The Doctor of Medicine program received full international accreditation from the Eurasian Centre for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Health Care (ECAQA), recognised by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME)

Campus: Astana, Kazakhstan, NU School of Medicine building

Language: English

Delivery mode: Full time, on-campus

Duration: 4 years

The Doctor of Medicine program is a professional doctorate degree which provides the competencies, skills and certification to be employed as a doctor, to practice medicine and the foundation to continue postgraduate medical training. The program has been designed to be consistent with the model of graduate medical education and is competency based.

Courses: The patient focus of the NU SOM curriculum begins on day one of the programs with the Introduction to Being a Physician course. Medical interviewing and physical examination courses follow, along with exercises examining the many facets of physician life – at the patient’s bedside, in the community, and in society as a whole. Throughout the first two years, students develop and apply their new clinical skills at the hospitals and clinics of the University Medical Center (UMC) one afternoon per week. The Basic Science block runs through three-fourths of the first year and provides language and concepts that underlie the scientific basis of medical practice. Organ System block courses integrate physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and introduction to medicine, with concurrent courses in the Patient Care and Patient, Physician, and Society blocks. Weekly discussions, patient interviews, and examination of hospitalized patients reinforce essential clinical skills. The third-year curriculum consists of clinical clerkships designed to optimize the balance between inpatient and out-of-hospital learning opportunities. The fourth year includes an active internship, additional required and elective clerkships, and an integrated life sciences experience that revisits some aspects of basic science after students have several years of clinical experience.

Strategic partner: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Program aims are:

• To train professionals who better understand the complexity, interaction and interdependence of different human body systems.
• To train science-based graduates to apply their methodological training and research findings to advance medical sciences and improve human health and wellbeing.
• To educate skilled clinicians to practice medicine in the 21st century and to provide the graduates with the foundation competencies to continue postgraduate medical training.

After completion, graduates can enroll into a Residency program of their choice, continue their studies or work as healthcare professionals

On successful completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

• Explain the major pathological processes, the biological alterations they cause and the effect on the organ systems;
• Describe human systems physiology, common pathological conditions and relevant pharmacology;
• Apply the required skills to establish and maintain appropriate therapeutic relationships with patients, obtain sensitive information and complete medical history, perform accurate and sensitive physical examination and general clinical procedures;
• Examine patients and define common signs and symptoms, use testing to help guide diagnostic and therapeutic decisions and show sound clinical reasoning;
• Develop various therapeutic options in the care of patients with common problems, acute life-threatening medical problems and chronic diseases;
• Identify information and educational technology to facilitate research, education and patient care, as well as, the multiple factors that affect the practice of medicine, public health and research;
• Examine and interpret the interface between medical practice and health systems, including the related economic, public policy issues and ethical principles.

STEP 1. Create your personal account

Register on www.admissions.nu.edu.kz portal to create a Personal Account. Please select the «Master's degree/Residency» program during choosing the Academic level.

After completing the application, confirm it by clicking on the link sent to your email.

Be sure to read the Instructions about the application procedure given in your Personal account.

STEP 2. Complete your Application Form and attach the required documents

Fill out the application form and attach the required documents:

1. Scanned copy of a National ID card or passport;
2. Scanned copy of secondary school or higher education institution certificate (attestat/diploma) with final academic performance or certificate from the school (spravka) according to the sample in the personal account;
3. Motivation letter in English;
4. Valid copies of certificates. The results of standardized tests must be sent directly to the University through test administrators.

STEP 3. Pay an application fee and finish the registration process

To finalize the application process, please click on the "PAY AND SUBMIT APPLICATION" button on your Personal account under the "My Application Forms" section. The application fee shall be paid online through the payment options available in the Personal account. The use of other payment methods for the application fee is not acceptable.

Applicants can apply for no more than 2 Master's / PhD programs at NU. In case of admission to both programs, the applicant must choose only one.

The application fee is 15 000 tenge. The application fee is increased 3 times when paid within the last two weeks before the first approved deadline and during the extension period for accepting applications for participation in the admission process (except for the Graduate School of Business). The application fee is non-refundable, irrespective of the application outcome or payment errors.

After submitting the online application, an applicant will not be able to make changes in the actions described in Step 2.

