The fourth year includes four required clerkships and one required course:
- Advanced Selective (select one): Cardiovascular Surgery, Family Medicine, Medicine, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Pediatrics, OMFS Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Surgery, Urology (4 weeks – 4 credit hours)
- Emergency Medicine (4 weeks – 4 credit hours)
- Neurology (4 weeks – 4 credit hours)
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care (4 weeks – 4 credit hours)
- Capstone Course – Transition to Residency (3 weeks – 4 credit hours)
Students have a four-week period to interview for their residency and a four-week period to prepare for USMLE Step 2 – CK (2 – 4 credit hours). Students are required to have at least 16 credit hours of electives to be eligible for graduation.
All elective choices must be made in conjunction with the student’s faculty advisor, the Phase 3 Director, and the Associate or Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. In the clinical electives, students work as advanced clerks and assume greater responsibility than they had in the third year. Elective courses in the basic sciences also are available. Additionally, independent study programs and international medicine electives may be designed to allow experience in areas of medicine not offered in the formal courses.
Students who wish to take external electives at other institutions must obtain the approval of their advisor and Phase 3 Director. As a general rule, students will be allowed to take a maximum of three external electives.
Students must complete a minimum of 36 credit hours in the fourth year to be eligible for graduation.
Advanced Medical Practice: Phase 3 May through April: 36 weeks
Phase 3 corresponds to the fourth year and includes 36 weeks (20 weeks of required courses and 16 weeks for electives). The required courses are three clerkships, an advanced clinical practice selective, and the final course, Transition to Residency.
- Anesthesiology-Operative and Perioperative/Critical Care: 4 weeks
- Emergency Medicine: 4 weeks
- Neurology: 4 weeks
- Adv. Selective: 4 weeks (select one)
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Community Health and Family Medicine
- Medicine
- Neurosurgery
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatrics
- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
- Surgery
- Transition to Residency: 4 weeks
- Residency preparation
- Elective credits: 16 weeks
- USMLE Step 2 CK