUM’s home in the South Pacific. Clinical clerkships are available at OUM’s campus in Apia, Samoa at TTM Hospital, the medical school’s primary teaching hospital in



Samoa’s National Health Complex. Upon completion of core clinical rotations, students begin elective rotations (typically in four-week increments) which may expand further study into core subjects or introduce students to new areas. During rotations, students acquire and maintain skills needed to provide total patient care by gaining an: ● understanding of the therapeutic nature of the patient-doctor relationship; ● ability to listen to and identify concerns of patients and their families and to respond to those concerns; ● ability to systematically elicit and interpret clinical signs/symptoms by interviewing and examining patients with

sensitivity; and ● understanding of how to evaluate difficult situations and make decisions in uncertain circumstances. This portion of the clinical curriculum is designed both to highlight important learning objectives and to complement knowledge acquired during rotations. OUM expects personal dedication to scholastic achievement and active participation in completing the learning activities outlined in each case. The goal of these problem-based cases and directed-learning activities is to bring specific issues forward in an appropriate clinical context. Clinical students will have an opportunity to train in both ambulatory and in-patient settings. The time spent on each will differ from clerkship to clerkship and from one hospital to another, but these differences are not significant in terms of enabling students to meet the module objectives. In addition to hospital and clinic time, students will be expected to complete reading assignments and other activities during the core clinical clerkships. Clinical knowledge will be evaluated in weekly quizzes and end-of-rotation exams. Clinical students will be expected to keep logbooks of their cases, which must be submitted to their dean for evaluation. CORE ROTATIONS The core clinical modules in OUM’s MD program and their durations are:

Core Modules Module Code Duration

Internal Medicine IM 12 weeks

Surgery SUR 12 weeks

Pediatrics PED 8 weeks

Obstetrics & Gynecology ONG 8 weeks

Psychiatry PSY 4 weeks

Emergency Medicine EM 4 weeks

Community Medicine COM 8 weeks Internal Medicine. Building on the Clinical Skills Course, students learn the steps necessary for proper patient diagnosis and treatment. This includes learning to take complete medical, personal, and family histories. Students also learn how to perform a diagnostic work-up and develop a plan for managing patient care. Students participate in clinical conferences where they learn to report findings and conclusions, logically and succinctly. Surgery. Students acquire knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for the recognition and management of patients with disorders that require surgical evaluation and surgical intervention. In the process, they become



familiar with the principles, clinical reasoning, techniques and tools used by surgeons, and with operating room policies/procedures. Pediatrics. Students acquire special skills and knowledge required for the treatment of infants, children, and adolescents. Students gain an appreciation of acute pediatric illnesses, assessment of child health, pediatric outpatient, and community pediatrics. Obstetrics & Gynecology. Students learn about the body’s response to pregnancy, labor, delivery, and the postpartum period – both normal and abnormal. They also become familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of major gynecological disease and various family planning methods.

Community Medicine. Students acquire the principles of family medicine and their application to community practice. Emphasis is placed on continuous and comprehensive healthcare for people of all ages within the context of their families, social groups and communities, and on understanding influential factors in a population’s health and the respective roles of health promotion, prevention, and treatment of disease. Emergency Medicine. Students familiarize themselves with the key principles, such as assessment of acutely ill patients, triage, trauma management, and resuscitation. Psychiatry. Students become familiar with the major categories of mental illness, including diagnosis and methods of therapy. In the process, they learn how to take a psychiatric history and to evaluate mental status.

The order of core clinical modules may vary. Modifications may be necessary to accommodate more established clerkship programs at affiliated teaching hospitals. Samoan Clerkship Requirement OUM students are required to complete at least one four-week clerkship at the OUM-affiliated teaching hospital in Samoa. Students are responsible for travel and living accommodations, and affordable housing is available near the hospitals, as is staff assistance in finding placement. Community/Family Medicine is typically the recommended rotation, but students should discuss the Samoa clerkship with their respective Dean prior to beginning the clinical modules. Assistance obtaining student visas will be provided when traveling to Samoa. Note: The Dean for North America and US-based faculty recommend that students passing USMLE and desiring a residency in the United States should undertake their core clinical rotations in US-based teaching hospitals, ideally in hospitals with a residency program in the rotation’s discipline accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). It is recommended that American students plan to take an elective, rather than a core rotation, in Samoa. ELECTIVE ROTATIONS Upon completion of the core clinical rotations, students will take 16 weeks of University-approved elective rotations (typically four four-week rotations). Electives usually cover three main areas: medical, surgical, and general subspecialties. The electives focus on patient management problems, exposure to the specialties, and the acquisition of additional procedural skills prior to beginning a supervised internship/residency program.