Step 4. Provide results of IELTS/TOEFL/GRE/GMAT

In order to provide IELTS/TOEFL/GRE/GMAT certificates, applicants should fulfill the following requirements:

• Send the electronic results of valid IELTS/TOEFL/GRE/GMAT certificate via the Test Administrator directly to NU;
• Upload a scanned copy of the IELTS/TOEFL certificate to the «Upload IELTS/TOEFL results» section of a Personal account and indicate its unique number. Applicants can submit any number of certificates for the competition, but the last certificate uploaded to the Personal account will be considered.
• Upload a scanned copy of the GRE/GMAT certificate in the «My Application Forms» section (Step 2) when uploading the required documents (if available or as required by the program).

Please pay attention to important information regarding the codes for providing test results through the Test Administrator:

• Code for IELTS: NU
• Code for TOEFL iBT: 6762
• Code for GRE: 6496
• Code for GMAT: H6m-R7-93

Please note that issuance and submission of IELTS/TOEFL/GRE/GMAT results in the electronic database of NU is not within the competence of the University. You should independently contact the Test Administrator (Test Center) and make sure that your certificate has been sent. Please note that this action takes at least 7-10 working days. If the certificate is received after the deadline specified by the Admissions Department, results will not be considered in the competition

All certificates provided must be valid at the time of submission of application.

Detailed Instruction on the provision of IELTS/TOEFL certificates is available in the applicant's Personal account. IELTS Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition and TOEFL PDT results are not considered in the competition and selection process.

Applicants, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, can be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report in one of the following documented cases:

• an academic degree was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication and academic instruction;
• an undergraduate and/or graduate degree was earned in a program which was officially taught in English;
• if an applicant is a graduate of NU.

Further steps

After submission of the online Application Form, an automatic email notification will be sent to your referees with a request to submit a recommendation letter to NU in accordance with the provided online form. Detailed Instruction on providing recommendation letters is available in the Personal account.

Check your email for notifications from NU and your Personal account to stay informed about the status of your application. ​​Please keep in mind that sometimes letters from the University may go to the spam box.

Participate in the interview with the Admissions Committee in case of being invited. Interviews are conducted in English.

If you experience any difficulties with the registration or online application, please contact info_admissions@nu.edu.kz. Refer to your IIN and/or Applicant ID while sending us your requests.

A bachelor’s degree and/or master’s degree (or equivalent).

• A minimum grade point average of 3.00, based on a 4.00 point scale (or equivalent on a 5.00 point scale).
• Completed at least two science subjects, including but not limited to, one year of biology with lab or equivalent and one year of general chemistry with lab or equivalent.
• A mandatory level of English language proficiency equal to an IELTS score of 6.5 with no individual component falling below a 6.0 or a TOEFL score of 250 for Computer-Based Test (CBT), 600 for Paper-Based Test (PBT), or 100 for Internet-Based Test (IBT). Any applicant, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, can be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:

– one of their earlier academic degrees was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication, academic instruction and daily life;

– an undergraduate or graduate degree was earned in a program which was officially taught in English;

– the applicant is a graduate of NU.

• MCAT score of 489 is required in order to be invited to an interview.

All submitted documents shall be in English or with notarized English translation:

• Completed Application Form that can be accessed after registration.
• Two (minimum) to four (maximum) confidential letters of recommendation written within the last 12 month. At least two letters must be from faculty in science departments.
• Degree diploma with the transcript. During the application period, final year students may upload an official current transcript for consideration.
• An official electronic IELTS/TOEFL certificate (valid at the time of document submission) sent to the University through IELTS/TOEFL VERIFICATION SERVICES. Code for IELTS: NU. Code for TOEFL: 6762.
• MCAT score valid as of the date of online documents submission. In order for the score to be valid, the submitted MCAT scores must be for a test taken no more than three years prior to application.
• The document stating the presence or absence of a criminal record.
• 075у medical certificate (for Kazakhstani applicants) or a similar medical certificate with indication of general health or other documents as requested by the University (for international applicants).
• Notarized scanned copy of the applicant’s identity card (with notarized English translation) or passport.
• Personal statement (500 or less);
• An essay on how the applicant would enrich the NUSOM community (500 words or less).

Online application deadlines for Masters programs:

For all types of grants: the application deadline is December 23, 2024, 14:00 (Astana time) for international applicants and citizens of Kazakhstan.

For full tuition fee-paying category:

• International applicants: available until March 17, 2025, 14:00 (Astana time).
• Citizens of Kazakhstan: available until June 25, 2025, 14:00 (Astana time).

