Medicine (MD) Programs

The School of Medicine offers three outstanding programs leading to the MD degree: the WR2/University Program; the Lerner College Program; and the Medical Scientist Training Program, the nation’s oldest MD-PhD track.

Our students learn and practice the core competencies of serving as a physician with experience across a wide range of clinical settings at some of the best teaching hospitals in the region and country:

  • Cleveland Clinic – consistently chosen one of the nation's best hospitals
  • University Hospitals (including UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, and UH Seidman Cancer Center) – one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers
  • MetroHealth Medical Center – a nationwide leader among public hospital systems
  • Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center – one of the U. S.’s largest veterans’ health care facilities

The WR2/University Program

The WR2/University Program (four-year MD), our largest MD course of study, trains well-rounded physicians by emphasizing four cornerstones: clinical mastery, research and scholarship, leadership, and civic professionalism. It features the innovative Western Reserve2 (WR2) Curriculum, which integrates medicine and public health – emphasizing the relationship between health and social and behavioral factors.

The Lerner College Program

The Lerner College Program (five-year MD) at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, is a research-focused curriculum that prepares students for careers as physician-investigators. Students graduate with an MD with special qualifications in biomedical research.

Case Inquiry (IQ)

Case Inquiry (IQ), a student-centered learning approach, is a foundation of the WR2 curriculum. Small groups of students join with a faculty facilitator to examine specially chosen medical cases – jointly developing learning objectives and carrying out pertinent reading and research. As with other components of WR2, IQ promotes deep-concept learning, enabling students to gain superb skills and a life-long orientation towards teamwork, professionalism, critical thinking, and wide exposure to primary literature.

Pathways

The Pathway Programs in the MD degree are health care concentrations for medical students seeking to gain extra knowledge in special aspects of health and patient care. Current pathways include the Addiction Medicine Pathway, Advocacy and Public Health Pathway​, Andrew B. Kaufman World Medicine Pathway, Climate and Health Pathway, Humanities Pathway, Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Wellness and Preventive Care Pathway, Medical Education Scholars Pathway, Dr. Edward J. and Nancy M. Mueller Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pathway, and Urban Health Pathway.