■ Medical elective options include exposure to medicine at a higher level, integrating other specialties and introducing internal medicine subspecialties such as endocrinology, rheumatology, and infectious diseases, as well as pediatric specialties, pain management, and hyperbaric medicine.



■ Surgical electives provide continued development of surgical techniques and patient management, as well as exposure to subspecialties such as anesthesiology, trauma surgery, orthopedics, ophthalmology, and plastic surgery.

■ General electives provide exposure to a broad range of medical and healthcare specialties ranging from forensic medicine to sleep medicine and occupational health.

One elective rotation that is not approved for OUM students is Clinical Research. The faculty feel that students get sufficient exposure to research during the Research Methodology module and that electives are better spent in clinical subspecialties. Clinical students are highly recommended not to take electives all in one specialty or to repeat general core clerkships as electives. The purpose of electives is to give students a broad exposure to different specialties. SCHEDULING CLINICAL ROTATIONS Students in North America work with the Student Affairs Coordinator, and those in Australia-New Zealand work with the General Manager there to schedule rotations. Students are encouraged to contact University staff midway through the system-based modules to begin discussion about where they want to undertake clinical training. While rotation planning begins early, actual contracting and scheduling will commence either once a student has passed the OUM In-House Exam (for students planning to rotate at US teaching hospitals) or during the final/ninth system-based module (for students not planning to rotate in US teaching hospitals), to ensure that all information is current and complete. All cores and many electives are available at TTM Hospital in Samoa. OUM students have also trained at clerkship sites in Australia, New Zealand, India, and Europe. All students, regardless of their home country, may complete rotations at teaching facilities in the US where OUM has established formal relationships, primarily in Chicago, Illinois and McAllen, Texas. Outside Samoa and the US, the best source of clinical rotations for OUM students remains the network of hospitals and clinics at which OUM students and faculty have previously secured positions. These rotations are usually arranged by the student with assistance from OUM staff. Rotating at facilities where the University does not have formal relationships, perhaps a facility closer to a student’s home, requires a significant collaborative effort between the student and the school – often a lengthy process. The student will be asked to provide administrative contact information at these facilities for OUM staff to research for suitability, often securing assistance from mentors and other physician colleagues. A Dean or other OUM administrator will make the direct contact with the proposed sites and every effort will be made to accommodate a student’s location preference. In the US, OUM prefers to contract with facilities that are identified as accredited teaching hospitals by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Contracting with non-teaching hospital sites may be permitted for students who do not sit the USMLE while enrolled at the University. Medical centers without the official infrastructure in place to enroll, evaluate, and record student rotations may not be able to verify training should a licensing body contact them in the future. Many US states will not license physicians who did not train in accredited teaching hospitals. Consequently, the Dean for North America strongly discourages rotations in private practices or other clinics not associated with a teaching facility or with physicians who do not have formal teaching experience and credentials. For American and Canadian students, the University will negotiate a required affiliation agreement with the appropriate facilities to ensure that OUM students have full access to all site resources. For students rotating in teaching hospitals, they will train with the same academics, privileges, and procedures as all other medical students training at that hospital.



In addition, the University has been accepted into the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities® (VSLO®) program of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The program enables medical and public health students from its affiliated sites to pursue short-term learning opportunities in locations away from their home institutions. While students may reach out to colleagues to explore clerkship opportunities, the affiliation agreement process is complex and OUM students or prospective students should not contact the sites directly or attempt to negotiate any aspect of affiliation. Students farthest along in their preclinical curriculum take priority in the research and negotiations for rotations. Please note that clinical rotation schedules are subject to interruption by epidemics, pandemics, border closures, and other actions beyond OUM’s control. Students are urged to comply with local laws and hospital regulations and should not proceed with a rotation in a location where they do not feel comfortable. TIME COMMITMENT: CLINICAL PHASE Between hands-on rotations and completing the clinical curriculum assignments, students will spend 60+ hours per week completing their clinical modules. The following table indicates components of a typical core clinical module, the mode/location of delivery, and approximate time expected to accomplish each activity. Given the intense workload, students should plan on devoting full time to clinical clerkships. Other employment during clerkships is highly discouraged.