Deadline for submission of IELTS/TOEFL, GRE/GMAT certificates:

For all types of grants: the application deadline is January 5, 2025 for international applicants and citizens of Kazakhstan.

For full tuition fee-paying category:

• International applicants: available until April 30, 2025.
• Citizens of Kazakhstan: available until July 31, 2025.

The start of orientation week (for newly enrolled students): August 2025

First day of classes: August 2025

All registered candidates can check the status of their application in the Personal account. Description of the status below is presented in the order of assignment to the candidate in the Personal account.

Application in processing. This is interim status, which means that the application is being processed. Admissions Committee will evaluate the application and inform the candidate on further steps/stages. Notification on final results will be sent to your email address.

Does not meet entry requirements. The status is assigned to the candidates who do not meet the minimum entry requirements. It is given after checking the application forms and the documents by the Admissions Department.

Disqualified. The status is assigned to candidates who are disqualified for gross violations of the conditions of the competition. For example, provided deliberately false information.

Rejected by Admissions Committee. At one of the competition stages, the Admissions Committee decided to reject the candidate’s application.

Transfer to another program. At the stage of an application screening the Admissions Committee has decided to recommend the candidate for consideration by the Admissions Committee of another program within the same School.

Pending. Candidate’s application is pending

Waiting list. The Admissions Committee has finished reviewing the candidate’s application and made a decision to put you on a waiting list. Such candidates should expect notification from the University, as there is a possibility that if other candidates reject to study, they may be sent an invitation letter to study.

Recommended for admission to Zero Year of Graduate programs. The Admissions Committee has decided to recommend the candidate for the Zero Year of Graduate program. “Zero Year of Graduate programs” is a two-semester full-time program for candidates, who do not meet the language requirements for direct admission to Master’s programs, with intensive language, academic and research preparation for Master’s programs.

Recommended for admission to program. Admissions Committee has decided to recommend candidate for the program without going through the Zero Year of Graduate programs.

Recommended for conditional admission. The Admissions Committee has decided to recommend a candidate for the conditional admission with a requirement to fulfill the condition by the deadline specified in the notification.

Withdrawn. Candidate decided to withdraw from the competition.

Accepted Program admission offer. The status is assigned to candidates who received offer letter, signed Enrollment confirmation form and fulfilled all the сonditions of the University indicated in the offer letter.

Accepted Zero Year of Graduate programs admission offer. The status is assigned to candidates who received offer letter to Zero Year of Graduate program, signed Enrollment confirmation form and fulfilled all the сonditions of the University indicated in the offer letter.

Refused admission offer. The candidate was recommended for admission, but refused to study.

Refused in favor of another NU program. The status is applicable for those candidates, who applied for several graduate programs at NU. The status is assigned when the candidate chooses another program.

Deferred. The status is assigned to candidates who were accepted for the program, but decided to postpone their studies until the next year.

Did not submit the documents/Refused. The status assigned to candidates who did not provide originals of the documents by the stated deadline, which means that the candidate refuses to study at University.

Did not come to Orientation week/Refused. The status is assigned to candidates who accepted the offer letter, provided hard copies of documents, but did not participate in Orientation week. The vacant place, if available, can be offered to the candidates in the Waiting list.

Enrolled to program. The status is assigned to candidates who enrolled to the main program by the Decision of the Provost. Candidate officially became a student.

Enrolled to Zero Year of Graduate programs. The status is assigned to candidates who enrolled to the Zero Year of Graduate program by the Decision of the Provost. Candidate officially became a student.

Years 1 and 2

Patient Care Block I

• Introduction to Being a Physician
• Basics of Medical Interviewing
• Basic Physical Examination
• Clinical Experiences

Patient Care Block II

• Advanced Physical Examination
• Advanced Medical Interviewing
• Clinical Procedures

Basic Science Block

• Human Anatomy
• Human Genetics
• Fuel Metabolism
• Pharmacology
• Cellular Pathologic Basis of Disease
• Immunology in Health and Disease
• Medical Microbiology

Organ Systems Pathophysiology Block I

• Neuroscience
• Cardiovascular System
• Pulmonary System
• Renal System
• Introduction to Psychiatry

Organ Systems Pathophysiology Block II

• Endocrine System
• Digestion and Nutrition
• Hematology and Oncology
• Skin and Musculoskeletal System
• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• Clinical Problem Solving

