DOME Family Medicine Accelerated Track

TTUHSC students sitting a a table with gloves on threading and stitching up sample materials.

DOME Family Medicine Accelerated Track (FMAT) Program

The Texas Tech School of Medicine is pleased to celebrate the Family Medicine Accelerated Track, or FMAT, an innovative 3-year accelerated medical school curriculum that culminates in the M.D. degree and prepares participants for a standard 3-year family medicine residency at one of three Texas Tech programs, in Lubbock, Amarillo, or Odessa.

Texas Tech's FMAT program was approved by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) the accrediting body for medical education, in February 2010. The first students began training in the FMAT program in 2011; that class graduated from medical school in 2013 and from residency in 2016. As of June 2025, the FMAT program has graduated 103 students in 13 classes.

The purpose of FMAT is two-fold:

To increase the number of medical students choosing a career in family medicine, especially in underserved areas, who will provide patient-centered care
To prepare primary care physicians more efficiently and with less cost

The FMAT program offers students a seamless transition between their predoctoral and residency training settings and curricula as they spend two years in Lubbock, followed by at least 4 years on the campus (which may include Lubbock) where they complete both the final year of medical school and three years of family medicine residency training. FMAT modifies and accelerates the standard 4-year curriculum through three FMAT curricular experiences.

The FMAT program involves all three campuses of the Texas Tech School of Medicine, so that students are linked with the site of their eventual family medicine residency program training.

An important consequence of the FMAT program is to allow students to complete their training one year earlier than students in a standard curriculum--and with approximately half of the debt typical of current students. This reduced debt is possible for two reasons:

FMAT students spend only three years in medical school; therefore, they will be obligated for one less year of tuition and fees.
Texas Tech School of Medicine provides scholarship support to FMAT students during at least one year of medical school.

Program Information

FMAT Application Information

Students may apply for the FMAT program at two time periods: 1) when they apply for admission to the TTUHSC School of Medicine and 2) during the winter (November through January) of their MS1 year, once they have matriculated in the TTUHSC School of Medicine.

Students applying for medical school at the TTUHSC School of Medicine indicate their interest in FMAT on the Texas Tech Secondary Application.

FMAT students complete their predoctoral training in three years, following a curriculum modified slightly from the regular curriculum. The training program for FMAT students includes several innovative curricular activities that will ensure that students are prepared appropriately for their accelerated experiences:

FMAT1 Course

This 8-week concentrated course is taken during the summer between Year 1 and Year 2 under the supervision of Family Medicine and Basic Sciences faculty. This course prepares students to begin the Longitudinal Family Medicine Clerkship during Year 2.

Course Content:

Overview and review of MS2 basic science course materials
8-week concentrated course in June and July
Class meets 4-5 hours daily Monday through Thursday
Case-based didactic and small-group sessions across 7 themes with both basic science and family physician facilitators: cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine/gastroenterology, musculoskeletal, women's health/urology, neuropsychiatry, dermatology
Clinical and pathophysiology correlations material, focusing on skills for patient assessment
Evaluation includes daily quizzes, a weekly OSCE and two exams.

FMAT2 Course

Students participate in a Longitudinal Family Medicine Clerkship course in August-February of Year 2

Course Content:

Family Medicine clerkship course objectives and content
Conducted primarily during Tuesday and Thursday mornings, August through May
Outpatient clinic and inpatient hospital service, including a longitudinal experience during the spring on the students' clinical clerkship campus
Geriatrics and palliative care experiences
Additional student enrichment activities
Increasing independent responsibilities with clinic and hospital patients
Evaluation includes shelf exam, OSCE and other family medicine clerkship evaluations

FMAT3 Course

This 16-week capstone experience taken during the March-June rotation of Year 3 to fulfill the learning objectives for experiences normally required in Year 4, including selectives and the Transition to Residency: Individualized Asynchronous Learning (TRIAL) course.

Course Content:

ICU and critical care, including time for the Longitudinal Clinical Skills Exam
1 month Family Medicine inpatient service, including time for Step 2CK exam
Additional outpatient experiences
Students participate in May graduation exercises but do not complete coursework until the end of June
Evaluation includes assessments used for the Family Medicine sub-I and critical care experiences

Applications for the FMAT program take place at two time periods:

Those applying for medical school may indicate their interest in the program on the TTUHSC secondary application and may receive an FMAT interview during the admissions cycle.
Those who have already matriculated as MS1 students may also apply beginning November 1 of their first year of medical school using this link (eRaider login required for current MS1 students, beginning November 1).

Family Medicine Accelerated Track (FMAT) classes have ranged between 6 and 20 students. The students are distributed among campuses in Lubbock, Amarillo, and Odessa for their third year of medical school and their three years of family medicine residency training.

Acceptance into the FMAT program is based on merit. Criteria for admission into the program include:

Expressed interest in a career in primary care/ family medicine, based on information collected during the medical school admissions process and personal statements
Strong academic performance, assessed based on performance in faculty-prepared and standardized exams in the first two blocks of Year 1 (for students selected during their first-year of medical school)
Academic performance prior to medical school (for students selected prior to beginning medical school)
Interviews with members of the FMAT faculty

Applicants are asked to write 3 short (300-word) essays to answer the following questions:

What motivates you to participate in the FMAT program?
What experiences have you had that would prepare you for this intensive program?
What, in your opinion, distinguishes Family Medicine from other medical specialties?

The Admissions timeline for the FMAT application process is as follows:

November 1 through February 1: FMAT application is open
Early-February: Applicant interviews with FMAT faculty
Mid-February: FMAT program acceptance extended

School of Medicine Admissions FMAT Information

Meet our FMAT faculty and Steering Committee here.