Learning Activity Clinical Location / Delivery Approximate Time Allocation

Clerkship Placement

Admitting patients (re-admitting when necessary) – includes history & physical, clinical data gathering, procedures, planning, management, etc.

Affiliated hospital-based sites 15 hours/week

Patient rounds/bedside teaching (hospital-based rotations) Affiliated hospital-based sites 12 hours/week

Seeing patients (outpatient rotations) Affiliated clinic-based sites 10 hours/week

Clinical tutorials Affiliated sites 2 hours/week

Grand Rounds Affiliated teaching hospital 1 hour/week

Clinical Knowledge

Reading corresponding material to support procedures observed and concepts learned in the rotations.

OUM – Moodle ClinicalKey

20 hours/week

Evaluation and Assessment

Activities related to evaluation and assessment, e.g. weekly quizzes, end-of-rotation exam, logbook preparation, supervisor’s report, clinical knowledge (CK) exam, clinical assessment tasks etc.

Affiliated sites and OUM 2-3 hours/week

Preparing for Graduation (North America) Upon passing the USMLE Step 1 and completing core rotations, all students seeking to practice medicine in the United States must also pass both parts of the USMLE Step 2, Clinical Knowledge (CK) and Clinical Skills (CS), which are required for US licensure and for postgraduate training.



Prior to the final year of study (for students who sat and passed the USMLE Steps 1 and 2), North American students gather the appropriate documentation necessary to apply for the National Residency Match Program. It is strongly recommended that all core rotations be completed prior to applying for the annual match. Following extensive application reviews and personal interviews, students and residency programs are “matched” electronically based upon mutual preferences given by the students and the programs. All senior medical students throughout the US receive their residency acceptance on Match Day, held each year in March. Students who will take the USMLEs after graduating from OUM will take the FCE as their graduating exam (and take USMLEs on their own timetable as graduates). They will participate in the appropriate Residency Match once USMLE Steps 1 and 2 are passed. Preparing for Graduation (Australasia) After core rotations are completed, students not taking USMLE will prepare for and take OUM’s Final Clinical Examination (FCE). The 250-question written exam will measure the student’s clinical knowledge. The clinical skills portion, set up as a multiple-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), will evaluate the student’s clinical skills in a variety of different patient scenarios. Depending on where the student intends to undertake postgraduate training and to eventually practice, licensure or registration exams may be required before or after graduation, depending upon local medical board requirements. OUM has information about the requirements of the Australian Medical Council and the Medical Council of New Zealand. For other jurisdictions, the student should check with local authorities. Academic Calendar The Academic Calendar includes the beginning and ending dates for each term, exam schedules, and other important information. The Academic Calendar is approved mid-year by OUM’s Academic Board.

Oceania University of Medicine Academic Calendar, 2021



V. MASTER OF HEALTH SCIENCES & NON-DEGREE PROGRAM OUM offers a Master of Health Sciences degree to students who want exposure to the preclinical sciences but do not wish to devote four-plus years to earning an MD degree. The program is open to:

● Current preclinical students who do not wish to proceed with clinical clerkships. ● Prospective students who are interested in sampling the medical school curriculum before making a four-

year commitment. ● Prospective students who want to broaden their medical knowledge to enhance their own careers or to seek

new opportunities in healthcare administration, science and medical technical writing, or medical research.

The curriculum for the Master of Health Sciences degree is the same as the preclinical modules in the MD program, beginning with the 12-week prep course, then the 300-Series or e-Foundation 100-Series and system-based modules plus Trends & Topics in Medicine, Day One Clinical Skills, and Research Methodology.

At the conclusion of the final preclinical module and required research project, the student must pass OUM’s In-House Exam and present his/her thesis, suitable for publication in Medical Student International. The research project must focus on a healthcare issue relevant to Samoa and the South Pacific and must follow the research approval process. Because of the faculty supervision required (up to two hours per week or 20 total contact hours), the research project and thesis will be treated as an additional module and subject to tuition fees.