Patient, Physician and Society Block

• Medical Ethics and Professionalism
• English-Russian-Kazakh Medical Terminology
• Behavioral Medicine
• Health System and Administration

Scientific Reasoning Block I

• Evidence Based Medicine I and Biostatistics
• Evidence Based Medicine II and Biostatistics

Scientific Reasoning Block II

• Population Health
• Applied Evidence Based Medicine

Year 3 and 4

• Pre-clerkship course
• Anesthesiology Clerkship
• Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship
• Surgery Clerkship
• Pediatric Clerkship
• Adult Internal Medicine Clerkship
• Psychiatry Clerkship
• Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine Clerkship
• Family Medicine Clerkship
• Cardiac Pathologies Clerkship
• Infectious Diseases Clerkship
• Acting Internship

-Internal Medicine

-Obstetrics and Gynecology

-Pediatrics

-General Surgery

• Electives

-Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Leukemias

-Pediatric Rheumatology

-Pediatric Disabilities and Rehabilitation

-General Gynecology

-High-Risk Pregnancy

-Delivery Ward

-Pediatric Nephrology

-Pediatric Cardiology

-Pediatric Oncology

-Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery

-Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology

-Urology

-Radiology

-Extracorporeal Hemocorrection

-Gastroenterology and Hepatology

-Integrated Life Sciences course

-Scholarly Project

Introduction to Being a Physician

The purpose of this course is to introduce incoming medical students to what it means to be a physician, with an emphasis on the patient’s experience with chronic disease and the health care system. Students will have the opportunity to observe how physicians from a variety of disciplines apply their communication and clinical skills to patient care. Students will have the opportunity to observe physician-patient interactions, as well as to talk directly with patients and their family members about their personal experiences with physicians and the medical care system at large. This course will focus on learning how health problems affect patients and their families, and the role a physician can play in modifying that effect. There will also be a segment that introduces students to the role physicians can play in affecting the overall health of a community. Upon entering medical school, most individuals gradually evolve from thinking of themselves as students to that of physicians in training. This transition takes place even for those who pursue careers that are not directly involved in patient care, such as pathology or medical informatics, as well as those who plan to pursue a research career. The patient remains the focus for pursuing excellence in any career path in medicine. In this course, the students begin their journey with their focus directly on the patient (and the patient’s family).

Basics of Medical Interviewing

Purpose of this course is to provide a life-like learning environment in which medical students will be able to develop and practice effective medical interviewing skills. Within the course the students increase their knowledge, skills, and appreciation of the process and content of the medical interview and the interpersonal communication skills used to conduct it. By the end of the course, students will get the significance of the medical interview as a basic clinical skill, learn the basic components of a complete medical history, observe, identify, and correctly label the basic skills of a clinical interview.

Basic Physical Examination

This course is dedicated to teaching students to perform a physical examination. The BPE course is the second course of the Patient Care Block I. After Basics of Medical Interviewing, where students learnt how to connect to patients, develop an effective doctor-patient relationship and gather relevant health information, they will learn how to perform a flawless physical examination before the encounter with real patients. The basic elements of the physical examination are introduced in didactic sessions that will be followed by practice sessions in small groups in the Simulated Center. Students are divided in groups with an instructor dedicated to teaching the skills of physical examination and will practice on each other as regular practice in most medical schools. Standardized patient examination sessions are also a part of this course at the very end before the final practical exam.

Clinical Experiences

In the Clinical Experiences students are observers of medical practice in a range of settings, such as primary care ambulatories, clinics and physicians’ offices.

Advanced Physical Examination

In the Advanced Physical Examination course students will apply their learned skills with selected real patients, as a flawless continuation with what has been experienced in year 1. They will perform medical interviews and physical examination on the patient’s bed, in Russian or Kazakh language, under faculty observation.

Advanced Medical Interviewing

The aim of this course is to explore the skills of the medical interview in more depth now that you have had a chance to interview real patients. We also will explain a structured format to the complete medical interview, describe parts of the interview which have not been presented yet, and to provide opportunities to practice and receive feedback from standardized patients and facilitators.

Clinical Procedures

Clinical Procedures course introduces students to some of the basic diagnostic and therapeutic invasive and noninvasive procedures that they may perform on patients while on their clinical rotations. This course will be delivered through the state of the art Simulation Centre, through electronic mannequin.

