The Duke University School of Medicine medical education program objectives were developed to inform the sequence and structure of the curriculum and to meet the mission of the program.
Medical Education Program Objectives
The programmatic policies are essential for student success and can be found in the School of Medicine Bulletin.
The current policies for the Doctor of Medicine program are also collated in the Duke MD Program Policies Handbook.
The mission of the Curriculum Committee is to assure an excellent, coordinated, integrated course of instruction for the preparation of future physicians. The Committee is composed of faculty, staff, students, and residents of the School of Medicine and is responsible for making decisions about the medical student curriculum. The Committee serves as an independent body in making curricular decisions for the educational program, and does not report to Duke SOM or Health Systems leadership.
Admissions Committee
The purpose of the Admissions Committee is to develop the criteria, policies, and procedures for the selection of the medical students that make up the student body of the School of Medicine, and to admit or deny admission to applicants in accordance with such criteria, policies, and procedures.
Additional SOM Policies
Policies governing faculty life may be at the University, School, or Department/Division level. Clinicians may also be governed by Health System practices. Always check with your division chief or chair if you are unsure how something applies to you.
The best source for many faculty-related policies is the Duke University Faculty Handbook.
Policies regarding your faculty appointment
Policies to Support Flexibility
- Chapter 4 of the Faculty Handbook has information about tenure clock relief policies, flexible work arrangements, and leaves of absence.
- NIH Family-Friendly Initiatives
Policies supporting a healthy work climate
- Faculty Professionalism
- Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Misconduct (Office of Institutional Equity)
- Research Integrity and Compliance
A History of Tradition and Innovation
Fifty years ago, medical education leaders at Duke began a bold experiment to increase the opportunities for medical students to tailor their education to serve their personal interests and career goals. The “elective” curriculum of 1966, while retaining considerable freedom of choice, has been reshaped over the years into one that strives to involve the student in the pursuit of the knowledge on which clinical decisions are based. In keeping with past traditions, the Patient FIRST curriculum aims to build on our history of success and develop a curriculum that is bold, meaningful, and progressive to prepare outstanding physician leaders to be successful in the changing healthcare landscape of the future.
Curricular Resources for Students
Access the School of Medicine's learning management system Canvas, learn about study prep materials, and more curricular resources for students.
Faculty Educator Resources
The M.D. Program is committed to the support and professional development of our teaching faculty.
Accreditation
The M.D. program at the Duke University School of Medicine is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs leading to the M.D. degree in the U.S. and Canada. Its most recent accreditation visit occurred during the 2024-25 academic year. Duke was granted a full 8-year accreditation cycle, with the next review occurring in 2032-33.
Information regarding DUSOM's accreditation status can be verified by contacting the LCME Secretariat through their website (https://lcme.org) or email (lcme@aamc.org)