Completing the requirements of the Master’s program does not qualify the graduate to practice medicine in any jurisdiction, as the completion of clinical clerkships and commensurate licensing exams are required to become a medical doctor. Part-time Non-Degree Seeking Students Students who already have earned an MD or MBBS degree from a recognized medical school and wish to take additional medical school coursework, either for personal enrichment or to strengthen their CV, may register at OUM on a part-time basis, following the normal application process. In addition to meeting OUM’s admission requirements, non-degree seeking part-time students must:

■ Enroll for a minimum of 24 weeks of coursework in one 12-month period ■ Pay full tuition ■ Accept clinical clerkships at a hospital of OUM’s choosing

For more information, contact [email protected].



VI. CURRICULUM DELIVERY & TECHNOLOGY’S ROLE

UM’s MD program utilizes a blend of traditional face-to-face learning, online curriculum materials and real-time virtual classrooms, offering students the best of today’s e-learning capabilities. Online delivery applications Moodle and Zoom are the focal point of OUM’s medical education program and a student’s

success may depend, to a certain extent, upon his/her understanding and comfort level using these technologies. The University requires that students have access to a computer that has high-speed Internet connectivity, is reliable, functioning, free from viruses, and is Java-enabled. Curriculum content and delivery utilizing Moodle and Zoom are continuously monitored by medical scholars based in Australia, North America, and Samoa. Moodle: OUM’s Learning Management System OUM’s prime curriculum delivery vehicle is an established web-based education software system called Moodle (www.moodle.org). OUM has tailored this program to maximize efficiency and function as a teaching tool, while remaining user-friendly for students. Students access material utilizing secure Internet connections from their personal computers. In addition to presenting the weekly problem-based learning (PBL) case studies, exhibits, and assessments, Moodle:

■ provides students with access to Zoom and its live interactive and recorded lectures and case discussions; ■ posts important instructional and administrative information for students ranging from the academic calendar

and library resources, to exam results, and club announcements; ■ contains electronic copies of all curriculum documents; and ■ gives instant messaging capabilities for registered users and the ability to send private messages to instructors

and fellow classmates. Zoom is a highly regarded educational software package that provides real-time online learning and student-teacher interaction in a live classroom environment specifically suited to academic institutions that incorporate distance-learning education into their curricula. The Zoom classroom enables students to “raise their hands” to ask questions, answer instructor questions using a polling system, take notes, and carry on a group discussion much like a telephone conference call. Zoom’s “web tour” feature enables instructors to show students relevant websites during class sessions and easily move among websites, white boards, outlines, and PowerPoint presentations. Students also may use these resources for class presentations and articles presented during Journal Club. Zoom lectures are all recorded for students to revisit for additional review and access when they were unable to attend the live lecture. In the nine six-week system-based modules, an essential disease process is addressed in a 40-50-page case which integrates the basic and clinical sciences. Students participate in interactive lectures via Zoom , which focus on the diagnosis and management of the clinical condition based on the current understanding of the basic sciences and existing technology. The principles of the case and lectures are reinforced with extensive reading and assessed with a comprehensive examination. Clinical students also participate in lectures via Zoom. Specialists deliver presentations on essential clinical topics which are tested at the completion of each core clerkship, and include the epidemiology, presentation, differential diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, and follow-up of the symptom/disease process. OUM has integrated Zoom into all aspects of the University, from classroom instruction and student study groups to faculty/staff meetings. Zoom is also utilized for school-wide student meetings and information sessions regarding new resources and academic programming, as well as for webinars introducing OUM to prospective students.

O



Expert Faculty Facilitators OUM's faculty represents the world of medicine at its finest and most diverse. Physicians and PhD basic science instructors trained in the world's most respected universities guide students through the online learning process, utilizing small student discussion groups in regular tutorial sessions, or focusing on intensive problem-based learning, self-instruction, and formative assessments. In addition, a variety of basic science and clinical specialists from Australia, the United States, and other countries are invited to give live student seminars and lectures on the Zoom platform. ClinicalKey & OUM Library OUM uses ClinicalKey for its online textbooks. ClinicalKey is an Elsevier product which provides online access to textbooks, journals, practice guidelines, multimedia, and more. ClinicalKey is more than just an online repository of books; it is a comprehensive searchable knowledge base suitable for practicing doctors and clinicians, as well as for medical students at every level of education. ClinicalKey includes:

■ Journals (500+) ■ Books (1,000+) ■ Practice Guidelines ■ First Consult (point of care information) ■ Patient education resources ■ Drug information ■ Multimedia: images and videos (13,000+)

In addition, ClinicalKey Student provides access to hundreds of acclaimed textbooks, powerful study tools and a library of video resources, including more than:

