MD PROGRAM CURRICULUM
Building the Foundation for Your Success
Spiral Curriculum:
A Smarter Way to Learn Medicine
The spiral curriculum is a proven, widely used model in top medical schools. It builds knowledge in layers—revisiting core concepts with increasing depth and clinical relevance—mirroring how real learning happens in medicine.
This approach supports diverse learning styles by integrating content across disciplines and reinforcing it in multiple ways. That means more students connect the dots—and fewer fall behind.
Since adopting it, our students' NBME Basic Science exam scores have more than doubled, and first-time failures have dropped significantly.
Ultimately, it’s about preparation. The spiral curriculum is helping our students succeed—not just in the classroom, but on the CBSE, Step 1, and beyond.
Universities Using a Spiral Curriculum:
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Benefits of a Spiral Curriculum
Learning by repetition can help medical students learn and retain information throughout their medical school journey. This helps students stand out by allowing them to apply the information once in residency. Allowing students to retain the material also reduces the frustration when a student has to relearn the content for another class.
The spiral curriculum allows for all different learning styles, and repetition throughout students’ four years means that by the time students graduate and start their residency, they have mastered each system.
Trinity has weekly quizzes and practical evaluations, such as labs, to measure the absorption and application of principles. This method has been shown to decrease stress and enhance learning because students can delve into smaller amounts of digestible material.
In a traditional linear curriculum, medical students will learn all about one system in one class and have a midterm and a final. What that does is teach students to prepare for tests, not for the application of knowledge in a clinical setting. Spiral curriculum reduces that stress so students can focus on learning well, not just scoring well.
With the spiral curriculum, students no longer sit through 4 or 5 different classes a term — each module is one singular class. This approach enables students to build a solid foundation while encouraging deeper understanding and critical thinking skills as they progress.
Weekly testing not only measures the absorption of material, but also prepares students for successful completion of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). By utilizing a database of questions instead of having professors write their own, Trinity is using questions that are standardized, transparent, clear, fair, and equitable.
Program Outline: Four-Year MD Program
Year 1 & 2: Basic Sciences
Module 1: General Principles (3 weeks)
- Anatomy & Embryology 20%
- Histology 15%
- Physiology 18%
- Molecular Biology & Genetics 30%
- ICCM 17%
Module 2: Musculoskeletal (4 weeks)
- Anatomy & Embryology 20%
- Histology 15%
- Physiology 18%
- Molecular Biology & Genetics 30%
- ICCM 17%
Module 3: Blood & Cardiovascular (4 weeks)
- Anatomy & Embryology 20%
- Histology 15%
- Physiology 18%
- Molecular Biology & Genetics 30%
- ICCM 17%
Module 4: Respiratory (2 weeks)
- Anatomy & Embryology 20%
- Histology 15%
- Physiology 18%
- Molecular Biology & Genetics 30%
- ICCM 17%
Module 5: Biostatistics & Epidemiology (1 week)
- Biostatistics 100%
Module 6: Gastrointestinal & Hepatobiliary (3 weeks)
- Anatomy & Embryology 28%
- Histology 11%
- Physiology 15%
- Molecular Biology & Genetics 25%
- ICCM 21%
Module 7: Renal & Urinary (2 weeks)
- Anatomy & Embryology 19%
- Histology 6%
- Physiology 42%
- Molecular Biology & Genetics 23%
- ICCM 10%
Module 8: Endocrine (2 weeks)
- Anatomy & Embryology 15%
- Histology 8%
- Physiology 44%
- Molecular Biology & Genetics 26%
- ICCM 7%
Module 9: Reproductive & Genetics (4 weeks)
- Anatomy & Embryology 14%
- Histology 10%
- Physiology 15%
- Molecular Biology & Genetics 54%
- ICCM 7%
Module 10: Neurobehavioral (2 weeks)
- Anatomy & Embryology 30%
- Histology 5%
- Physiology 10%
- Molecular Biology & Genetics 17%
- Behavioral 30%
- ICCM 8%
Module 1: Neurobehavioral (2 weeks)
- Microbiology 20%
- Pathology 10%
- Pharmacology 20%
- Behavioral 10%
- Neurosciences 30%
- ICCM 10%
Module 2: General Principles (3 weeks)
- Microbiology 22%
- Pathology 36%
- Pharmacology 19%
- ICCM 23%
Module 3: Neoplasms, Chemo, Antimicrobials (3 weeks)
- Pathology 27%
- Pharmacology 66%
- ICCM 7%
Module 4: Blood & Immune (3 weeks)
- Microbiology 43%
- Pathology 35%
- Pharmacology 13%
- ICCM 9%
Module 5: Musculoskeletal & Skin (3 weeks)
- Microbiology 24%
- Pathology 38%
- Pharmacology 33%
- ICCM 5%
Module 6: Cardiovascular & Respiratory (5 weeks)
- Microbiology 15%
- Pathology 44%
- Pharmacology 25%
- ICCM 16%
Module 7: Endocrine & Reproductive (3 weeks)
- Microbiology 14%
- Pathology 51%
- Pharmacology 26%
- ICCM 9%
Module 8: Gastrointestinal & Hepatobiliary (4 weeks)
- Microbiology 19%
- Pathology 60%
- Pharmacology 11%
- ICCM 10%
Module 9: Renal & Urinary (2 weeks)
- Microbiology 50%
- Pathology 33%
- Pharmacology 9%
- ICCM 8%
Year 3 & 4: Clinical Sciences
The focus of Term 5, known as the clinical transition term, is the integration of clinical sciences into the basic science program our students have already completed in Terms 1-4. Our Integrated Systems Review is a comprehensive 7-week program designed specifically to equip students for success in the USMLE Step 1 exam. This fully immersive study experience has been carefully tailored to meet the unique needs of students before they embark on clinical rotations.
Students are eligible to enter clinical clerkships after passing the required qualifying exams and USMLE exams.
- Internal Medicine (12 weeks)
- Surgery (12 weeks)
- Pediatric (6 weeks)
- Obstetrics & Gynecology (6 weeks)
- Family Medicine (6 weeks)
- Psychiatry (6 weeks)
Complete electives in Georgia, Maryland, or California or take away electives offered throughout the country.
Practice Medicine in Your Home Community
A degree from Trinity means you can participate in the residency match processes in the United States and Canada as well as apply for residencies and licensure in both countries.
Find Your Success at Trinity
Discover the Trinity experience through students and alumni! Learn more about the small class sizes, early clinical experience, rotations in one location, and more!
Supportive Community
Where unparalleled support meets student success.
Clinical Rotations
Rotations are scheduled for you in one location.
Small Class Sizes
Feel valued and seen from the very beginning.
