1st and 2nd year electives are mini-courses, sponsored by CWRU faculty and students, that occur in the first and second year of the M.D. program. There is a wide variation in course format. Instructors are encouraged to provide narrative comments on student performance that may be used as excerpts in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE). 1st and 2nd year electives are not required to meet graduation requirements and should be scheduled so as not to interfere with Foundations of Clinical Medicine (FCM) core activities such as RAMP and PD1.

1st and 2nd year electives fall within two categories. The first category includes courses that are valuable enrichment opportunities but they are not acknowledged on the transcript. The second category includes courses that meet the Electives Policy criteria and will be acknowledged on the transcript but students will not receive academic credit for the course.

Information about some current 1st and 2nd year elective offerings are listed below. Students and elective sponsors interested in submitting information for 1st and 2nd year elective offerings to be included on this website may contact the SOM Registrar's Office. Click on each course title for a detailed description of the elective.