Clinical Curriculum: Year 3
The clerkship curriculum consists of 48 weeks of instruction – 46 weeks of nine required clerkships and a 2-week elective. Additionally, all students participate in Practice of Medicine III which includes the Introduction to Clerkships and four day-long sessions spread throughout the academic year.
Anesthesiology (ANES 530)
The Anesthesiology Clerkship is a 2-week rotation consisting of one week of a subspecialty of anesthesiology and one week of general anesthesiology. Students work as part of the anesthesiology team caring for patients having surgery in the general, UMROI, and trauma operating rooms. In addition, students may work as part of the chronic pain team, acute pain team, or obstetrics anesthesiology team caring for this specialized population of patients. Students are assigned to either UMMC or UMROI. Students attend anesthesiology conferences and are provided with daily bedside clinical teaching. All students will also participate in an airway simulation and anesthesia independent study.
Core Medicine (MEDC 530)
The Core Medicine Clerkship is an 8 week rotation consisting of two 4-week inpatient experiences. Students work as part of a health care team caring for adult and patients with complex, undifferentiated medical illnesses. Students are assigned to two of four teaching hospitals representing University, VA, and community sites. An optional sub-specialty outpatient experience is available. Students are provided with daily teaching rounds with assigned faculty and supervisory residents and attend conferences on a variety of Internal Medicine topics. All students complete a computer-based Core Curriculum using Simulated Clinical Cases.
Core Surgery (GSUR 530)
The Core Surgery Clerkship is an 8 week rotation during which students will obtain the necessary surgical knowledge and skills to prepare for their career as a physician. They will obtain this through participation in patient care in the clinical wards, operating room, trauma resuscitation arena, and outpatient clinics as well as specific lectures, small groups and conferences. Based on their preferences, students are assigned one four week general surgery rotation, one two week sub specialty rotation and one two week trauma rotation. Completion of case logs, CEX, H&P, consent and web-based procedure log will ensure a complete experience for all students.
Emergency Medicine (EMER 530)
Students will spend 4 weeks in the Emergency Department working clinical shifts with our Emergency Medicine Faculty. During this time they will be supervised by Emergency Medicine faculty and residents taking care of patients in the Emergency Department. They will have 12-14 clinical shifts over that 4-week period which will include morning, evening, overnight, and weekend shifts. Students will receive a lecture series in the first week of the rotation and will have several lab experiences, including a procedure lab, suture lab, splint lab, and ultrasound lab. Students on emergency medicine rotations at all sites receive this lab and didactic experience. In addition to traditional didactic lectures and labs, students are also exposed to newer educational technologies, such as online lectures and interactive educational material. Students will attend mandatory resident conferences every Wednesday morning. This may include simulation, cadaver lab, journal club, and a variety of Emergency Medicine topics.
Family Medicine (FAPH 530)
The Family Medicine Clerkship is a 4-week rotation during which students gain exposure to the breadth of the practice of family medicine. Based on their preferences, students are assigned to work at either our university-based faculty and residency practice or with a community preceptor. Students spend the majority of their rotation working in the outpatient setting alongside family physicians. Other required experiences are a half day in dermatology clinic and a full day experience in palliative care.
Optional experiences include house call visits, Healthcare for the Homeless, inpatient family medicine, and low risk obstetrics and newborn care. Students are excused from their clinical obligations once weekly for didactics.
Neurology (NEUR 530)
The Neurology Clerkship is a 4-week rotation during which students gain exposure to inpatient and outpatient neurological presentations. The goal is for students to gain neurological symptom-based and disease-specific knowledge. Based on their preferences, students are assigned to work at either the University of Maryland Medical Center or Baltimore VA Medical Center. Students may spend time on the inpatient general neurology service, inpatient stroke service, neurologic intensive care unit, inpatient consultation services, and/or outpatient subspecialty clinics. Students are excused from their clinical obligations daily to attend lunchtime didactics as well as a variety of other simulations and interactive teaching sessions.
Obstetrics/Gynecology (OBST 530)
The Obstetrics & Gynecology Clerkship is a 6-week rotation during which students learn about all aspects of Women's Health. The Clerkship is divided into three two week blocks: Labor & Delivery, Gynecology Surgery, and Ambulatory Clinic. Students will work directly with patients alongside Residents and Faculty Midwives/Physicians in all of these settings. Participation will include deliveries, surgeries, and clinic visits. Students are excused from their clinical obligations for weekly didactics, twice weekly Faculty Preceptor meetings, and an OSCE exam.
Pediatrics (PEDI 530)
The Pediatric Clerkship is a 6-week rotation introducing students to the clinical aspects of Pediatrics. Students will rotate through an inpatient unit, a pediatric emergency department or urgent care setting, the full term nursery and an outpatient general pediatric practice. Opportunities for interdisciplinary involvement and pediatric subspecialty exposure as well as home visits with families of children with chronic illness are available. Didactic lecture sessions will be made available prior to the course and are posted on Medscope. Completion of patient logs, Aquifer cases and formally observed and submitted history & physicals ensure a complete experience for all students.
Psychiatry (PSYH 530)
The Psychiatry Clerkship is a 4-week rotation during which students gain exposure to the practice of Psychiatry. Students are assigned to work on one of the inpatient or consultation units at the University of Maryland Medical center, or one of the inpatient units at the Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, a free-standing psychiatric hospital. In order to ensure that students understand the breadth of Psychiatry, they have required experiences in outpatient psychiatry, Psychiatric Emergency Services, on-call shifts, and attend a 12-step meeting. Optional experiences include spending a day with our mobile treatment team, and overnight call. Clinical work is supplemented by attendance at didactics, case conferences, and Departmental Grand Rounds.
2-Week Electives
Students complete one 2-week elective during the Pediatrics clerkship block. Student will complete all of the required didactics for the Pediatrics clerkship while exploring their selected elective experiences. SOM faculty have developed a specific 2-week elective curriculum for students interested in particular fields.
Practice of Medicine III (MEDS 537)
Last Revision: 11/02/2023