Who is eligible for the FMAT program?
At most times of the year, the Texas Tech School of Medicine is recruiting for two FMAT Classes. Students who have already been accepted and enrolled as first-year students in the Texas Tech School of Medicine are eligible to apply for FMAT during the fall of their first year in medical school. Students who are applying to begin their first-year of medical school during the Admissions cycle (May through October) may also apply for FMAT. For example, during 2024-2025, students applying for medical school may apply to enter the FMAT Class of 2028, while students who entered the TTUHSC School of Medicine in the fall of 2024 (current MS1s) may apply for the FMAT Class of 2027.

How many students will be accepted into FMAT
Previous classes have ranged from 6 to 20 students. A small class size ensures that each student receives close mentoring and support. In addition, because these students will enter the Texas Tech Family Medicine residency programs in Amarillo, Lubbock, and Odessa, it is necessary to restrict the FMAT classes to no more than about one-half of the size of each residency class.

What are the criteria for acceptance into FMAT?
Students who are good candidates for FMAT are those with a definite preference for a career in primary care and family medicine and who have performed well academically at the time of application. Students should also be mature and have excellent study skills and preparation for a challenging year-round program.

What are the application process and timeline for FMAT applications?
The online application for first-year students interested FMAT is available November 1 through February 1. The TTUHSC School of Medicine Secondary Application is available during the regular admissions cycle, which opens on May 1. In both cases, students who apply for FMAT are asked to answer the following questions:

What motivates you to participate in the FMAT program?
What experience have you had that would prepare you for this intensive program?
What, in your opinion, distinguishes Family Medicine from other medical specialties?

For those who are applying as first-year medical students, interviews with the FMAT selection committee take place in early February, with every effort made to extend program acceptance by mid- to late-February.

Those who are applying during the TMDSAS Admissions process may indicate their interest on the TTUSOM secondary application. For those invited to interview for medical school at TTUHSC, an FMAT interview will be arranged.

If I am accepted into FMAT, when will I graduate from medical school?
Students selected for FMAT will participate in commencement from medical school in May of their third year, although they will not complete all of their coursework requirements until the end of June. FMAT students begin three years of residency training the following July. For example, students selected for the FMAT Class of 2026 will "walk" in graduation in May 2026, finish coursework in June 2026, begin residency training in July 2026, and complete residency training in June 2029.

If I change my mind about a career in Family Medicine, or if I decide that I do not want to accelerate my medical training, can I opt-out of the program?
Yes, you may opt out of the FMAT program during your MS2 or MS3 year and return to the regular 4-year curriculum. If you do not choose to complete the program, the scholarship that you received during your MS3 year will revert to a loan and will be subject to repayment.

What happens if I receive failing grades in FMAT coursework or other courses and clerkships?
You will return to the regular 4-year curriculum and be expected to complete it with passing grades.

What happens if I don’t pass Step 1?
You will return to the regular 4-year curriculum, and delay further training until you pass Step 1.

Will I be expected to take Step 2?
You will be expected to take and pass Step 2CK prior to graduation, which is a Texas Tech School of Medicine requirement.

Will I need to enter the National Resident Matching Program (NMRP, or “The Match”)?
Yes, you will still need to register with and participate in The Match, with the expectation that you will rank as your first choice the Family Medicine program where you complete the FMAT3 course. FMAT students may also choose to participate in the NRMP Match to apply to programs outside of TTUHSC. The School of Medicine will provide counseling about options during the fall of students' third year.

Can I also complete the MD/MBA or MD/PhD program?
No, this intensive program will not allow time to complete these or other joint degree programs.

How will my residency training be different?
Your 3-year Family Medicine residency training will not differ from that of non-FMAT students.

Will I be able to complete fellowship training following residency?
Yes, in fact, pursuing additional training in geriatrics, palliative care, women’s health, adolescent medicine or sports medicine may be especially appealing, since you will complete your training one year earlier than had you not completed the FMAT program.

When will campus assignments be made for the FMAT3 and residency years?
Campus assignments are made for all students at the TTUHSC School of Medicine prior to matriculation. As with all TTUSOM students, FMAT students have the opportunity to request a campus reassignment, and opportunities are available for FMAT students to visit other campuses, if they choose to do so (some travel funds are available) and to rank their campus preferences. Every effort will be made to link students with their campus preferences for both MS3 and residency training years.

Department of Family Medicine website

The Texas Tech Family Medicine Accelerated Track (FMAT) has garnered attention from across the United States. Here are a few recent notices:

Jones, B. G., Cook, R. C., Morales, F., Hobart, K., & Berk, S. L. (2025). The family medicine accelerated track at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center: results from a 10-year program to bend the primary care curve. Medical Education Online, 30(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2025.2457783

TTUHSC School of Medicine Celebrates Groundbreaking Accelerated Program Milestone, Rankings

Academic Medicine: Three-Year MD Programs: Perspectives From the Consortium of Accelerated Medical Pathway Programs (CAMPP)

Consortium of Accelerated Medical Pathway Programs (CAMPP)

Texas Medical Association Texas Medicine

Daily Toreador, November 2, 2015: Family medicine program ranked No. 14

Wikipedia: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine

The New York Times, August 1, 2014: The Drawn-Out Medical Degree

MEDCITY News, January 14, 2014: How long does it take to become a doctor? Some medical schools shaving off a year of training

The Washington Post, January 13, 2014: Medical school done faster

Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, November 12, 2013: The 3-Year Curriculum: Disruptive Innovation and the Change Imperative From Texas Cowboy Boots on the Ground

The New York Times, September 9, 2012: Luring Students Into Family Medicine

AAMC Reporter, November 2011: Viewpoint - Encouraging Student Interest in Family Medicine: Texas Tech's Family Medicine Accelerated Track