Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

Mayo Medical School
Type	Non-profit research institution and medical school
Established	1972
Parent institution	Mayo Clinic
Students	58
Location	Rochester, Minnesota; Scottsdale, Arizona (opening 2017)
Website	http://www.mayo.edu/mms
	File:Mayo-clinic-logo.png

Mayo Medical School is a research institution and medical school which is a part of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, United States. It grants degrees in medicine, and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Currently, it is considered the most selective school in terms of acceptance rates. It had an acceptance rate of 2.1% in the year 2012.^[1] It is also considered one of the least expensive private medical schools in the country in the 2012-2013 academic school year.^[2]

History

The Mayo Clinic has a long history of medical education, and was a pioneer in post-graduate education for doctors. In 1972, Mayo Medical School opened its doors to 40 students for the first Mayo Medical School class chosen from 473 applicants. In its short history the school has risen to become one of the leading medical schools in the United States. Today, the class size is still very small and select by American medical school standards. In addition to allowing for high selection standards and significant individual student attention, the class size is small in part because every medical student at the school receives financial assistance from the Mayo Foundation, with all students receiving at least half tuition scholarships. A large amount of need-based aid is also available. This is in line with the Mayo philosophy that the medical school should be able to train the best and brightest from all over the world, regardless of the ability of a student to pay for their medical education.^[3]

The Mayo Medical School Student Center on Second Street SW in Rochester, Minnesota.

Location

Mayo Medical School is located in the heart of downtown Rochester. The MMS campus activity is centered around the Mitchell Student Center next to the Mayo and Gonda buildings. These interconnected buildings, together with Rochester Methodist Hospital, comprise the core of Mayo's clinical practice facilities in downtown Rochester.^{[citation needed]}

An additional, secondary location will open at the Mayo Clinic campus in Arizona in 2017.^[4]

Student life

Mayo students attend classes and conduct laboratory exercises in the adjacent Guggenheim Building for Research and Education, the new Stabile Building, and the Siebens Medical Education Building. Within the Stabile Building is the new, state-of-the-art anatomy laboratory. While most education takes place in these buildings, students enjoy educational opportunities in almost every Mayo facility, as well as being able to partake in funded rotations at the Mayo facilities in Arizona and Florida. Mayo Medical Students can also take advantage of funded international rotations and medical volunteer trips, paid for by the Clinic and taken between normal instructional rotations.^{[citation needed]}

The Mayo Building rising behind the medical school student center.

Curriculum

Mayo Medical School students start their school year in mid-July, with first year students taking a hybrid orientation and public health course. The curriculum is divided into three and six week blocks, with students taking one class at a time. A list of the blocks and their titles is shown below:^{[citation needed]}

Year 1
Block 1 - Orientation and Improving the Public's Health
Block 2 - Basic Structure (Histology and Genetics)
Block 3 - Human Structure (Anatomy and Radiology)
Block 4 - Improving the Public's Health
Block 5 - Normal Function (Pathology and Immunology)
Block 6 - Principles of Disease, Diagnosis, and Treatment (Microbiology and Pharmacology)
Block 7 - Neuroscience (Neurology and Psychiatry)
Year 2
Block 8 - Circulation
Block 9 - Oxygen
Block 10 - Hematology (Immunity and Blood)
Block 11 - Musculoskeletal and Rheumatology
Block 12 - Renal and Urinary Tract
Block 13 - Endocrine and Gynecology
Block 14 - Nutrition and Digestion
Block 15 - Preclinical Studies

Classes during the first two years are offered on a Pass/Fail basis, with no internal ranking of students. This produces a cooperative environment that fosters learning and collaboration. During the first two years, medical school students have the opportunity to take part in self-designed selectives, which are one-to-two week periods that separate each block. Selectives allow students to shadow physicians, travel abroad on volunteer trips, or present research. If a student chooses, they may participate in selectives offered through Mayo Medical School, though self-proposed selectives are allowed.^{[citation needed]}

Saint Marys Hospital and Rochester Methodist Hospital are integral to the Mayo campus, providing essential inpatient learning experiences for medical students. The Mayo Clinic College of Medicine also includes programs in physical therapy, dentistry, physician assistant, and postgraduate residency and fellowship training programs. The Physician Assistant program is also affiliated with the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse,^[5] and students at the Medical School have the option to pursue several combined degree programs with other universities (M.D.-Ph.D., M.D.-M.B.A., and M.D.-M.P.H.).