Medical Anatomy

Anatomical knowledge remains one of the cornerstones of modern medical practice. This course represents a seven week program designed to provide an introduction to anatomical and medical terminology and broad coverage of all aspects of human functional and gross anatomy. The practical component of the course generally parallels and reinforces lecture concepts through the use of models, skeletal materials and pathology demonstration. A highly interactive learning environment is being fostered by the use of the three-dimensional educational tool, Anatomage table, which offers dynamic approach to individual and team-based learning.

Human Genetics

Human Genetics course is designed to provide students with general knowledge related to the organization of human genome, structure and function of DNA and RNA, inheritance mechanisms of simple and complex traits, genomics approaches and its application in medicine, types of genetic and chromosomal mutations and their role in human disease, description of clinical cases of the most frequent genetic disorders etc.

Fuel Metabolism

The Fuel Metabolism course provides the foundation for understanding metabolic processes taking place in the body under various circumstances. Different metabolic processes (carbohydrate-, lipid- and protein metabolism) will be discussed and connected with one another, and differences between these processes in healthy and ill individuals will be highlighted, which will include also information about diagnosis and treatment of metabolic disorders.

Pharmacology

In this course students will learn about the basic principles and mechanisms of commonly used drugs and how they exert their actions. Students will learn about pharmacokinetics including absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion and pharmacodynamics including drug-receptor interaction. Students will learn and apply commonly used pharmacological terminologies including agonist, antagonist (reversible, irreversible, competitive etc.), drug half-life, volume of distribution, bioavailability, elimination rate, area under the curve and many other relevant terms. Drugs that target autonomic nervous system such as cholinergic agonists and antagonists and adrenergic agonists and antagonists will also be covered in details. Furthermore, students will be introduced to the major drug classes and will learn about their mechanisms of action and will conclude the pharmacology course with common issues of clinical pharmacology.

Cellular Pathologic Basis of Disease

This course is focused on structural and functional properties of cells and tissues in both normal and disease states. Basic principles in cell biology, histology and pathology will be presented with core pharmacological principles to illustrate molecular mechanisms of normal and abnormal cell function as well as well strategies utilizing drugs to restore cellular function. Learning formats include lectures, team based learning (TBL), and problem based learning (PBL), workshops and laboratory exercises. Faculty members involved in this course have expertise in topics including cell biology and genetics, immunology, neurobiology, and pathology.

Immunology in Health and Disease

This course will allow students to better understand the functions of the immune system in health and disease and the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the development of a wide range of diseases associated with the immune system. The course emphasizes the study of principle mechanisms at the molecular, cellular and functional levels of innate and acquired immunity, molecular aspects of immune regulation, cell signaling and activation, gene regulation and expression, impact of molecular changes at the tissue level, and the use of therapeutics to correct and modulate the functioning of the immune system.

Medical Microbiology

The Medical Microbiology course introduces basic concepts of infectious disease, focusing on bacteriology, virology, parasitology, the mechanisms of disease transmission and treatment.

Neuroscience

The Neuroscience course serves as a foundation for understanding the organization and function of the human nervous system. It contains refreshment of the neuroanatomy knowledge and basic physiology, also clinical cases presented, including information about diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases. During the sessions the anatomical aspects are reinforced as well as some exposure to neuro-imaging modalities provided. The course is structured in such a way that related topics are presented in the same week as much as possible.

Cardiovascular System

The Cardiovascular System Course is part of the Organ System Pathophysiology Block I. This five-week course will cover the anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and pathology of the cardiovascular system and integrate these basic disciplines with the clinical presentation, physical examination, laboratory diagnosis and treatment of the patient with cardiovascular disease.

Pulmonary System

The Pulmonary System course covers respiratory mechanics, ventilation, perfusion, pulmonary function testing, chest radiology, etiology, pathogenesis, physiology, clinical aspects and treatment of pulmonary diseases including COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis, sarcoidosis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, pulmonary hypertension, lung cancer.

Renal System

The Renal System course covers the anatomy, histology, physiology, pharmacology and embryology of the renal organ system, as well as the pathophysiology and treatment of renal diseases. Students are first introduced to the embryology, anatomy and histology of the kidney. Normal renal physiology follows, including discussion of renal blood flow regulation, water and electrolyte homeostasis, and evaluation of renal function. The latter part of the course is devoted to disorders of water and electrolyte homeostasis, diseases of the kidney and evaluation and treatment of these conditions. Treatment includes discussion of pharmacologic agents commonly used in the diseases of the kidney as well as renal replacement therapies including dialysis and renal transplantation.