■ 200 textbooks covering 40 medical specialties ■ 850 associated videos ranging from practice demonstrations of anatomical dissections to instructional clinical

examination examples ■ 85,000 images for visual learning ■ 1,500 quick access summaries distilling complex medical conditions into easy-to-understand synopses

The OUM Library located in Moodle provides links to:

■ ClinicalKey newsletter of updated titles ■ PubMed, the comprehensive database of citations in health and medical research ■ Training resources on how best to use ClinicalKey and PubMed ■ Document Supply Registration and Request forms to ask for help from an OUM librarian or to secure

documents (including book chapters and journal articles) that students have not been able to find Exam Proctoring Remote exam proctoring provides a secure test-taking environment from any location, offering OUM students maximum convenience while preserving exam integrity. The medical school’s remote proctor for all testing is Proctortrack by Verificient Technologies. Through each student’s own computer (webcam, speaker, microphone), Proctortrack uses facial recognition technology to verify the student’s identity, lock the computer to prevent access to other information, and record/monitor the student’s actions during an exam. Proctoring services “flag” a wide array of actions ranging from wearing earbuds to laying one’s head on the desk. While many of the actions seem benign, monitoring them preserves exam integrity. Students pay an annual fee for exam proctoring and monitoring.



Students will have a 48-hour window for e-Foundation 100 and 300 series quizzes and final exams as well as the SBM quizzes. The SBM final exam has a 24-hour window at the end of review week and a 48-hour window at the end of exam week. Technology Requirements for Students The University requires that students have access to a computer that has high-speed Internet connectivity, is reliable, functioning, free from viruses, and is Java-enabled. Students should always have a back-up plan in case their computer experiences problems and/or is no longer in working order. The following are minimum requirements for students’ computers:

■ Broadband internet connection with an upload speed of at least 200kbps ■ At least 2.4 GHz dual core processor ■ At least 4 GB RAM ■ Webcam, microphone, and speakers ■ Anti-virus program ■ All software up to date

The following are recommendations for students’ computers:

■ Less than two years old (strongly recommended) ■ Laptop or notebook computer preferred ■ PC: Windows 10 ■ Mac: OS version 10.14

NOTE: Due to the requirements of OUM’s exam proctoring software, the following are NOT supported for exam taking: Chromebooks, Linux, Virtual machines, or mobile devices (including iPads and iPhones). A laptop or notebook computer is a requirement for the in-person orientation session. Students who travel to Samoa to complete clinical clerkships would be better prepared with a laptop or notebook computer. Technology owned by OUM may not be used to download videos or music and may not be used for Internet telephone, audio or video streaming, or other high-bandwidth activities.



VII. STUDENT SUPPORT: ADVISING, SKILL-BUILDING & MORE

istance learning at OUM doesn’t mean distant learning. There are many vehicles in place to engage and connect students with each other, faculty, and other resources. Physician mentors and Academic Advisers connect students to experts in the field, and the OUM Student Association (OUMSA) connects students

directly. Additionally, students may participate in a variety of programs to boost their fund of knowledge. Physician Mentors A student resource unique to OUM, the role of a Physician Mentor is that of guide, coach, role model, and aide in student assessment. Mentors do not teach course content or basic science material, but they offer clinical experience and advice relevant to the student’s current system-based module. Mentors provide students with a positive role model and:

■ explain the career paths, in addition to the personal, professional, scientific and ethical aspects of life as physicians;

■ explain how knowledge gained through case studies is applied to the diagnosis and management of a patient’s problem;

■ demonstrate basic clinical skills related to each module’s cases; and ■ complete a checklist assessment of the student’s clinical skills.

Students are urged to identify their prospective Physician Mentor early during their 300-series or Basic Science Track study. Students will not be allowed to register for their first system-based module until OUM has approved their Physician Mentor.* Mentors must be a currently-practicing registered/licensed physician holding an MBBS or MD degree in good standing, be in or have completed a specialty-training program, and have at least four years of clinical experience. In the US, a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) is also an acceptable mentor. OUM provides materials for students to present to prospective mentors who complete an application for review and approval by the student’s regional dean. Mentors receive a modest honorarium after submitting an assessment and invoice after each system-based term. Students are expected to meet with their approved mentor one hour each week to discuss issues arising from the problem-based learning cases, as well as to observe patient-doctor interactions, and to become familiar with the local healthcare system. In some instances, due to distance or time constraints, students and mentors combine their hourly sessions and meet less frequently, for longer periods of time, up to three hours in one meeting. Each Physician Mentor must have Internet access and use e-mail regularly to communicate with the student and the school. Mentors also monitor the student's behavior and attitudes toward patients, other healthcare professionals, and the practice of medicine, in general. Through the mentor, OUM monitors student well-being. If a mentor identifies that his/her mentee appears to be excessively stressed or not coping with the workload, the mentor is asked to contact the school, which will arrange for counseling. OUM anticipates that mentors will provide positive role modeling to students in three key areas:

