Accelerated Review Program

The Accelerated Review Program

Medical School is both exciting and challenging. The Accelerated Review Program (ARP) is designed for students who have the drive to become successful physicians but need additional academic and study skills support to ensure their success in medical school. This one-semester program provides a tailored curriculum designed to prepare students for medical school from day one and quickly build a strong foundation for academic and professional success. Students who complete ARP tend to become some of the strongest medical students at UMHS.

• Attend in-person or online. ARP students may attend classes online from the convenience of their homes and participate in class virtually alongside their on-campus classmates. For an in-person experience, we also offer the program at our state-of-the-art campus in St. Kitts, where you’ll have full access to our anatomy lab, library, and learning resource center. 
  
  
• Qualify for an ARP scholarship. Students who have completed ARP can also qualify for a total award of $9,000 for the Basic Science Scholarship. This will be a merit-based scholarship reliant on the student’s academic performance in ARP. Students who have maintained a B or greater in ARP will automatically qualify for the scholarship.
  
  
• Apply online. Students applying to UMHS may be considered for this program by the admissions department. Otherwise, students may opt to apply directly to the ARP program. Students who need to strengthen their academic foundation should seriously consider this option to ensure their success in medical school.

If you have additional questions about the ARP program, contact our ARP alumnus Allyson Shipp.

Program components

ARP has two areas of focus: skills development and academic courses.

Skills development

Learning and study skills

• Active and passive learning
• Active review for remembering
• Preparing for MCQ exams
• Listening to learning
• Reading for learning
• Note-taking
• Levels of learning (Bloom’s Taxonomy)
• Concept mapping

Interpersonal and intrapersonal communication

• Professionalism in health and medicine
• Study team
• Cultural awareness and appreciation
• Exam anxiety
• Wellness

The basics of medical terminology

• Using a medical dictionary
• Taking terms apart
• Word roots, suffixes, and prefixes
• Spelling and pronunciation do matter

Basic Science and system-based courses

The ARP encompasses material from virtually every class in the Basic Science Program, including anatomy, medical ethics, and beyond. The program also features a system-based course, which integrates multiple disciplines in a single system. This approach permits students to demonstrate their ability to digest and retain the different types of information presented in medical school. 

Each of the academic courses includes a short examination at the end of the course to permit faculty to evaluate progress and development. In addition, a comprehensive final examination is given at the end of the program.

Course descriptions

Study Skills (Throughout the semester)

The study skills lecture series is designed to help students improve their learning effectiveness, attitudes, and motivation.  Study Skills include time management, concentration skills, note-taking skills, textbook study methods, test-taking strategies, and critical thinking skills.

Medical Terminology (2)

This course will focus on the main components of a medical term and how to break down a medical term by knowing the meaning of the prefix or suffix.  By learning the individual parts of a medical word, there is no need to memorize hundreds of complex terms and their definitions.  

Anatomy (3) + lab (3)

The anatomy course examines principles of anatomy with an overview of the human body; there is an emphasis on the head, thorax, abdomen & pelvis. Clinically oriented-anatomical references are also provided. A one-week laboratory section gives students experience in identifying selected structures on anatomical models and cadavers.

Neuroanatomy (2)

Neuroanatomy studies the structure of the central nervous system as it relates to physical, reflexive, sensory, cognitive, and emotional behavior.

Histology (3)

Histology covers the basic elements of microscopy, tissue preparation, and cellular and tissue organization at the light and electron microscopy level. The course also covers the histological principles for epithelia and human integument (skin, hair, and nails). Clinical correlations relevant to the material covered are introduced.

Physiology (3)

The Physiology section will consist of an introduction to cellular function and physiology, which will give the students the tools necessary to understand general and specific aspects of human physiology. After the introductory component, attention will focus on three or four systems, rather than a brief overview of all major systems. Students will actively participate in choosing those systems (cardiac, lymphatic, endocrine, GI, etc.), for which basic anatomy, function, and clinical correlates will be presented.

Molecular and cell biology (3)

Molecular and Cell Biology is the foundation for understanding disease at the molecular level. This module is offered to help students acquire knowledge of cell function by focusing on topics such as cellular structures and their function, cell signaling, transcription, translation, and DNA replication.

Biochemistry (4)

Biochemists strive to give comprehensive descriptions and understanding of chemical structures and processes critical to cell function and viability. Emphasis will be placed on the major families of biomolecules and central metabolic pathways.

Microbiology (3)

Fundamental concepts of microbiology are presented, emphasizing the mechanism of action of infectious agents, including introductions to bacteriology, virology, and mycology.

Genetics (1)

An introduction to the principles and mechanisms of inheritance will be taught at both the molecular and phenotypic levels.

Immunology (2)

An introduction to the immune system, including innate immunity mechanisms and adaptive immunity responses.

Neurobehavioral sciences (4)

While addressing the compassionate and humanistic aspects of medicine, neurobehavioral sciences provide the prospective physician with a basic understanding of human behavior in the context of health and sickness. The course also encompasses the study of brain function and common neurological diseases.

Pathology (2)

Pathology introduces the concept of injury from normal structure and function in the human body, as occurs in disease.  The various pathological processes and their importance in the basis of human disease will be studied.  Correlation with clinical presentations will also be made.

Cardiovascular system (6)

Cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis and congestive heart failure, are exceptionally complex and involve multiple factors. The key to understanding the cardiovascular system is the integration of all of its components and functions.  This course brings an innovative system-based approach to help students form a framework to understand how the cardiovascular system works.   It includes lectures in Anatomy, Embryology, Histology, Biochemistry, Physiology, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physical Diagnosis.