Welcome to the Clinical Phase!
The Clerkship Phase marks the transition from classroom-based learning to full-time clinical training across core disciplines. Students rotate through required clerkships, complete standardized assessments, and develop clinical competencies under faculty supervision across multiple campuses and clinical sites.
Core clerkships provide hands-on clinical training across major medical specialties during the clinical phase of the curriculum. Most clerkships are completed in six-week blocks, allowing students to develop clinical skills, participate in patient care, and work closely with faculty and residents.
Some clerkships are structured differently:
• Internal Medicine and Surgery are divided into two three-week experiences, combining general service with subspecialty
exposure.
• Neurology and Psychiatry are each three weeks and are typically paired together within a six-week block.
Each clerkship concludes with required assessments and evaluations designed to measure clinical knowledge, professional development, and readiness for advanced clinical training.
Select a clerkship to learn more about rotation structure, expectations, and key contacts.
Request an official Letter of Good Standing for away rotations, visiting electives, or other institutional verification needs.
Find information about course registration, scheduling updates, and add/drop processes for clerkships and electives.
Review important policies governing the clinical phase, including scheduling guidelines, professionalism expectations, and rotation requirements.
Find information about NBME subject exams, testing schedules, and policies related to clerkship assessments.
During the clinical phase, students will formally declare a Sponsoring Department that will support their residency preparation and graduation planning. The Sponsoring Department typically aligns with the specialty a student plans to pursue for residency.
Submitting this form allows the department to begin advising, supporting specialty-specific preparation, and assisting with residency planning requirements.
Students should submit the Sponsoring Department Declaration once they have identified the specialty they intend to pursue. This typically occurs during the clerkship phase after gaining exposure to core clinical rotations.
Submissions will be reviewed and recorded by the Curriculum Office to ensure proper advising alignment and graduation documentation.