Introduction to Psychiatry

In the Introduction to Psychiatry course students will familiarize with the main common psychiatric illnesses, identifying how neurobiological factors play out in behavior, and how treatment approaches derive from this understanding. This is the first part of the block consisting in two courses that will be individually assessed.

Endocrine System

The course will allow the students to understand the contribution of the endocrine system to homeostasis, common endocrine disease presentations and their treatment. The student will learn the normal structure, function, and organization of the endocrine system, will become familiar with the etiology, pathophysiology, pathology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of the clinically important disorders of the endocrine system.

Digestion and Nutrition

This 5‐week course covers the histology, physiology and pharmacology of the normal GI system, as well as the pathophysiology, pathology and treatment of GI diseases. This course is intentionally scheduled after students have mastered the fundamentals of basic physiologic concepts and will serve as a transition from how the body works in its normal state to what occurs when this is disrupted by disease. Expect a healthy balance of both scientific and clinical medicine to be presented.

Hematology and Oncology

The Hematology and Oncology course is designed to give the students the necessary knowledge of medical hematology and oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, gynecologic oncology, pathology, radiology, biostatistics and behavioral medicine. The students will familiarize with the etiology, pathogenesis and disorders of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, will understand the coagulopathies, anticoagulant and thrombolytic therapies, and will learn the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of hematologic malignancies and different laboratory techniques. The students will experience various settings and disciplines involved in the complex care of a patient with cancer.

Skin and Musculoskeletal System

The Skin and Musculoskeletal course will focus on diseases and conditions of skin and musculoskeletal disorders, including connective tissues. The students will learn the etiology, pathophysiology and clinical presentation of common dermatologic and musculoskeletal conditions, will correlate clinical findings with specific disease patterns, and will explain the role of preventative measures in reducing serious skin conditions.

Reproductive and Developmental Biology

The Reproductive and Developmental Biology course covers obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics and male reproductive system and will focus on the basic principles underlying the normal processes of reproduction and development. The students will learn gametogenesis, embryogenesis, pregnancy adaptation, fetal development, normal and abnormal childhood development, puberty, menopause and the process of aging.

Medical Ethics and Professionalism

This course is designed to begin the exploration of the ethical, and professional issues that define the practice of medicine. The course has 16 sessions and runs on Monday afternoons 1 – 4.00 pm. The session comprises one-hour lecture followed by a small group session conducted by a facilitator where cases are analyzed and discussed in small groups. The course begins with an introduction to the principles of professionalism and ethical analysis, the complementary and contradictory frameworks for approaching dilemmas in medicine. Once the introductory framework is established, a series of issues are discussed including: informed consent, end-of-life care, abortion, confidentiality, medical errors, threats to professionalism, caring for minors. Some sessions explore the fields of Biomedical Ethics and Research Ethics.

Behavioral Medicine

This course stands as the second component of the Patient, Physician and Society block (PPS) in the medical curriculum. The other PPS courses are: English, Russian and Kazakh medical terminology, Medical Ethics and Professionalism (MEP), and Health System and Administration. These courses emphasize that physicians work in a larger context for care, where specific skills and a knowledge base may be essential but insufficient in providing optimal care for patients. In this course, we will introduce part of the philosophical grounding for this claim-the biopsychosocial model-and then we will look at models and methods of behavior change that can help us in the future as we work with patients.

Health System and Administration

This course gives an overview of important topics related to the healthcare system on different levels and to the challenges of health administration. It also gives an understanding of processes in health policy and health economics. The course will give real cases both from national and international experience which will help them to solve the problems that healthcare managers face.

Evidence Based Medicine and Biostatistics

In the course Evidence Based Medicine and Biostatistics, students will learn the basic statistical methods and analytical epidemiological reasoning tools to be able to critically interpret and utilize the peer-reviewed medical research literature for medical practice. The skill sets acquired will help you to optimize the care of your patients through enhancing the prevention of adverse conditions, improve diagnostics, treatment and management, and prognoses through appropriate utilization of the best evidence available.

Population Health

The Population Health course provides methods to address health challenges for whole populations, rather than in the clinical setting which addresses one patient at a time. The course includes identifying and evaluating socio-economic /behavioral and health access determinants and risk factors impacting the health of marginalized populations and the overall population, responding to disasters and disease outbreaks/epidemics to minimize the impact the impact on health of the population, and to assess and address patient safety and health service quality to protect patient populations. Each class will provide a one-hour interactive lecture followed by related group work on real-life case studies or field trips.

