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Pathways to Primary Care 3+3
DO/Family Medicine Accelerated Degree Track
Rowan-Virtua SOM is addressing the primary care physician shortage with a unique and innovative solution: the Pathways to Primary Care 3+3 DO/Family Medicine Accelerated Degree Track (PPC3). This accelerated program allows students to complete their medical degree in just three years and directly tracks them into a New Jersey Family Medicine residency training program at either Virtua Health in Voorhees or Capital Health in Hopewell/Trenton.
Completing both their undergraduate and graduate medical education in just six years, students will therefore reduce the time and financial burden of medical education while preparing for a career in primary care.
Key Program Objectives
The PPC3 track is designed to:
- Attract exceptional students dedicated to primary care careers in New Jersey.
- Equip future physicians with specialized skills to serve medically underserved communities.
- Make medical education more accessible by reducing overall costs.
- Provide robust, one-on-one mentorship from experienced primary care physicians
Program Structure and Curriculum
PPC3 students follow the standard first and second-year medical school curriculum with a few key additions. These include:
- Two week course prior to the Rowan Virtua SOM student orientation.
- A dedicated summer break program.
- Monthly clinical experiences at their future Family Medicine residency clinics, ensuring early integration into their residency team and patient base.
The clinical training is condensed into a single, intensive year, where students complete all required clerkships. To accommodate the accelerated pace, clerkships are either slightly shortened or integrated into the preclinical years without compromising the quality of the education.
Flexibility and Support
The program offers built-in flexibility to ensure student success. Students can seamlessly transition to the traditional four-year Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) curriculum if their needs or academic paths change. This "off-ramp" option ensures students are supported and can continue their medical education with minimal disruption.
Admissions Process
The PPC3 program is highly competitive and seeks candidates who are deeply committed to primary care, particularly in underserved communities.
- First, applicants must be admitted to the traditional four-year DO program. Students will indicate their interest in the program on the secondary application where they will also indicate if they are applying for the Virtua track, Capital track, or for consideration for either track.
- After an applicant is offered admission and meets the minimum GPA and MCAT requirements, their application is then reviewed by the dedicated PPC3 Admissions Committee.
- Interested candidates must complete additional essays and provide an extra letter of recommendation from a primary care physician.
- Selected candidates are invited for a second interview specifically for the accelerated program.
- Only four students are accepted each year—two for Capital Health and two for Virtua Health.
Family Medicine Residency Program - Virtua Health
Family Medicine Residency Program - Capital Health
Academic Promotion and Support
PPC3 students must meet slightly higher academic standards than traditional students to remain in the program. This includes:
- Maintaining an exam average greater than 77%.
- Avoiding any course failures or failures on COMLEX Level 1 or Level 2 exams.
- Passing the Capstone OSCE on the first attempt.
- Maintaining a high level of professionalism.
- To support their success, students receive regular one-on-one mentoring from Family Medicine physicians and undergo clinical evaluations every six months with their respective residency program director.
FAQ
Pathways to Primary Care 3+3 Accelerated Degree
All students in the Pathways to Primary Care 3+3 DO/FM program will enter the NRMP Match during their third year of undergraduate medical education. Their respective residency program will rank them to match in their program and, if they reciprocate, the student will seamlessly transition into the FM residency program at their respective institution.
The Pathways 3+3 program is a rigorous and highly focused accelerated curriculum. We understand that as students progress through foundational coursework and gain exposure to diverse patient populations, their career aspirations or academic needs may evolve. This includes realizing that the accelerated pace or a primary care focus may no longer align with their goals.
In such instances, the program provides structured "off-ramps" to facilitate a seamless transition back to the standard four-year Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) curriculum.
To ensure timely and effective transitions, dedicated student and program off-ramps are strategically scheduled at specific points in the academic calendar. These coincide with planned meetings with program leadership to review academic and clinical progress:
- End of Fall Semester, Year 1
- End of Spring Semester, Year 1 (prior to the Summer curriculum)
- End of Fall Semester, Year 2
- Last week of Level 1 Dedicated Study Time (typically in the spring of Year 2)
- End of Fall Semester, Year 3
Important Considerations for Transition
Deciding to transition out of the Rowan PPC3 program after January 1 of Year 3 may necessitate more than four years to complete the standard DO curriculum. Program leadership will work closely with students during these review periods to provide guidance and support for their individualized educational and career pathways.
No, all students selected for the 3+3 program start before the traditional four-year students, so it’s not possible.
No. Students in the PPC3 program are not eligible for ANY dual degree programs or a dedicated research year.
In addition to the standard curriculum, PPC3 students have several unique requirements:
- RISING YEAR 1 - July 1 of matriculation
Pathways Primer Course: Students must complete two weeks of additional coursework before the standard student orientation. - RISING YEAR 2 - June 1 - 30
Summer Clinical Immersion/Scholarship Course: Four of the six weeks of summer break between the first and second year will be dedicated to a clinical immersion experience at the student’s respective residency program as well as a focus on getting their research project established. - YEAR 1 - 3
Monthly Clinical Hours: PPC3 students are required to complete monthly clinical hours throughout their entire medical school career (PATH hours beginning in their first year)
The Pathways Primer Course serves as an anchor for essential curricular themes that will be explored throughout all three years of the curriculum for the Pathways to Primary Care 3+3 longitudinal clinical experience (PATH hours).
- Professional Identity Formation
- Reflection, Relationships, and Resilience
- Professionalism & Population Health
- ABIM Physician Charter, SDOH
- Communication and observation skills
- Emotional Intelligence, empathy, Global Compassion Rating Scale exercises
Knowledge and skills in these areas are highly correlated with highly effective primary care physicians, so these topics will be integrated and reinforced continuously, ensuring a cohesive and progressive learning experience.
The Course will include:
- Introduction to the PPC3 curriculum, expectations, and milestones
- Workshops on advanced study skills
- Introduction to the residency program and hospital system
- Simulation training in obtaining vitals, phlebotomy, intramuscular and subcutaneous injection, patient interviewing, communication skills, and professionalism
- Instruction in rating the quality of physician communication in a patient encounter
- Didactics on the key qualities of the most effective primary care physicians with respect to patient satisfaction and health outcomes
- Students will take and be guided through an interpretation of both emotional intelligence and empathy scales
- Instruction on Professional identity formation and the role of reflection and mentorship in its development
- Didactics covering topics such as Health Systems Science, Interprofessional teams, and Population Health with a strong emphasis on the social determinants of health.
- Hospital onboarding requirements will be completed (Urine Drug Screening, Electronic Medical Record training, etc.)
Yes. Students in the Pathways to Primary Care 3+3 DO/Family Medicine Track will engage in a longitudinal clinical experience at their designated host residency site, commencing in the very first month of medical school and continuing throughout their preclinical and clinical coursework. This aspect of the training program is known as the students’ “PATH” hours, or Practical Ambulatory Training in Healthcare.
This experience features its own dedicated curriculum, concordant assessments and log systems, and resources all conveniently housed within Canvas. Students will be on-site at the host institution approximately every three to four weeks (4-5 half day sessions per quarter) during the preclinical curriculum, gradually assuming progressive clinical responsibilities as their skills develop. They will continue their PATH hours during their clerkships for one half day per month, but will focus primarily on clinical skills.