Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine

Huntington, West Virginia

Mission Statement:

The Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine is a community-based, Veterans Affairs affiliated medical school dedicated to providing high quality medical education and postgraduate training programs to foster a skilled physician workforce to meet the unique health care needs of West Virginia and central Appalachia. Building upon its medical education foundation, the school seeks to develop centers of excellence in clinical care, including primary care in rural underserved areas, focused and responsive programs of biomedical science graduate study, biomedical and clinical science research, academic scholarship and public service outreach. The School is committed to fulfilling its mission by creating a diverse and inclusive academic community that is sustained in a collegial and nurturing environment of life-long learning.

Description of the education program:

Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine is a state-supported, community-based medical school established in 1977. Our faculty and administration are committed to providing high quality medical education and graduate training to meet the changing health care needs of our nation’s citizens. We specialize in rural health issues as expressed in special efforts to recruit students from rural West Virginia and place graduates in clinical practice in rural areas. Additionally, because we believe that a diverse population offers a rich environment that leads to greater knowledge, understanding, acceptance and mutual respect, we promote an inclusive environment by attracting, recruiting and retaining individuals who represent varying backgrounds and perspectives.

Year 1 is an integrated curriculum that focuses primarily on the normal structures and functions of the human body. 

Year 2 is an integrated curriculum that focuses primarily on disease and therapeutics. 

Year 3 is divided into seven traditional clerkships of Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Surgery.

Year 4 consists of two weeks emergency medicine, two weeks of selective ICU rotation, four weeks of selective sub-internship and 28 weeks of electives.

Average Length of Enrollment

Average length of enrollment for the Class of 2018 is 4.08 years.

Medical School Transcripts

Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine is compliant with the AAMC “Guidelines for Medical Schools Regarding Academic Transcripts”.

Evaluation System

A letter grade of “C” or “Pass” is required for completion of all courses, clerkships, and elective rotations.

Passage of USMLE Step 1 is required for promotion to Year 3.

Passage of USMLE Step 2 CK/CS is required for graduation.

The assessment of all medical students in a clinical skills environment begins in Year 1.  Preclinical students are assessed using standardized patients.  Assessments are aligned with didactic themes of the block.

Clinical students are assessed each clerkship using standardized patients.  Cases correlate with the specific patient population per clerkship.

All MS3 students are required to pass a 6 station Clinical Competency Exam in order to sit for USMLE Step 2 CS.

Narrative Comments

Narrative comments are part of the student’s summative assessment at the end of each clerkship.  Narrative comments contained in the MSPE are edited for length, grammar, and minor content to improve clarity.

MSPE Composition

The MSPE is composed by the Vice Dean of Medical Education or the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs.

Student Review of MSPE

Students are permitted to review their MSPE prior to upload into ERAS.