Anesthesiology Clerkship

The Anesthesiology clerkship lasts two weeks and includes one week in adult anesthesiology (National Research Center Oncology and Transplantation) and one week in pediatric anesthesiology (National Research Center for Maternal and Child Health). The overall goal of this clerkship is to let the student understand the basic management of the perioperative patient. Exposure to patients in the clinic setting will give the student opportunity to practice interview and documentation skills. The student may be given the opportunity to participate in procedures as the preceptor determines his/her readiness.

Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship

The Obstetrics & Gynecology clerkship course is a 4-week clerkship focused on health care for women of both reproductive and postmenopausal ages. Students will rotate through three clinical segments, including outpatient services (outpatient clinics and offices), obstetrics (labor and delivery suite), and gynecology (private service and university service). Daily schedules include teaching rounds, evaluation of outpatients, preparation of patients for surgery and assisting at surgery and deliveries, postoperative and postpartum care, case-based learning sessions. The location is the UMC (National Research Center for Maternal and Child Health and RDC).

Surgery Clerkship

This 6-week clerkship covers the different disciplines of general surgery. The location for the surgery clerkship is the National scientific center for oncology and transplantation. The course is primarily designed to prepare students to become familiar with the clinical presentations and management of common surgical problems. The course also aims to improve skills relevant to the discipline. Students will participate in the pre-operative and post-operative patients’ management and attend the operating room.

Pediatric Clerkship

This is an 8-week clerkship which exposes students to pediatric patients in an inpatient setting mainly. Students will be rotating every 2 weeks in four different pediatric departments at the UMC National Research Center for Mother and Child Health (NRCMCH). Students will be assigned to a pediatric team and participate in all aspects of patient care and management, including taking histories and performing physical examinations; writing progress notes; and communicating with other members of the medical team, attending physicians, referring physicians, consultants, families, and patients. In addition, students will attend conferences, case discussions and rounds held throughout the rotation.

Adult Internal Medicine Clerkship

The overall aim of this 8-week clerkship is to provide students with the essential experiences with adult patients with general clinical complaints. During the sub-rotations, students are assigned with their own patients and apply their clinical skills under faculty's and doctors’ supervision. Students learn how to take an accurate and pertinent history, conduct a physical examination, recognize patterns of illness, and acquire approaches to disease management. Clerkship location is the National Research Center for Oncology and Transplantation, UMC.

Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine Clerkship

The Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine Clerkship is oriented around key areas of critical illness and emergency medicine that have been identified as essential for medical school graduates to know. This clerkship is a mixture of hands-on patient care experience. Students will be assigned to an intensive care unit and emergency department where they become active members of the care team. They will make daily teaching rounds, and follow, assess and treat critically ill and emergency patients. Each student will be supervised by a NU SOM-affiliated physician. The students will be required to participate in all daily activities of the ICU and emergency department.

This clerkship will take place in the general intensive care unit and emergency of the Second City Hospital. During this clerkship the students will be expected to learn the following: differential diagnosis in critically ill and emergency patients, rational laboratory and radiological testing, chronic management of patients with multiple medical and surgical problems. Issues within the context of patients who have life-threatening neurological or cardiovascular disorders will also be addressed and may include: ventilator management, acute pharmacologic therapy for hemodynamic instability, effective antimicrobial therapy, nutritional support, multisystem dysfunction. The assessment process is made of three components:

1. Clinical competence

2. Knowledge assessment

3. Performance based skills.

Family Medicine Clerkship

The Family Medicine Clerkship is a 4-week rotation that encompasses the comprehensive and longitudinal care of patients with a special emphasis on care of individuals in the context of families and communities. The overall aim of the clerkship experience is to provide students with the essential experiences where they will apply their knowledge and skills as they develop competence in the care of patients. This clerkship shares with all other clinical experiences and clerkships a fundamental set of objectives that are a subset of the overall objectives of the MD curriculum. Students are expected to see patients on their own prior to reviewing them with a preceptor as well as attend all teaching activities at the community-based site. Students will generally see two to three patients per each half-day session. Students are expected to be involved in as many aspects of patient care as possible including follow-up visits. While primarily an outpatient experience, they are expected to participate in a variety of family medicine activities when available including home visits and house calls.