1. Commitment to professionalism and the physician’s role These impressions will likely be informal, casual observations of the student by his/her Physician Mentor, noting punctuality, proper dress, good manners, appropriate language, organizational acumen, etc. More serious discussions also may take place regarding global health issues, such as bioethics, continuing medical education (CME), and practicing medicine in the face of increasing social, political, and economic pressures.

2. Communicating with patients, their families, other health professionals, and colleagues

While most medical schools have formal courses in doctor-patient communication, these classroom sessions could never replace a student’s direct observation of a mentor and his/her patient.

D



3. Commitment as a life-long learning professional

One of the most important messages OUM conveys to students is the need to become a life-long learner. In order to stay up-to-date, physicians must continue to learn throughout their careers. OUM hopes mentors will demonstrate a commitment to this principle.

* In order to prevent a potential conflict of interest, a student is not permitted to select as his/her mentor anyone related by blood or marriage, e.g., spouse, mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or cousin. Academic Advisers The primary contact for students regarding their academic status and program progression is their Academic Adviser. Academic Advisers help customize a student’s transition into the OUM program and meet with him/her for one hour each week via telephone/email/Skype. Academic Advisers are available upon request for students in good academic standing but are required for students who are experiencing academic difficulty. The Academic Adviser provides continuity in the program and helps students overcome impediments inherent in a distance-learning environment. Many Academic Advisers are also instructors for the 300-Series or Basic Science Tracks and/or the system-based modules, so they are familiar with the OUM curriculum. The Academic Adviser serves as the student’s coach for benchmark exams such as the USMLE, by assisting with preparation and overcoming deficiencies in the student’s knowledge base through recommending and facilitating reading assignments, test questions, and practice exams. Academic Advisers will:

■ guide students through the high volume of required readings assigned during each module; ■ assess the student’s knowledge as applied to material in the current module and overall, in light of other

modules taken; ■ interact with instructors and/or Physician Mentors, if necessary, to gain insight into academic or clinical

performance; ■ make assignments to facilitate learning or to supplement formal instruction; ■ establish a means by which to document comprehension and assess the student’s fund of knowledge and

readiness to progress from one module to the next.

All OUM Academic Advisers hold an MD, MBBS, or a PhD in one of the basic sciences. They will also have familiarity with licensure exam requirements in their respective country. Clinical Student Advisers Clinical Student Advisers extend and redirect the Academic Adviser role to guide students through the clinical curriculum. Issues related to clinical rotations are the focus, as are strategizing about future rotations and career plans, and preparing for the FCE or USMLE Step 2. Every effort is made to match students specifically with a clinician who is familiar with the licensure/registration exams and post-graduate opportunities in the country where each student intends to practice. Clinical advisers ensure that their advisees are completing weekly readings, provide feedback on weekly quizzes and end-of-rotation exams, and advise students on administrative protocols. While Clinical Student Advisers meet with their students on an as-needed basis during the core rotations, they must meet, at minimum, during the beginning, middle, and end of each core clerkship. Students and clinical advisers are not allowed to meet for more than one hour each week, but they must meet any time a student scores below passing on a weekly core clerkship quiz.



Toward the end of each core rotation, clinical advisers survey their students for details regarding:

● description of a typical day, including hours; ● types of cases seen by the student and procedures performed; ● description of patient contact; ● description of the student’s role in recordkeeping; ● other educational resources at the clerkship facility; ● description of interaction with other medical students, residents, attendings; ● description of supervision the student received, feedback, etc.; ● positive characteristics of the rotation and whether the student would recommend it to others; ● concerns or any negative characteristics; ● readiness for the end-of-rotation exam.

When clinical advisers and students are in the same facility, meetings will be held in person. For advisers and students

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