Most of us know the traditional way to study medicine; go to medical school after college, study hard, and complete a residency. Partially because of the medical field's new emphasis on empathetic, well-rounded medical students and physicians, programs that once seemed to be on the fringe are gaining in popularity not only among premedical students, but also among medical schools and hospitals.

...

The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center F-MAT Family Medicine Accelerated Track: Though schools in Canada, such as the University of Calgary, have offered similar options in the past, Texas Tech became one of the first U.S. medical schools to establish a three-year, accelerated M.D. program for students interested in primary care. The program, which was approved by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education in 2010, abbreviates the M.D. curriculum for students who have already decided to pursue careers in primary care. It is based on the view that the fourth year of medical school is typically a low yield for primary care specialties.

Read the full story >>