The Undergraduate Medical Program for the MD degree was initiated in 1969, graduating its first students in May 1972. At present, 203 students are admitted to the program each year. The three-year program in Medicine uses a problem-based approach to learning that should apply throughout the physician's career. The components have been organized in sequential blocks with early exposure to patients and case management. The academic program operates on an 11 months-a-year basis and students qualify for the MD degree at the end of the third academic year. The UME Program’s mission is “educating and inspiring future physicians to improve health and well-being for all through clinical excellence, innovation, scholarship, leadership and social accountability.”